We are so excited to announce our next book Jeff Pennant’s Field Guide To Raising Happy Parents by Kelli McKinney. This funny contemporary story tracks Jeff as he learns to see beyond himself. Here’s the back cover blurb.
Why don’t parents come with an instruction manual?
Enjoy childhood, they say.
I will. I do. Or, at least, I did.
I’m over here living my best life with my best friends and science club. And in three weeks, we’re going to GamerCon.
Suddenly, my parents want to talk about my choices. It’s so unfair. Why am I grounded for enjoying my childhood? I’m doing exactly what they said to do.
I know I’m not a parent. But I’m pretty sure ‘doing what you say you’ll do’ is in the top five rules of parenting. It’s right up there with ‘feed the kid’. Just my opinion.
Now I’ve lost everything good because the grown people in my life don’t make any sense.
If I can’t spend time with my best friends, how do I keep them? And how do I get out of trouble when I’m not sure how I got there in the first place?
Meet the author
Kelli McKinney has crafted a funny story about understanding family and friendship and learning to see beyond self—all with the help of science experiments, video games, and a sockstacle course.
This is Kelli’s debut novel, and she’s nailed the middle grade voice with humor and heart. We want you to get to know Kelli McKinney a bit better. Here’s a video where she introduces herself, tells about where she got the idea for Jeff Pennant’s Field Guide To Raising Happy Parents, and gives you a feel for what this story holds.
Meet the Author Kelli McKinney
Along with many other traits, Jeff is resilient, optimistic, and fun. Kelli McKinney has done a wonderful job bringing a strong middle grade boy character to life.
Science Experiment Fun
In Jeff Pennant’s Field Guide To Raising Happy Parents, Jeff loves science. He especially loves doing science experiments. Unfortunately, one particular experiment lands him in a bunch of trouble. Hint: don’t launch a bottle rocket in the kitchen! But launching bottle rockets correctly is a lot of fun. Download this PDF Bottle Rocket Experiment and try your hand at some fun science.
I love a middle grade story with characters that feel real, and face challenges that are so relatable. Then when they learn and grow from their experiences, it’s the best. Jeff Pennant’s Field Guide To Raising Happy Parents does all those things, with a mixture of science, video games, friendship, and turtles. Jeff learns what it means to see outside himself, and understand life from other people’s perspectives.