The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew, Book 1: American Stonehenge

By Michael Goldstein

American Stonehenge is the first book in the new series The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew. Secrets to some of our world’s most ancient and mysterious legends are revealed to our two heroes in their first epic adventure.

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

It’s his birthday, and Jimmy gets to pick out a dog at the humane society. Jimmy has wanted a dog his whole life. But he never imagined he’d find a pet that could talk to him telepathically!

It turns out that the dog is immortal, born in Egypt more than three thousand years ago. With the ability to read both canine and human thoughts, he has roamed the earth ever since, hoping to find others of his kind. Only after he meets Jimmy does he begin to discover clues to his elusive origins.

When Jimmy rescues Andrew from the pound, the first of their many adventures begins. American Stonehenge takes Jimmy and Andrew to the remote forests of northern Washington, where they accompany the boy’s archaeologist parents on the excavation of a newly discovered site. The find – a fully intact duplicate of Stonehenge in England – is shrouded in a mystery that Jimmy and Andrew must unravel.

How did this Stonehenge come to exist? Why do so many strange things happen around it? And what’s this telepathic dog been up to for the past three millennia? These mysteries and more are waiting to be revealed in Jimmy and Andrew’s first great adventure!

"The plot moves quickly, and the illustrations are perfect!" – R.J.

American Stonehenge (Book One)
● Great for independent young readers, boys and girls, ages 9-14 (4th - 9th grade).
● Ideal for the young reader who is ready for more advanced reading, with well-developed characters and plots.
● The 33 full-page colored illustrations perfectly depict the major scene in every chapter and give the book a graphic novel quality, which intensifies the reading experience.
● The SmashWords edition of American Stonehenge is full color. The text is reflowable, so it doesn’t look exactly like the printed hardcopy book, but it still has all of the illustrations and sketches.
Best for kids who ...
● like an action-packed and fast-paced fantasy or science fiction novel series.
● like historical fiction and fiction where all subjects being discussed are factually and historically correct, down to the smallest detail.
● like Harry Potter, Encyclopedia Brown, The Last Kids on Earth, and Percy Jackson, and love books by top authors like J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Brandon Sanderson, Lois Lowry and R.L. Stine.
“Along with a very enjoyable read, you also get a one heck of a history lesson." – L.D.P.

Grandparents, parents, and educators looking for...
● An entertaining and educational novel series for upper-elementary and middle school tweens.
● Emphasizes strong values, intellectual curiosity and relational responsibility.
● Encourages interest in history, archaeology, anthropology and science.
● Incorporates accurate historical record, precise descriptions of places and cultural/experiential wisdoms.
● Emphasizes friendship, trust and curiosity in developing relationships.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Goldstein
• Release date: Dec 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734110609

Michael Goldstein

Mike Goldstein is a consultant with more than 50 years of international experience in counseling, business and finance. The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew represents his first foray into fiction, and started as stories told to his grandson. The book is the latest step in a career that has included global travel and work for international organizations, as well as decades-long work as an independent business owner and consultant. Mr. Goldstein’s past published work includes Idenics: An Alternative to Therapy, which was published in 2008. Mr. Goldstein is a fifth generation Coloradan, and has lived and worked in Aurora, CO for nearly 40 years.

Book preview

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE – Sam’s Surprise

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO – Continuing the Journey

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE – A New Beginning

BEHIND THE SCENES of AMERICAN STONEHENGE – Creating the Chapter 27 Illustration

AUTHOR BIO – Mike Goldstein

The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew

Book One: American Stonehenge

CHAPTER ONE – A Mysterious Birth

Egypt – Circa 1350 B.C.E.

He woke up confused – so intensely confused that it reverberated to his very core. He couldn’t see anything at all, which made his disorientation even more severe. Who was he? Where was he? How did he get here? What had happened to him? Panic came over him in increasingly powerful waves, until it was abruptly supplanted by another, stronger sensation that urgently demanded all of his attention: hunger. He was beyond hungry; he was famished. He had to get some kind of food right now, somehow. He realized that there were others around him. He felt them squirming and wriggling, and heard them making whimpery noises. He could tell that they were as hungry as he was. Somehow, he didn’t know how, he could also tell that there were four of them. Suddenly he smelled food. He didn’t recognize what kind, but it didn’t matter. It was warm and near and the smell of it drove him mad with need. He pushed himself toward the smell and when it was as close to his nose as he could get, he bit onto it and felt the most delicious liquid pour through him. It was the most astonishing soup he could imagine – like magic, whatever it was. In the relief of that taste, he realized that there was someone else there, apart from the four whimperers. There was someone feeding him this wonderful, healing, comforting, delicious liquid. It was a she, and as he relaxed into the comfort of being fed, he realized that she loved him. Above the sound of the wriggling whimpers around him, he heard her say, silently, I love you. Eat, rest, be safe, my babies.

