The Kennedy Walker Collection

By Bradford Perry

This is an engaging collection of short stories that kids, parents, and teachers will love. Kennedy Walker is a feisty female lead character who is funny, caring, and fierce, but also unsure of herself sometimes-- a typical middle-grade kid!  Her ANNOYING dad provides just enough advice to help her navigate some of the drama present in her school, while constantly embarrassing her. These stories have edge-of-your-seat moments with heartwarming endings that focus on friendship and family. Designed to engage reluctant readers and provide text that is high quality for the avid reader. Jump in and join Kennedy and the crew!  You will feel like part of the gang after a few paragraphs and will want to read until the end!

Perfect for grades 4-6 as students try to navigate daily life at school.

 

This tackles serious topics like bullying, friendships, and getting along with your parents in a hilarious sequence of events.  Don't miss out on the Kennedy Walker experience!!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bradford Perry
• Release date: Aug 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215542446

Bradford Perry

For the last 15 years, I have been a teacher during school days while remaining active through biking, running, skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, playing soccer, volleyball, disc golf, golf, and anything else that involves movement. I love being on the go, but I also love writing. I'm finally ready to slow down and put some of these ideas down for readers. I've always been around kids through teaching and have four of my own. My students and kids inspire my writing and hopefully, my writing might inspire you. I'm still busy with plenty of hobbies so I try to write shorter stories or novels that will entertain you while not overwhelming you. I'm the type that starts a book and then can't put it down until it's finished. It keeps me from reading, so I don't want it to stop YOU! I hope you get a few laughs and thrills, while also getting some help to navigate the tough truths of getting older. Life's hard and complicated, but it doesn't mean you can't have fun along the way! Thanks for letting me in on your journey!! ~Bradford Perry

Book preview

Kennedy Walker: Spaghetti Ready

PROLOGUE

I’m Kennedy Walker and I am fierce!  No, that doesn’t mean that I wield a sword around and fight off zombies, werewolves, and aliens (I do watch those movies though).  It means that despite my weird parents and pest of a brother, I stay strong and make it through this crazy household and even crazier world!  You see, I have my dad-he’s crazy!  He’s always wanting to do something ridiculous (which I’ll admit, is sometimes fun).  Then there’s my mom... she’s the worrier.  She worries about what my dad’s going to do next, is the house clean enough in case someone stops by, is my hair perfect, do our outfits match, is someone going to get hurt?... you get the point. 

Last and least, there is Kenny... my little brother.  He’s bigger in size, but not in age (I’m not even a full year older, but I’m STILL older!  While he acts like he’s large and in charge!).  And when it comes to the important things, he’s clearly not bigger in bravery and brains!  Unfortunately, I have to be like a second mom to him, and quite honestly I don’t have the time between soccer, volleyball, theater, and school!  Also, who names their kids Kenny and Kennedy?  That was a horrendous mistake that I’ll never let my parents live down.  Also, if I ever have kids, trust me... I’ll NEVER put them through that kind of torture.  I’ll name them something like Chris and Sara... simple, common, and impossible to mix up!

I’m not sure what Kenny would do without me to be honest (Even Though mom always says, Kenny she thinks she’s a big shot, but she’s just a little sister and you don’t have to listen to her).  He forgets his lunch, he’s incapable of cleaning up a mess, and his hygiene... well, let’s just say I’d rather sit next to my dog on the couch... she smells better than Kenny!  This isn’t about my family though (although they sometimes pop into the picture... it’s inevitable!).  Let's get back to me and my being fierce! 

HOME & SCHOOL

If there is one thing I don’t deal with well and will go to great lengths to extinguish, it’s drama!  And let me tell you, there is plenty of that to go around at school!

I have a lot of friends, but it wasn’t always like this... Making friends is HARD!  I had a lot of questions: What if they don’t like me? What if I’m not good enough?  Pretty enough? Funny enough?  These questions led me to become an escape artist.  I could disappear in most places where disappearing seemed impossible.  I was in the school play (mom felt like I had to get out of my shell so she signed me up... my parents are always pushing me into stuff like that!).  I volunteered to be Tina the turtle who had no lines and was hiding from a fox.  I spent the entire play curled up in a little turtle costume and only came out at the end to run off stage when the fox turned its back.  While I love theater now, I still think that Tina the Turtle was one of my best performances ever!

Hiding was easy for the most part, but not from my dad.  He saw me trying to hide and would constantly bug me about how GREAT I was and how I didn’t need to be so shy.  He didn’t know I barely had any friends and was scared my shadow might abandon me one day along with everyone else!  Or, maybe he did and that’s why he always pushed me to meet new people.  Either way, all of his pressure filled conversations had been driving me crazy and finally I freaked out on him. 

He was trying to get me to go up to a girl, Stacy, on my soccer team to say ‘hi’ before a game started.  We had arrived early and Stacy was the only person from my team there at the time.  Go over there, smile, and ask how she’s doing.  Then see if she wants to start warming up with you, he said. 

Of course I ignored him at that moment because Stacy was not the type of girl you just go up to and start a conversation.  On the ride home he came at me again by telling me I was giving off a look of ‘leave me alone’ because I wouldn’t approach people and start