Violet's Quest

By N.L. Skjonsby

What is more fun than a grandparent igniting and encouraging a grandchild's imagination?

The Violet M. Powers middle grade reader series is designed and written to do that very thing, both in the story and by reading the stories. While I hope these are read and enjoyed by everyone, they are meant to be read by a grandparent to a grandchild

• Language: English
• Publisher: Violet M. Powers
• Release date: Oct 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798986750620

Book preview

Chapter 1

Weekend with Gramps

Violet M. Powers is a 9-year-old girl from Arizona. She has light brown hair that gets lighter in the sun. She likes it short and a little messed up, and her mom wants it longer and neater. For the last two years they have agreed to let it grow out during the school year but come summer it is cut back to Violet’s liking. Her skin is a light olive so if she walks past a window or even a fluorescent light she gets a beautiful tan, and it takes a lot for her to get sunburned. She is as athletic and as strong as a 50 lb, 50 kid can be. There is no doubt she is her mother’s child. She and Goldie, her 6-month-old golden lab spend the weekends with her grandfather. During the week, she lives with her mom, but her mom works long hours every weekend so she and Vi" can be together the rest of the week, and the weekend shift pays more.

Violet has many hobbies and interests; she loves all things violet (purple actually) she wears purple whenever possible; she even chews purple (grape) bubble gum. Even her eye color is a little purple, they’re blue but since she always wears purple, they tend to look a little violet. Her all-time favorite thing to do is to hike the trails behind her house with her dog Goldie. She and Goldie have imaginary adventures and often lose track of time while they play out back, but today it is raining, and raining hard. Today is Friday and school has just started the week before, so Violet is officially a 4th grader.

Monday through Friday morning, Vi’s mother takes her to school and picks her up afterward, but on Fridays her Gramps picks her up for the weekend. After dropping Violet off at school on Fridays, Violet’s mom drops Goldie off at Gramps’s house and goes to work. Violet and Goldie don’t see her again until Sunday evenings, and then they start the whole routine again.

Since it is raining, Gramps picks up Violet from school in his car. Usually, they walk, but today Gramps had to wait in the pickup line with all the other children’s mothers. When he got to the front of the line, Mrs. Applewhite walked Violet to the passenger door and helped her in.

Have a good weekend, Violet, she says, as she helps Violet into the car.

Violet says, Thanks, and is going to continue with You too, but the door is already shut.

How was school? Did you make any new friends? What are you studying in History? Gramps peppers Violet with questions, barely leaving time for an answer.

Violet squeezes in her answers where she can. Fine…No just the same kids as last year…This year they call it social studies…We are already learning about state and federal governments…Borrrrring! she sings.Gramps says, Are you and Goldie still searching the ravine?

Violet is looking out the window, already tired of the rain. Violet wants to be outside whenever possible and the rain was ruining everything!

They’re not there, Gramps. Goldie and I have been over every inch of that place, she responds, as her shoulders sink. I think it’s time to start a new adventure.

Violet and Goldie have been looking for the quarters in the field behind her mom’s house for most of the summer.

It was about three months earlier that Violet had heard the full story for the first time. She had heard Gramps talk about looking out back for the quarters, but she never paid much attention. One weekend Gramps told the story from beginning to end. His story was so vivid and real, he told of cowboy’s, a train robbery, and lost treasure (quarters). Violet felt like she knew exactly where the quarters were. Since first hearing the story Violet and Goldie have spent hours looking for the quarters, with no luck at all. She is beginning to think Gramps had just made it all up.

Violet doesn’t have any brothers or sisters, and no kids her age live on the same street as she and her mother. So, Violet spends most of her time with adults when she is not in school.