The Childhood Legends Series

Seeing Red…  To see a character from a fairy tale like Little Red Riding Hood up close and personal can be as much a nightmare as a dream.  My nickname is Genius and together with my friends, the Are You One Toos (R*U*1*2s), we were faced with an unimaginable dilemma: How to return a fairy tale celebrity back to fantasy land.  It was not Red, as we called her, but her storybook enemy, the Big Bad Wolf, that was the major concern. Red could have stayed if she had wanted; the Big Bad Wolf was a different story.  Follow us on our quest to preserve the sanctity of fairy tales and the dignity of those who are cast as stars therein.

A glimpse of the past… When several of the R*U*1*2s take a carnival ride in a time machine, they are surprised by a malfunction that leaves them stranded in distant lands and distant pasts. Follow the harrowing journey through time and space, and the unexpected challenges the R*U*1*2s face upon reaching their destinations, before their journeys home. Be careful what you wish for. With 20/20 hindsight, you may want to reconsider.

The Best Kept Secret…  Blue paint covered a five-year-old Cuban refugee seeking asylum in the United States. In his search for a safe-haven and, in an attempt to find food, he succeeded in causing a paint spill that would forever change his life and the lives of those who befriended him. My name is Shacoo Bandaris, a twelve year old and a member of a club known as the Are You One Toos (R*U*1*2s). I, together with another club member, Rhymin’ Sally, was responsible for extricating from his predicament the boy we dubbed “Blue.”  Keeping Blue a secret from the authorities and our parents was no easy task. Discovery would have meant possible deportation for Blue and, of course, a punishment we chose not to think about. Follow our trail of intrigue as the R*U*1*2s attempt to keep Blue the best kept secret—at least until he is naturalized.

X marks the spot… The thought of what I might discover when I open the old trunk is intriguing, and I sense an exciting adventure is waiting on the other side of the dust-covered lid. I'm not disappointed. Inside the trunk, I find great-great-grandpa Giovanni's journal which contains a code that Genius is able to decipher. The markings in the journal lead us to a hidden map and the adventure of a lifetime. When Genius, Tank and I arrive at Sleeping Giant Mesa, we find that we're in for some surprises—some of which are life threatening and some earth shattering. Even the fearless Greens are leery after several near disasters. Could the treasure be cursed? Help us unravel the mystery of Sleeping Giant Mesa in our quest to find hidden treasure

Their most daring adventure yet!  When a walk home from a birthday party turns into a ghostly encounter, the R*U*1*2s are drawn into the mystery of Bradbury Mansion.  Join the gang as they discover that even though a spirit may be unseen, its influence and power are not.

To Catch A Thief…  Jefferson City is a sleepy town and a well-kept secret until oil is discovered on the outskirts. Now it seems to attract everyone—and not all are people I want where I live.  My nickname is Genius and together with my friends, the Are you One Toos (R*U*1*2s), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to rid our town of a daring and brazen burglar dubbed The Cat. You never know what can happen in Jefferson City.  I have a feeling Operation Cat Tale is only just the beginning of our adventures.

Ready or not…  As I struggle with the ropes that bind me, I keep thinking of my fellow Are You One Toos (R*U*1*2s), who are frantically trying to discover my hiding place. An innocent game of hide-‘n-seek has turned into a nightmare thanks to a renegade the authorities have dubbed The Weasel.  My name is Shacoo Bandaris and I’m the daughter of a lab technician employed by our local police department and the target of The Weasel. Apparently, I’m the bargaining chip used to dissuade my father from testifying against The Weasel.  King’s X is not in The Weasel’s vernacular and isn’t something The Weasel would honor even if it was. My gripping story of survival is one meant to promote hope and not pity. Follow me on my terrifying journey that started that One Frightful Day.

Shacoo Bandaris could do nothing but stare at the jumble of characters that had just materialized from the pages of Rhymn’ Sally’s book of fairy tales. When asked about the dilemma, Sally blurted through a torrent of tears that all she did was wish that the R*U*1*2s could meet the storybook characters and get to know them just as she had.  The R*U*1*2s knew they were duty bound to keep the materialization a carefully guarded secret for fear there would be unintended consequences—not only for them but for their guests as well. Now the dilemma was how to reverse the spell and return Snow White and the gnomes to their place of origin before the authorities became involved.  Throw caution to the wind and forget everything you know to be real, then dive into a fantasy adventure you won’t soon forget.