A tween comedy-of-errors that chronicles the most cringe-worthy day of 13 year-old Abby Gray's life ➱ a middle-grade novel by Cindy Callaghan Book Tour with Rafflecopter
A tween comedy-of-errors that chronicles the most cringe-worthy day of 13 year-old Abby Gray's life.
My Big Heart-Shaped Fail
by Cindy Callaghan
Genre: Tween, Upper Middle-Grade Contemporary Fiction
Award-winning middle-grade novel from the author of Just Add Magic and Saltwater Secrets . . . .
In
this hourly time-stamped, action-packed tween comedy of errors, Abby
Gray, feeling weighed down by her secrets and lies, lets five
balloons float into the sky with her deepest secrets attached to them
in a desperate attempt to clear her conscience. Her relief is
short-lived, though: the next day, those balloons start dropping one
by one at her school, revealing Abby’s innermost thoughts to both
friends and frenemies and creating hilarious misinterpretations of
crushes amongst her peers.
This is the worst day of
her life . . . or is it? Before the last bell rings, Abby manages to
integrate the oddball who is blackmailing her into her friend group
and to fix the mix-ups the notes have caused—not only getting
couples back together but also making a few new love matches—and
finally comes clean as the author of the notes that have created such
chaos.
The Girl Who Ruined Christmas
by Cindy Callaghan
Award-winning middle-grade Christmas novel from the author of Just Add Magic and Saltwater Secrets . . . .
Imagine
you’re a tween visiting a small town that loves nothing more than
its prize fir—a perfect Christmas tree destined for the White
House. Now picture yourself accidentally destroying that tree, making
you public enemy number one. Lastly, imagine that to repay your debt,
you have to remain in said town for the Christmas season.
That’s
what happens to Brady Bancroft.
When Brady ruins Harper
Hollow Fall’s prize tree, she’s sentenced to stay in the
holiday-festooned town for the month of December. At first, she
couldn’t be more depressed about the whole situation; but during
her month there, she is surprised to discover that there’s much
more than pine needles to the little town holding her captive. In the
end, Harper Hollow Falls reminds Brady of the true meaning of
Christmas—and she, in turn, saves the town.
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Chapter 5
“Not
exactly a warm welcome,” Mom says. “But I guess it’s no surprise that they’re
mad about the factory.” To me she asks, “Do you want cider?”
“Yeah.” I shiver. “Right after I get a
picture of those Clydesdales for InstaPic.”
“OK. We’ll meet you inside,” Mom says,
and then she and Dad walk toward Blitzen’s.
I am navigating through the crowd to the
horses when I see a tall, lanky woman with long brown hair pushed back by
earmuffs step up to a podium. She holds a megaphone and plops a top hat on her
head. “Hello, neighbors. It’s time to say goodbye to our little gem—well, not
so little. Am I right?” She laughs at herself with a snort.
She continues, “I always knew
someone from Harper Hollow Falls would make it to Washington, DC to meet the
president of the United States. I’d hoped it would be one of our high-school
graduates, maybe the Grossman boy, am I right?” She slaps her leg and the crowd
howls with laughter. She’s like a stand-up comedian. I overhear people standing
next to me refer to her as the mayor, and say that “She’s always hysterical,
don’t you think?”
“But seriously, folks, this is an honor
just the same. A special moment in our town’s colorful history. Please join me
in wishing our tree good luck.” Then she calls out louder, “Good luck, tree.
Represent Harper Hollow Falls well and make us proud.”
Everyone shouts well wishes to the tree.
The noise causes the horses to shake their manes, and I notice a
boy . . . a cute boy . . . patting them
to assure them that everything is fine.
This is all so cool. I have to post a pic to make Allie
Moskowitz jelly of me.
I examine myself in the shot, slide the
stocking cap off my head, and fix my hair. I make a super cute smile.
Click!
My flash goes off as I snap a selfie
with the Clydesdales, the White House Christmas tree, and the cute guy in the
background.
At the blink of the flash, one of the
horses freaks! I mean, freaks!
He bucks, making another horse neigh
loudly. Horses Three and Four swing their bushy manes. Then all four storm off
with a thunderous clop-clop, pulling the wagon, its driver, and White
House Christmas tree with the might of a runaway train.
The driver snaps the reins, struggling
to get the wagon under control, but the horses make a sharp change of
direction.
The driver is thrown off right before
the wagon crashes into a telephone pole with enough oomph that the horses break
loose, galloping away into the dark, snowy night.
The onlookers oooh.
Then they fall silent as the telephone
pole knocks over a streetlight, which slowly falls onto the White House
Christmas tree.
Everyone’s mouth hangs open.
After a few dreadful moments, sparks
jump from the telephone pole, the remaining streetlights go out, and Harper
Hollow Falls’ prize gem glows with amber flames.
All eyes go in the same direction,
toward a girl.
That girl would be me: Brady Bancroft.
Cindy Callaghan is the award-winning author of eleven MG novels including JUST ADD MAGIC and JUST ADD MAGIC 2: POTION PROBLEMS, which were made into an Emmy-nominated Amazon Original series now in its fifth season and distributed world-wide via Nickelodeon. She’s well-known for the best-selling Lost In… books: LOST IN LONDON, LOST IN PARIS, LOST IN ROME, LOST IN HOLLYWOOD, and LOST IN IRELAND. Her Agatha award-winning stand-alone SYDNEY MACKENZIE KNOCKS ‘EM DEAD sells out every year around Halloween.
Her 2020 book SALTWATER SECRETS, which is nominated for an Agatha Award, won Delaware Press Association and National Federation of Press Women’s awards, and two International Book Awards, is set up by a major studio.
Triple-award-winning THE GIRL WHO RUINED CHRISTMAS, (October 2021) sold out its first print run before Thanksgiving. MY BIG HEART-SHAPED FAIL has won three awards since it's 2022 launch. These books along with original concepts are actively being shopped to producers, networks and streamers along with Cindy’s robust portfolio of original features and series.
A Jersey girl at heart, Cindy lives in Delaware with her family and rescued-pets.
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Thank you for posting about My Big Heart-Shaped Fail, this sounds like a story that my teen-aged granddaughters and I will enjoy reading
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really incredible read.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book. I love the cover and title.
ReplyDelete