He ate and slept. For the next week or so, all he did was eat and sleep, and snuggle with the warm, furry bodies that surrounded him. Then the day came when he woke up and he could see! His eyes had opened. The warm furry bodies that had been snuggling around him were still there, and so was the big, loving one who had been feeding them all. The little furry ones were also opening their eyes and peeking around. He looked down at himself, and realized that he, too, had furry paws; he looked back, and saw that he had a tail – just like the others.

I must be one of them, he thought.

He had an urge to get up and walk, and when he tried, his little legs and paws were unsteady – but he persisted, and pushed himself up into a standing position. His snugglemates were still lying down, and he nudged the nearest one with his nose.

"Hey," he thought, we can get up now. Try it. Come on!

But all he could sense in response was confusion. His own legs were still wobbly, but cautiously, tentatively, he put one paw out and shifted his weight to it. It worked! He repeated the process a few more times, and looked back to check his progress. From the big, loving one who had been feeding him and all of them from her own body, he felt a gush of pride and love.

"Strong one!" he heard in his head.

Soon he was walking pretty confidently, but not too far. Looking back, he noticed that the other little ones were beginning to fumble up uncertainly from the hard ground. He tried again to perceive some message from them, but could sense only a mumbling and slightly fearful confusion. He walked back to them to show them how easy it was, and two of them looked up, but only for a moment. Again he walked a little distance away and turned back, thinking See? It’s easy! Come on! Try it, like this! But he could see that all their focus was on the challenge of simply trying to stand. He turned his attention to the loving, feeding one. She gently stood and stepped toward him.

"Oh, boy!" he thought. Let’s go explore! Let’s roll around.

But the big one, still sending him a warm flow of pride and love, tenderly turned him back.

"Too far for now," she thought. Stay.

He wanted to play, and he wanted playmates, but the others were not ready to join him, and he realized that he would have to wait. He decided to pass the time by giving the others names. One of them was a female with one black ear, and he decided to call her Black Ear. Another was a male who was a lighter brown than any of the rest, so he called him Tan. A third had a white paw, so he called her White Foot. And the last had a bushier tail than the rest, and he called him Fuzzy Tail.

A full day passed before the others were on their feet and beginning to take steps. Another day passed before they were confident enough to play, and he leapt into the play with a cheerful heart. For the rest of that day, he and his four mates rolled and nipped and fell all over each other. It was their best day so far.

Soon, however, he got a little bored with rolling and nipping, and couldn’t help feeling puzzled. He had a dim, gnawing sense that there had been something before all this, but he couldn’t remember it. He tried to ask Fuzzy Tail, Where did we all come from? but the only response he got was, Ha, ha! Play, play! Nip! Let’s roll over. Watch me roll, roll! Ha, ha, ha! Fall down! Oh boy! He wondered if there was something wrong with Fuzzy Tail, and he turned to the others, but they sounded just like Fuzzy Tail – except that Black Ear added, Food? Food? Oh boy! He realized that they were all very much like each other, but he was not like them. He turned to the big, loving, feeding one. She must know! She was taking care of them all, and she continued to feed them out of her own amazing body. She must have the answers.

"Where did I come from?" he thought out to her. Why am I not like the others? She licked him, and poured forth the same stream of love and comfort that she always had. Don’t you hear me? he thought. She licked him again. With a sinking feeling, he realized that she couldn’t really hear him. She knew that he was troubled, but she couldn’t answer him. He could hear the others, but they couldn’t really hear him. He knew that they all loved him, and that the big one would take care of him for a time, but in some profound way, he was on his own. He would have to find the answers to his questions somewhere else.

CHAPTER TWO – Meeting: The Adventures Begin

San Diego – July 5, 2007

He woke up excited – so intensely excited that he shot up in bed. Today was the day! It was his ninth birthday, and he was finally going to get a dog. For as long as he could remember, he had longed for a dog; it was the most vivid, urgent need he had ever felt. He had begged his parents for a dog almost as soon as he could talk, but his father had always said he wasn’t old enough. When he was six, his father had given him a gerbil, which was not at all what he wanted, and his disappointment was too keen not to show.

I know you wanted a dog, Jimbo, but you’re still just not quite old enough.

Well, I’ll be old enough when I’m nine, right?

Well, sure. Nine is old enough to take care of a dog. From that moment on, Jimmy’s heart had been fixed on this exact day as the moment when he would realize his dream. Right after breakfast, they were going to the Humane Society, where he would get to pick out his dog. He splashed water on his face, brushed his teeth too quickly, got dressed at record speed and raced into his parents’ bedroom.

He leaped onto the bed, in between his parents. Come on, Dad! Get up! We’re going to get my dog!

His mother sleepily pulled him next to her and gave him a big hug. Happy birthday, Jimmy!

