"Seasoning Rochester" (View PDF) | "Porchville" (View PDF) | More poems and essays coming soon.
"The Ghost of the Charlotte Lighthouse"
The Ghost of the Charlotte Lighthouse is a 100-page novel for middle grade (4-6) students. It is a fictional account of the renovation of the real Charlotte Lighthouse in Rochester, New York, which sits on the bank of the Genesee River where it empties into Lake Ontario. Is the lighthouse haunted? Find out as you read about the misadventures of Janie Washburn, Derrick Davis, Lamar Green, Jeanetta Jones, and Reinaldo Santiago, 5 special students in Mrs. Levine’s 4th grade class at School #27 who call themselves the STARfish. Learn about what happened to Cuyler Cook, one of the faithful lightkeepers during a bad nor’easter, and what he left behind.
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Chapter 6
"Well… this was in the days before ‘lectricity, and the oil in the lantern at the end of the pier needed to be replenished. Now usually Mr. Phillips just walked to the end of the pier, but on that August day the pier couldn’t even be seen. It was all under water. It looked as if the lantern was just bobbin’ up and down out to sea, not attached to anything, like a balloon let loose into an angry December sky. But Mr. Phillips knew that he had to get the oil out to the lantern. You see Mr. Phillips took his job as the light keeper seriously, and he was determined to keep that ole lantern lit."
"Just then Mr. Cook suggested they take the rowboat out to the lantern. Mr. Cook would row and wait for his friend to tend to the light. Then he would row him back to shore. Not being able to think of a better plan, Mr. Phillips agreed. Just imagine the strength in Mr. Cook’s arms as he rowed against the pounding waves out to the pier. Unfortunately Mr. Cook and his rowboat were no match for Mother Nature that day."
Chapter 8
Breaking the branch was easy, and Derrick stuck it through his belt loop as he began to climb. Lamar held his breath as he watched Derrick climb higher and higher. Reinaldo kept moving his eyes around the yard looking for adults and/or ghosts. Both boys were wishing they were back in the Green’s kitchen. It wasn’t long before Derrick had scaled the trunk of the tree and was crawling out on a branch near the top. Under his weight, the limb dipped to just above Janie’s bedroom window. Then, leaning down as far as he could, Derrick took the branch out of his belt loop and began to scratch the window.
Chapter 12
"I bet you’re too scared to go into the tower," said Derrick. "I bet you’re too scared to go into the tower," countered Janie. They stared at each other for a full minute. Then, without speaking they both moved toward the doorway. The doorway was wide enough that the two of them could cross over the threshold at the same time, that is, if they went shoulder to shoulder, which they did.
"It’s too quiet in here," whispered Janie. "Why are you whispering?" said Derrick in a voice not much louder than Janie’s. "Because I don’t want to wake up Cuyler Cook’s ghost."
"Theft at George Eastman House"
Theft at George Eastman House is a 100-page novel for middle grade (4-6) students. It is a mystery story about a fictional theft at a real place, George Eastman House in Rochester, NY. Theft at George Eastman House is a sequel to Ghost of the Charlotte Lighthouse with the same students, who call themselves the STARfish and their teacher, Mrs. Levine. It is the second book of a series of books all set in Rochester landmarks.
Who stole the valuable candlestick from George Eastman House? Lamar’s older brother Steven is accused, but is he really the thief? Join the STARfish as they explore George Eastman’s mansion, learn about photography, and solve a mystery.
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Chapter 1
“Smile!” Click. Flash.
“Smile!” Click. Flash.
“Smile!” Click. Flash.
Actually I took the pictures to introduce you to photography, which is our new unit of study this year. Because the STARfish discovered the hidden Eastman Kodak Co. stock last year, I thought it would be fun to learn more about George Eastman and photography. We’ll be learning how to take pictures and develop them, and we’ll even visit Mr. Eastman’s house.”
“Where does Mr. Eastman live?” asked Debra.
“Mr. Eastman’s dead, stupid,” said Derrick.
Mrs. Levine let out the first sigh of the year. Long ago Mrs. Levine had gotten the reputation as the best sigher in all of School #27. In fact, unkind people were given to rating her sighs on a scale of 1 to 10. This sigh was only a 2. Usually the sighs that rated 9’s and 10’s didn’t appear until May or June.
