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Listen and read

Frank Saraco

Five minutes—a mere three hundred seconds. That’s all it took to rip three unsuspecting individuals from a comfortable life in the suburbs of Chicago. For their safety, Preston, a ten-and-a-half-year-old music prodigy, and his mother and sister are whisked into the Witness Protection Program while Dad, the FBI’s main witness in an important case, remains behind. Changing identities and appearances over a weekend is a huge ask for anyone, but changing schools with only a few months left in fifth grade is a whole other thing. From the new school’s obsession with kickball and the threat of bullies, Preston faces his hardest performance to date. Just when Preston thinks it can’t get any worse, a note appears on his desk. Someone knows his secret. Will this knowledge blow his family’s cover and put Dad in more danger? And what can Preston do to stop the bullying he is experiencing? Will he ever learn to play kickball and be ready for the big tournament? Life in the Grand Pause is full of interesting characters and quirky teachers who make Preston’s life way more interesting than he ever imagined!

Michael Gallagher

Barnsley Ink, a division of Write Way Publishing, Inc

The RAK Initiative Trilogy

Life in the Grand Pause

Ella, a ten and a half-year-old girl, cannot move on with her life after the death of her older sister. Sadness from the loss and the fear of forgetting her sister overcome Ella, taking away her joy. She loses her purpose, and the future feels bleak. Unexpectedly for Ella, her family moves halfway across the country, and she has to enroll in a new school mid-year—another unwanted change. When a new boy enters her class, Ella is set on an unexpected path of healing and discovery as she delivers a random act of kindness required for a school project. This is a powerful story of loss and recovery told from a young girl’s perspective. Lively characters, an emotionally stirring storyline, and settings that seem entirely real make this an appealing story for middle grade readers who like books such as Because of Winn Dixie, Chirp, and Bridge to Terabithia.

Light in the Shadow is the second book in the RAK Initiative Trilogy.

Middle Grades — Ages 8-12

Almond Eastland

Barnsley Ink

Light in the Shadow