The Haunted Field Trip

By Nicholas Stanton

Grade School Gumshoe
Author Conveys Value of Perseverance and Innocence in his first Children's Book

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Remember what it was like to see the world with the curious eyes of innocence? Nicholas Sheridan Stanton presents a clever and touching story of childhood in the latest installment of his children's book series, KK Undercover Mystery with The Haunted Field Trip.
In his first book, the author introduced readers around the globe to KaSandra (KK to her friends) and her S.A.M. (Secret Agents for Moms) team, Winifred and Claire, her two BFFs, as well as Daniel the new kid, and Zoë, the latest recruit. Last year the 4th graders from dear old Deer Canyon Elementary School solved The Cookie Caper when they unmasked and captured the pesky Lunchito Bandito. This time, a year older, the spunky 5th graders tackle their most puzzling case yet. It all begins with a mysterious dream, one that they all share, right down to the teeniest and tiniest detail. That dream leads them on a twisting path of clues and detours as they try and figure out what's up at The Shetland Stables?
Handi-capable, KK and her colorful crew of grade school sleuths gather clues from a scary old ranch, two gruff cowboys, a cool old grandpa, a strange old grandma, and an actual ghost. You will fall in love with these characters:
KaSandra (KK): Age 11, a street smart little girl with big dreams. A natural born leader she takes charge of her S.A.M. crew as they take on one adventure after another keeping the peace at their school and in their neighborhoods. A precocious child with a heart as big as the whole outdoors, she inspires us with her "can do" attitude as she stoically battles an illness that she keeps in the background.
Winifred: BFF number one, Winnie is KK's closet friend and confidant. Tall for her age and smart as a whip she is the team's voice of reason when they put their heads together to hatch a plan.
Claire: BFF number two, Claire is the heart of the team. She is quick to comment when she notices something out of sorts and first to smile when a smile is needed. Claire and Winnie are the bookends in KK's life, helping her to keep it all together and supporting her in her personal battle with cancer.
Daniel: He is the new kid in school and has a perpetual crush on KK. He naturally fits in with the team and is their official muscle-head according to Claire. He lightens the load physically and emotionally with brawn and a contagious sense of humor.
Zoë: A straight arrow brainiac that KK has been trying to recruit for a while. The team uses her apple pie smile to open doors usually closed by wary adults (teachers, parents, etc...).
Mrs. Ryan: The kid's teacher and advisor, she is the team's go to adult when the going gets tough.
Mr. Beadle: The coolest bus driver in the history of the world. Never at a loss for words, he always has something clever to say. He makes going to school fun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Just Imagine It Ink
• Release date: Feb 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465818416

Nicholas Stanton

Author BiographyNicholas Sheridan Stanton lives in Southern California. After a thirty-year career in the aerospace industry, he is now a writer by choice and spends his time observing and living life as fully as possible. Stanton’s books include.The Migrant, KK Undercover Mystery: The Cookie Caper, The Gumshoe Diaries, Gabriel’s Promise, and KK Undercover Mystery: The Haunted Field Trip. He lives in San Diego.

Book preview

KK UNDERCOVER MYSTERY

The Haunted Field Trip

Nicholas Sheridan Stanton

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Published by:

Just Imagine It Ink

Copyright (c) 2011 by Nicholas Sheridan Stanton

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All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Smashwords Edition Licence Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

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In loving memory of KaSandra (Truc Han) Dang:

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Original Manuscript

June 7th, 2010

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Chapter One

Home sweet Home, San Diego, California

My name is Cassandra but with a K, and only one S. That’s big K, little a, big S, little a-n-d-r-a, get it? If you live in San Diego and you have a kid at Deer Canyon Elementary School you may have heard of me and my team, Winifred, Claire, and Daniel. We got a small write up inEchoes our school newspaper when we solved The Cookie Caper and unmasked the Lunchito Bandito last year. Actually, the cookie caper wasn’t that newsworthy as the bandito turned out to be Chester the hamster, our class mascot. But hey, it was fun and nobody got hurt. Well, except maybe for poor Daniel who has been teased non-stop for wigging out over a fat, furry, oversized rat.

We didn’t make the Union Tribune or get on TV or anything like that, but that’s okay, we’re supposed to be spies anyways. That’s right, I said spies! Me and the team work for S.A.M. which stands for Secret Agents for Moms. It’s a government agency that recruits brainy kids like us to sorta keep an eye on things. It’s kinda hard to be super secret spies if everyone already knows you’re spies, duh. Just because we are spies doesn’t mean we’re tattle-tales or rat-finks, or anything. It just means that we help keep little problems from becoming big ones. We help kids find their way to the right adult to help them fix whatever’s wrong. I guess you could say that we’re the eyes all moms claim to have in the back of their heads.

So, to recap, I’m a 5th grader at dear old Deer Canyon Elementary School in sunny San Diego, California. I live with my Mom, my big sister Kat (short for Katarina) and my little brother Lucas. My Daddy died when I was three, I miss him a lot. But he raised us to be strong and I know that I’ll see again in Heaven, Father Nick our parish priest says so! That’s all I have to say about that too.

Kat is 13 and goes to the Middle School just around the corner from Deer Canyon. She’ll be going to High School next year, lucky duck! She’s really pretty and way cool, but I still give her a hard time cause that’s what younger sisters are supposed to do, right? My brother Lucas is 6 going on 2, nuff said. I know he’s cute and I really do love him, but eavenhe’s such a little pill sometimes. All things considered we’re a pretty normal family I think, even with these yucky cancer cells running around my body right now. Don’t freak out though, I don’t. I’m not alone ya know, I’ve got people! I’ve