Jessie’s Magical Year

By Dr. Marlene Williams

Nine-year-old Jessie Hasting and her best friend, Ginny O’Connor do everything together, including starting fourth grade.

As the friends enter another magical year in elementary school, the girls soon realize that with more freedom comes more responsibility. While they focus on acting their age and being good examples for younger students, Jessie and Ginny memorize time tables, go on field trips, and learn about other cultures and traditions, eventually discovering that although growing up can sometimes be disappointing and lined with near disasters, it is always an adventure.

Jessie’s Magical Year is the story of the misadventures and adventures of two best friends as they learn valuable life lessons while attending fourth grade.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Sep 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665708067

Dr. Marlene Williams

Dr. Marlene Williams is the mother of three adult daughters who understands the trials and misadventures of ten-year-old girls. This is her first book.

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Copyright © 2021 Dr. Marlene Williams.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced

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case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-6657-0807-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0806-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021911467

Archway Publishing rev. date:  08/26/2021

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

1

J essie woke as bright sunlight came through her window and flooded her bedroom. It was the morning of the first day of another school year. She was both excited and a little afraid. What would Miss Robins, her teacher, be like? Sure, Jessie knew who she was, and she seemed nice, but how would she be as a teacher? Would the other kids like Jessie? Would the schoolwork be difficult or confusing? Thank goodness Ginny, Jessie’s best friend, was also in the same class.

Jessie was a bubbly nine-year-old who liked nothing better than to have fun. Jessie was a nickname for Jessica—Jessica Jane Hasting, to be exact. Only Jessie’s grandmama ever called her Jessica, unless she was in trouble. Then, it was Jessica Jane Hasting! Jessie called her grandmama Nana. Nana never got mad at Jessie.

Jessie had an older brother—ugh—named Wally. That was a nickname too. Wally was named after their grandpa, Walter James. Jessie, Wally, Nana, Mom, Dad, and Flash, the family dog, all lived together in a cozy two-story house in a small Southern town. Jessie mostly played in their fenced backyard—there and in her friend Ginny O’Connor’s yard. Jessie and Ginny had been best friends since kindergarten. They lived on a circle where all the houses faced each other. Jessie’s dad called it a court. Now that Jessie and Ginny were older, they were allowed to explore seven front and backyards of the houses on the court—all that freedom because they were growing up.

Jessie and Ginny did everything together. They were both nine years old, but Jessie was older, by six and a half whole weeks! Ginny was taller. She had the prettiest hair. Jessie’s mom called it fire-kissed because it was bright red orange. Jessie’s dad teased Ginny and called her Firecracker. That made both girls giggle. Nana said everyone would know Ginny was an Irish lass because of the color of her hair and her green eyes. Nana talked funny sometimes. When she said lass, she just meant Ginny was a girl. Jessie had brown hair and blue eyes. She thought her hair was plain. People sometimes said her eyes were the blue of a summer sky; they were sort of pretty. Well, her daddy said so, anyway.

Jessie, her mom called, get up! You’ll be late! You don’t want to be late for the first day of fourth grade!

I’m not in a baby grade anymore, Jessie chattered out loud as she jumped out of bed. I have to be more responsible now that I am a fourth grader.

I get to wear my pretty purple dress today, Jessie thought as she excitedly took it off its hanger. Last year, I had to wear that green one the first day. I won’t have to wear it at all this year—it’s too small now. My new purple dress is something a queen would wear.