His father reached over and tousled his hair. Happy birthday, Jimbo. What are you, now, eight?

I’m NINE, Dad!

Oh, that’s right. Nine. And we’re going to get you a gerbil, right?

DAD! We’re getting a DOG! I had a gerbil when I was six!

Yeah, and you left the cage open and it ran away. Now if you’re going to have a dog, you’re going to have to be responsible and take good care of it.

I was just a little kid then! I’m way older now. I can take care of a dog, no problem. I’ll feed it, I’ll take it for walks, I’ll play with it! Let’s go!

Go downstairs and play for a few minutes, honey, said his mother. We’ll get dressed and come right down and I’ll make you birthday pancakes.

At the breakfast table, Jimmy took one huge mouthful of pancakes and then choked out, OK, I’m done. Let’s go.

Not so fast, his mother said. Slow down. Chew. Swallow. Your dog will still be there after you eat breakfast. We don’t even know if the Humane Society is open yet.

Remember, Dad, I get to pick the dog out.

Of course, said his father, but I’m going to tell you a little secret, Jimbo. Instead of you picking the dog out, let the dog pick you out.

What do you mean, pick me out?

Well, when we get there, just walk by the cages, look at the dogs, and you’ll know when one picks you out. You’ll know.

They arrived at the Humane Society just as it opened for business. At the front desk, there was one gray-haired old lady and two women that Jimmy thought were about his mother’s age. They all wore green T-shirts with nametags on them. The dark-haired woman with dreadlocks whose nametag said Deana smiled at Jimmy’s father and said, Welcome to the Humane Society. How can I help you today?

It’s not me, this is your customer right here, his father said. Deana looked down at Jimmy.

I’m sorry, young man. How can I help you?

I’m here to get a dog, ma’am.

Well, we have plenty of those. Follow me. She came out from behind the front counter and led them through a heavy door. They entered a long hallway with a cement floor and a long row of cages. Jimmy looked up at his father and Deana, and asked, Is it OK if I do this myself?

Deana said, Of course. Your dad and I will wait up front, and when you choose one, let us know.

Actually, when one chooses me, Jimmy corrected her.

Good point. Let us know when one chooses you. The two adults turned and went back through the heavy door to the front desk.

Jimmy slowly began to walk past the cages. The first dog was a tiny, hairless thing, smaller than a cat, that yapped and yapped and hopped and hopped. Jimmy shook his head and kept walking. The second dog he saw was a big shepherd mix with a very deep bark. Jimmy jumped back a step and kept walking. As he passed each cage, the dogs would bark at him, but he felt that they were just barking for the sake of barking. He didn’t feel that they were actually choosing him. After walking past several more cages, Jimmy came to a dog with a long gold mane, who was sleeping with her chin on her paws. While Jimmy stood gazing at her, he suddenly heard a voice.

Somebody, please! Get me out of here!

Jimmy spun around, but there was nobody there. Then he heard it again. Somebody help get me out of this place! Please! Jimmy turned back to the cages, and noticed a funny-looking dog looking up at him from the cage next to the sleeping dog. This dog was standing and staring intently at Jimmy. He had an orange crest of hair on the top of his head, almost like a rooster’s, as if someone had given him a bad mohawk. He was a mid-size dog, and his fur was a patchwork of orange and black, of varying lengths. One black ear stood up and the other flopped down. His jet-black nose stood out against his orange muzzle. He had a tail like a whippet’s, long and thin and black, that curved out like a question mark. His paws were all black; he looked as though he were wearing boots. He had one blue eye and one green eye, and the difference was accentuated by eyebrows – one gray and one brown. But most startling of all was the intensity of the gaze that fixed on Jimmy and met his eyes. It seemed to emanate purpose and intelligence.

As Jimmy looked at this dog in surprise, he again heard the same voice, but this time he realized that it was in his head!

Can you hear me? You can! You can hear me, can’t you?

In amazement, Jimmy asked this odd-looking creature, "Is that you talking to me?"

The dog leaped up with his paws on the cage, and again Jimmy heard in his head, Yes! It’s me! Now just get me out of here! If you don’t get me out of here, they’re gonna kill me!

Jimmy cried out, Kill you? What do you mean? They’re not going to kill you!

"Listen, kid, this place is crowded. They don’t have enough cages. Once a dog has been in here for too long, and there are new dogs coming in, the ones that haven’t been adopted get taken away and they never come back. I heard them talking about ‘put them to sleep.’ They made it sound very humane – but dead is dead, and I want to live."

Jimmy said, You’re a dog! How can you be talking to me? And how come I can hear you, but your mouth isn’t moving?

"First of all, my mouth isn’t moving because I’m not talking; dogs don’t talk. What you’re hearing are my thoughts. And I can hear yours, too. And why we can communicate this way – I’ll explain it later, but right now we don’t have much time. They’ve got new dogs coming in, and Sleeping Beauty here and I are the next to go. So I’ll take questions later. For now, just get me out of here."

