Category: Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Thomas Lee Publishing
ISBN-10: 0982690428
Type: Fiction
Pages: 140
Copyright: 2009
ISBN-13: 9780982690420
A Young Adult Fantasy Adventure about a lonely, isolated nerdy-girl who wishes she were a different person. Each night she prays for friendship and acceptance. Until one night, something strange shows up in her bedroom that takes her on the ride of her life into another dimension where unimaginable creatures roam. Her role in this strange place changes and transforms her into someone she never thought possible.
Cautionary note: Be careful of what you pray, you may just get it!
Beatrice Coleman, aka, Bitty is a hot mess! At least that is what she is told by the popular girls as they're attacking her in the school cafeteria. Bitty is too tall and too skinny. She has a pointed noise, mousy brown hair and wears not cute clothes to school. She doesn't have a single friend and she spends her time alone, watching TV, studying or singing ole school tunes with her parents. She’s crushing on the most popular boy at school, who thinks she's a joke. And if that isn't pathetic enough, her Phys Ed teacher keeps pressuring her to try out for girls' basketball. That's the last thing she needs: to be a tall, geeky, bookworm, girl-jock. UGH!!
So each night she talks to God about her problems. Then one morning, a strange object appears in her bedroom. That night, strange becomes frightening and more terrifying than imaginable. Bitty finds herself swept away by an unknown Being into a far off dimension. She lands in the middle of an ongoing battle between the Sesprians and the Krylox. As she fights to help the Sesprians defeat their enemy and save their kind, she unleashes a power, a love and courage she never knew existed within her. When she returns, her world has changed and she discovers that she will never be lonely and afraid again.
Excerpt
Beatrice Coleman forces one eye open. Another wonderful day to face...
It wouldn't be so bad if Beatrice had a single thing to look forward to. She blinks—trying to adjust to the morning sun, but then quickly closes her eyes and pulls the covers over her head. Last night she had decided she was not going to school today. She would lie in bed and would not budge, no matter what anyone had to say, and that includes her mothe—…
"Beatrice, it's time to get ready for school," her mother calls.
"Okay mom, I'm getting up."
Annoyed with herself over the swift demise of her iron-fisted rebellion, Beatrice pulls back her warm comforter adorned with blue and white marching penguins and gets on with her morning routine.
She throws her legs over the side of the bed facing the window, momentarily admiring her cozy sanctuary. Her room is royal blue with light blue curtains, her favorite colors. There are posters covering the walls: some fuzzy kittens and puppies, her favorite teen movie stars and a picture of the Orion Nebula taken by the Hubble Space Station. On the floor, stuffed animals are scattered about; and in the corner, a small writing desk she uses for homework.
Beatrice hops down from her bed and moves slowly toward her bathroom. Her pajamas are too big and nearly cause her to fall, again. "Is my life this predictable? I'm almost twelve years old, and I can't even walk without tripping," she mumbles to herself. Beatrice enters her bathroom and looks into the mirror, silently critiquing the image in front of her...
You are a hot mess!
Stringy brown hair...
Pointed noise...
Big mouth...
Too tall, too skinny...
And a zit on your forehead!
No chance of any boys checking this out.
Thank goodness she doesn't have a sister who looks like Megan Fox or some other perfect female. That would just be too much to take; dealing with super models at school and at home! There's just Beatrice, her mom and dad.
She washes her face and other vital parts, brushes her teeth, runs the brush through her tangled hair, puts on a baggy tee shirt and jeans, mismatched socks, her favorite worn sneakers and goes down to breakfast.
"Morning, Beatrice," her mom smiles. "You sleep well?"
"Mom, please don't call me that."
"Honey, that's your name. You really want me to call you Bitty?"
"Yeah, duh?"
Her mother gives her the look.
Why do parents name their child Ethel or Cleofus or Aquamaria or Beatrice? Don’t they realize that names like these will damage that kid for life and will doom them to absolute social pariah-dom? Why would any boy in his right mind consider someone as a serious girl-friend option when she extends her hand at a dance and says, “Hi, I’m Fanny Whiffer?”
Bitty sighs, feeling that familiar tinge of guilt whenever she has thoughts like these. Her parents named her after her great-great grandmother on her father’s side, Beatrice Ann Coleman, who was an abolitionist. She should be proud of her name. "Sorry, mom; I know some kids call me Bitty just to make fun of my size, but Bitty is better than Beatrice."
Her mother smiles, sympathetically.
"Honey, you might consider wearing some of the nice outfits me and your dad got you last Christmas."
Bitty doesn't answer.
"Eat your breakfast sweetie. You'll be late for school."
Bitty picks at her cereal, takes a few bites of toast; drinks some orange juice. She grabs her jacket, backpack and kisses her mom good-bye.
The bus stop is two blocks from her house. She stands on the front porch for a while enjoying the view. Autumn is her favorite time of the year. The day is crisp, bright and breezy. The wind stirs the leaves around on the ground giving her a great variety of colors and textures to choose from for her "crunching ritual." She leaps down all four steps in a single bound and goes to it! This ritual, crunching leaves, makes her feel happy and normal, like she's any other kid. The leave crunch will never elicit words like:
Weirdo
Nerd
Geek
Nut Ball
Moron
Loser
All kids love crunching leaves. Some kids may try to hide their crunching addiction—casually walking through the leaves or kicking them around a little, like it doesn't matter. But the addiction is there, none the less. Through years of random, unscientific observation, Bitty has also witnessed grown-ups crunching leaves. Her dad will crunch leaves in public, right out in front of the neighbors! Can you believe that? Why it's down right embarrassing. Man, grown-ups can be so immature sometimes.
Crunch
Crunch
Crunch
Crunch
Crunch
Crunch
Bitty crunches the leaves while turning in circles, then crunches while running. She piles a bunch of leaves together and does a major, massive, mundo crunch. She wildly enjoys herself.
Silently, in the trees, the squirrels watch.
Professional Reviews
Fantasy fun that is utterly charming
A wonderfully enchanting story that will send you on an adventure like no other. Having had self esteem issues as a child I was able to easily relate to this delightful story. I read "Bitty and the Guardian of Sespria" to my granddaughter. She found herself lost in the pages as we shared this story and enjoy discussing issues of which we had never shared before. We held are breath in anticipation and smiled with delight as the endearing characters over came the odds. This is a book that can be shared with the whole family of all ages. Simply wonderful.
R.M. Putnam author of the Destiny's Warriors Series
Gifted Writer
"You are a great writer,... The book [Bitty and the Guardian of Sespria], I felt was on par with any teen book I've read or seen in middle school for 6-8th graders. You really are a gifted writer."
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