Blackberry Jam

By Debera White-Waters and Kelly James

Blackberry Jam follows Jacy, Zane and their mother when they go blackberry picking and accidently ruin a fairy party. Their quest to set this right leads them to a broken-winged butterfly, an otter slide, a feral cat and other creatures in the forest who sometimes help and sometimes hinder their journey to conquer the enemy of the fairy clan. This enchanting story is infused with kid-humor, vivid descriptions of the ancient forest ecosystem, realistic life lessons and magic. It is a delightful experience for parents and children alike to share.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781942615002

Book preview

BLACKBERRY JAM

By Debera White-Waters

with

Illustrations by Kelly James

Sasquatch Publishing, a division of Liyric, LLC

© Copyright 2014, all rights reserved

ISBN 978-1-942615-00-2

10% of the profits from this book will be donated to wilderness preservation

and domestic violence victims.

The blackberries are ginormous and easy to reach near Grandpa Wayne’s cottage by the sea. Behind the colorful cottage a river winds through the woods and railroad tracks skirt a forest of giant ferns, mossy Sitka spruce and ancient cedar trees. Wisps of fog dance in the boughs of the towering trees. The forest is dark and cool even on the hottest days, but the clearing for the railroad tracks lets in a corridor of sunlight. Much smaller trees – alder, aspen and maple are scattered along the railroad tracks, and with summer easing into fall, these trees were just starting to sport yellow, orange and red leaves. Apparently, these are perfect conditions for blackberries. They grew so large that three or four of them filled eight-year-old Zane’s palm.

Zane, his mother, his three-year-old brother Jacy and Grandpa Wayne were busy gathering the juicy berries to make the jam that would sweeten their pancakes, toast, and peanut butter sandwiches for the rest of the year. Zane’s mom said the jam they made preserved the vitamins and sunshine they harvested on warm September days and saved it in those jam jars to brighten the dark days of winter.

Zane popped one in his mouth and the sweet, tangy berry burst with flavor. Zane closed his eyes and he breathed in the sunshine in the forest smells – damp moss, evergreen needles, sun-warmed berries, and a hint of sea spray. It was his favorite scent.

Zane loved the majestic Sitkas that towered alongside the tracks, and hoped that the ancient ones would be spared from the logging that had taken place in other parts of the woods. The northern sides of the giant trees were covered with bright green moss. Mossy stars carpeted the soft earth beneath the trees. Patches of wildflowers were interspersed with ferns. Mushrooms sprung up in random patterns. It was a magical place, a bit of the ancient world preserved in that small patch of land, like blackberries were preserved in jam. Only twenty acres of the ancient trees remained behind Grandpa’s place.

Behind a hill on the opposite side of the river, all the big trees had been cut down. What remained were jagged stumps and thick, weedy brush that sprang up when the ancient forest was destroyed. The land was scarred and the river below the cut was muddy in the aftermath.