Jimmy said, You mean you’re choosing me?

Yes, of course. I choose you. You can hear me, so you’re it – just grab one of those ladies with the nametags and tell her you’re adopting me.

Excitedly, Jimmy turned and said over his shoulder, OK, don’t go anywhere! I’ll be right back. Wait here!

Go anywhere? Where am I gonna go? I’ll still be here, just go on!

Jimmy raced back through the heavy door where Deana and his father were chatting. I got one! I want to adopt that one! Right now, it’s really important! He grabbed his father’s hand and yanked him back through the door, down the corridor to the cage where the dog was waiting. Deana followed right behind.

His father looked at the dog and turned to Jimmy in disbelief. You want this one? he said. But, Jimmy, there are so many nice dogs to choose from! There’s a handsome shepherd mix over there that would make a great watchdog – or what about this pretty miniature collie over here? Doesn’t she look nice?

Yes, Dad, but this one chose me! He really did! Just like you said he would! This is the one.

Deana broke in, You know, all the staff really like this dog. They call him Halloween, because he’s orange and black. They all say that he’s smart and easy to work with, but he just hasn’t been adopted up until now. In fact, she turned to Jimmy’s father, if he doesn’t find a home today ... Her voice trailed off.

Then they’re going to put him asleep! Jimmy cried.

You mean ‘to sleep,’ his father corrected. Deana looked with puzzled curiosity at Jimmy, wondering how he could possibly have known.

Well, Jimmy, if that’s the one you want, we’ll take him, his father said.

Jimmy looked down at the dog triumphantly and said, Hey, we did it! You’re going home with me!

In the voice that only Jimmy could hear, the dog replied, Fantastic. We can’t get out of here too soon for me. Nice people and all, but let’s go.

Deana said, Let’s get a leash on your dog and you can take him outside and get acquainted while your father and I do some paperwork.

Jimmy’s father said, Just take him outside, don’t go too far. Wait by the parking lot, near our car, and I’ll be out as soon as I’m done.

Deana opened the cage, pulled a leash out of her pocket and hooked it onto the dog’s collar. They all headed back to the front, where Jimmy took the leash and led his new friend outside.

Heading for the car with the leash in his hand, Jimmy jumped for joy and said, Not only do I finally have a dog, but I have one that can talk to me! Sweet!

"Sweet?" the dog said.

It’s just so incredible that I came just in time, and you chose me, and we’re getting to take you home! It’s all so totally awesome! That’s what I meant when I said ‘sweet!’

"The last time I was hanging out with a boy your age, he would have said this was ‘groovy’ or ‘far out.’"

What? But those are words my grandpa says! And my mom says he was a hippie, Jimmy said in amazement.

"Yeah, hippies. I really liked hippies," the dog said.

How old are you, anyway?

The dog hesitated. That’s not something we can get into right now. Let’s just say that I’ve been around for a while. But your father is going to come out here any minute, and that’s a discussion we’ll have later.

You said that once before already, Jimmy said. So I guess we’re going to have quite an interesting talk later.

Actually that brings up one point I wanted to cover sooner rather than later. I know it’s easier for you to talk to me out loud, but remember that I can also hear your thoughts just like you can hear mine, so you don’t actually have to talk out loud. And when we’re around other people, remember that they can’t hear me the way that you can, and they’ll think you’re nuts if they only hear your half of the conversation. So work on just talking to me with your thoughts, especially when we’re around others.

OK, said Jimmy. They’d arrived at the car, and while Jimmy leaned against the hood, the dog sat down in front of him on the grassy patch of lawn next to the parking lot. It was a sunny summer day, but they were shaded by the silvery blue foliage of the eucalyptus tree Jimmy’s father had parked under. Jimmy took a deep breath, drawing in the tree’s sweet fragrance until it filled his lungs, when suddenly he thought of something else. Hey! I have to come up with a name for you. Did you like being called Halloween?

No, I hated that name. It was ridiculous.

Well, uh … how about if I call you Duke?

"How about if I call you Duke?" the dog quickly replied.

Jimmy laughed, But my name is Jimmy! and he heard right back, "And my name is Andrew."

Oh, I like that name! Jimmy knelt down and took Andrew’s paw in his hand, and shook it solemnly. Pleased to meet you, Andrew.

"Pleased to meet you, too, Jimmy."

CHAPTER THREE – Getting Acquainted

Jimmy had introduced Andrew to his mother, and had shown Andrew around the house and back yard. Now he was sitting on the rusty swing of the old swing set his parents had gotten for him on another birthday many years ago. Andrew stretched out on the lawn at Jimmy’s feet, rubbing his nose in the long grass. Andrew loved the smell of it. He also