Marie Plays Homeless (Shenanigans Series)

Marie Plays Homeless (Shenanigans Series)

Marie want a Jeanie doll really bad, and her father says, "No." That was not the answer Marie wanted to hear so she plans a scheme to raise money after seeing a homeless man. But the backlash from her plan was more than she could handle... And she learns a lesson in the process. "Ross thinks parents need to be more invested in their children and more mindful of the types of messages they are exposed to. She hopes her books will lead to discussions of the important issues parents and children might normally avoid talking about." --Catholic Herald "Although the Shenanigans Series are humorous and entertaining, they also teach clear, but gently told life lessons." --Diversity MBA Magazine "The kids who read her books relate to what the stories are about." --Chicago Sun-Times "This is an area that particularly inner-city schools seem to be interested in." --Chicago Tribune The Shenanigans Series(tm) Story My mission is to be an instrument in getting young readers excited about reading and motivated to read. I created The Shenanigans Series(tm) as a result of not being able to find viable, 'relevant,' challenging and thought-provoking books for my two children to read when they became interested in reading chapter books. In addition I wanted to help conquer the crisis of low reading scores of youth, especially in urban areas. While some children have become bored with the lack of viable reading choices; the stories of the Shenanigan Series(tm) offer relevant storylines that are humorous and entertaining, yet grounded in moral lessons and require readers to take self-evaluation. All of the stories that I write are inspired by true events. The stories are told with humor and are grounded with moral foundations that provide practical lessons. Books in the series discuss issues such as: bullying, poverty, homelessness, theft, fire safety, first-aid, family values, the art of negotiation, critical thinking, self-regulation, and self-evaluation. Each book includes a spelling guide and questions for thought and discussion, or written responses, a tool that educators and moms who home school appreciate. ...Reading Is a Form of Entertainment!! Hello and welcome to the Shenanigans Series, I began writing the Shenanigans Series more than years ago when I had a hard time locating African American chapter books for my children, that showed relevant current day characters, in positive images.  There were plenty of books of Black history figures and about runaway slaves, but I could not find much at all with characters in current day situations. All of the stories in the series are inspired by real life events of my childhood, my husbands and my children's,  -filled the precocious and mischievous things that we were involved in and most importantly, those we learned from.  The stories are funny, lighthearted and engaging. Enjoy. Jil Ross Marie, her father and brother are out running errands. Marie asks her father to give her extra allowance to purchase a particular doll that she wants. Her father is not going to 'give' her money but that he would think of something she could do to earn money. This answer is not satisfactory to Marie and she begins to think of various ways to make the money. When Marie notices a man standing holding a sign that reads 'HOMELESS WILL WORK FOR FOOD,' she gets an idea. While her father is grocery shopping, she transforms herself into a wild child, writes a note and stands in front of the grocery store soliciting people for money. The sign reads 'PLEASE GIVE MONEY TO FEED THE HOMELESS CHILDREN.' After collecting more than enough money to purchase the doll, her father comes out of the store and catches Marie in the act. Both Marie and her brother have to complete community service resulting in volunteer work serving breakfast at a homeless shelter. During the community service Marie has a chance to talk to the man she had initially seen on the street holding the homeless sign, and they talk about how he became homeless. She now understands his predicament. When the manager of the homeless shelter offers Marie a doll as a 'thank you' gift, she declines it and asks that instead he returns the doll and put the money into a fund to feed more homeless people. Jil Ross began writing when her children were little, while recuperating from a broken leg. As the children got older, she wrote about the various antics and mischief they got themselves into. Her children are the inspiration for many of her writings. She resides in Chicago, IL, with her family.