Saratoga

by Brian Macdonald, Brenda Macdonald (Illustrator)

Overview

This is a story about Saratoga, an adventurous and inquisitive girl, with a good sense of humor and a determination to make the best of every day.

But tired of being bullied because of her name, Sara, as she is known to her friends, confronts her tormentor. What will she do to get him to stop bullying her?

And although fiercely independent, Sara knows she needs help when purchasing her first car. She asks her friend Mike to help, with unexpected results.

Then, when Sara's friend Naomi hears about a new pool at Sara's house, she can't wait to go over and take a dip. But she is in for quite a surprise when she gets to Sara's house!

And Sara has found she has feelings for three very different boys. With all the twists, turns and ups and downs of romance, she sometimes feels like she's on roller coaster ride. It's all very exciting, but will the roller coaster ever stop?

When all is said and done, Sara loves a challenge, whether riding the romance roller coaster, landing a fighting fish, or climbing the most difficult trail to the top of a nearby mountain.

These and the other adventures and challenges she encounters make this a book young girls and women will find entertaining and inspiring.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781732838529
Publisher:	Brian Macdonald
Publication date:	02/28/2019
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Toga, Toga

The story begins with Sara trying to determine how to tell her parents about the fight she was in with a bully (named Erik) who had tormented her about her name one too many times. After getting caught bullying someone else in school, Erik has to write an essay on bullying. He learns his lesson and makes peace with Sara.

Chapter 2 Sara's Baja

Sara gets a taste of potential romance when her friend Mike impulsively kisses the back of her hand after helping her check out a car for sale.

Chapter 3 The Birdbath

After building a birdbath for her back yard, Sara invites her friend Naomi over to see her new "pool", and puts on a bikini to completely fool her friend when she arrives.

Chapter 4 Camping

While on their annual family camping trip, Sara plays Roger Goodell to her father's Tom Brady while "judging" the horseshoe match between her parents at the campground.

Chapter 5 Pastor Stanley

At the church social after the service, Sara and Pastor Stanly discuss how the love of money is the root of much evil in the world.

Chapter 6 Samantha

When her friend Samantha becomes pregnant, Sara is determined to help her resolve things. Although personally opposed to abortion, Sara presents and explains all of the options available to Samantha.

Chapter 7 The Battle for the Bell

Lafayette High School is playing against Wilmington High School in the Battle for the Bell, their annual football game.

Chapter 8 Mount Monadnock

Sara climbs Mount Monadnock with her friend Bob. She enjoys the hike very much and feels a romantic tug towards Bob, but then thinks what about Mike?

Chapter 9 The Wolf Whistle

Although Sara's friends think she is pretty, Sara prefers to wear plain old jeans and a shirt to school. Occasionally, she likes to dress up just to mix things up, and on one of those occasions, her friend Cheri playfully wolf whistles at her in the hallway at school. Ms. Warren hears it, and gives them both a detention.

Chapter 10 The Birdhouse

Sara decides to build a birdhouse. She makes one side of it with clear Plexiglass so she can observe the bird family from her bedroom.

Chapter 11 Deer Hunting

After a big family breakfast at Grammy's house, Sara and her father drive up to the cabin they have rented in northern New Hampshire for their annual deer hunting trip.

Chapter 12 The Debate

Sara is a member of her high school debating club. She believes that Tim is a very good debater, but is frustrated by his procrastination in preparation for their upcoming debate. She likes Tim a lot, but feels that his constant procrastination is too much of a hurdle to overcome in establishing a romantic relationship with him.

Chapter 13 Shoein

After a big snowstorm, Sara goes snow shoeing with her friend Brenda. At the Lafayette Town Forest, Sara dusts the snow off of a plaque dedicated to the Marquis de Lafayette and begins discussing American exceptionalism with Brenda.

Chapterr 14 The Chickadee Family

A chickadee family makes use of the birdhouse that Sara built, and Sara is amazed at how tiny the baby chickadees are when they hatch.

Chapter 15 Fried Eggplant

The lilacs have bloomed, indicating to Sara and her father that it is time to plant their annual vegetable garden. Instead of using commercial pesticide, Sara makes her own bug repellant out of hot peppers, onion and garlic. She decides to grow eggplant because her friend Naomi's mother made fried eggplant, and Sara loved it.