Chapter 7
The boys were finishing up and checking for missed spots when all of a sudden a hornet appeared inside the box with Lamar. Lamar, who was normally calm and unexcitable, panicked when he heard the buzz, buzz, buzzing around his ear. Once, twice, three times he swatted the wasp with his paintbrush, but that only made the stinging invader angrier. Still swinging the paintbrush, he leaped out of the box, tripped over the can of paint, and fell on his stomach. The paint was spilled, and Lamar landed half on and half off the sheet. By the time Mrs. Levine got there with the fly swatter, Reinaldo and Derrick were wildly flinging their paintbrushes at the hornet, which had given up on Lamar and was now chasing them.
Chapter 9
No one said a word. In fact no one took a breath as they stepped over the threshold of 900 East Avenue into the huge entrance hall with the white marble floor. The floor was so shiny that they could almost see themselves in it. Straight ahead was the biggest staircase that most of them had ever seen. Every boy in the class and half of the girls were eyeing the curved mahogany railing with longing.
“George Eastman had another hobby besides photography. He liked to go on safaris to Africa and shoot large game animals with a rifle,” explained Ms. Hamilton. “Today we only shoot these animals with our cameras. The elephant you see here is just a replica of the original one that used to hang here. But the tusk you see on the floor is a real ivory tusk. Come with me to the billiard room, and I will show you some evidence of the other animals that Mr. Eastman collected.”
“I feel like I’m in the middle of a game of Clue,” whispered Jamie to Jeanetta. “Next thing you know we’ll be taking the secret passage to the kitchen.”
“Or maybe you’ll both get knocked on the head by the candlestick,” threatened Derrick who had overheard Jamie’s remarks. Little did they know just how important a candlestick would become.
"It’s too quiet in here," whispered Janie. "Why are you whispering?" said Derrick in a voice not much louder than Janie’s. "Because I don’t want to wake up Cuyler Cook’s ghost."
"What Stinks "
What Stinks? An Adventure in Highland Park is the 3rd novel in my Rochester series for middle grade kids. Mrs. Levine and her class, including the STARfish are off on another field trip. Mayor Johnson has invited them to sing at the Lilac Festival in Highland Park. A well-planned field trip turns into disaster when an unexpected and unwanted visitor arrives. Meanwhile a feud between best friends Janie and Jeanetta spills over into the classroom, and class benefactress, Granny Rob uses some White Lilacs perfume to spark a nursing home romance.
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Chapter 5:
"When I put my foot into Dad’s boot, I felt something soft and furry. I dropped the boot and screamed. Then Angela screamed. Mrs. Battaglia heard us, and she screamed too. Dad came outside, but he didn’t scream. Dad said, ‘Stand back,’ and he tipped the boot upside down and out fell Princess. Well she wasn’t Princess yet. She was just a baby skunk - the cutest little baby you’ve ever seen. You’ll think so too when I go outside and get her. Can I bring her in now Mrs. Levine?”
“Not so fast, Janie. A skunk is a wild animal, and wild animals can have rabies.”
“Rabies!” shouted Reinaldo as he jumped up and headed for the door. “Poison ivy was enough for me. I don’t want any rabies.”
Chapter 15:
The first “Eek!” came from Donald’s mother who was sitting on the lawn behind the last row of benches. It was almost drowned out by the students’ singing. Mr. Barnes heard it but believed that no matter what the audience did, one must go on with the show.
The second, third, and fourth “eeks” were harder to ignore, and the following screams were accompanied by the sound of people getting up and running away.
We don’t sound that bad do we, thought Derrick. He was really trying to do a good job and looking at Mr. Barnes. After all this was his song they were singing.
Even Mr. Barnes could not ignore this, and he threw down his baton in disgust.
Janie’s eyes became as big as Oreo cookies as she finally glanced behind Mr. Barnes and saw a black and white furry creature calmly walking straight toward Mayor Johnson.
Chapter 21:
On Saturday morning Janie, only half awake and followed by Princess, slowly made her way down the front stairs. She was on her way to retrieve the morning newspaper for her dad. Since the incident at Highland Park she had been doing everything she could think of to keep him happy. She opened the front door, and with only one eye open, reached her hand out to grope for the paper. She almost missed seeing the red line that led from her door down the front steps and out onto the sidewalk.
“What is this?” she said out loud. It looks like red licorice.” Now she opened both eyes and edged out the door.
“It is red licorice,” she said as she bent over to smell it.
Janie was enthralled. Red licorice was her favorite food. She looked down the street. The red licorice seemed to go all the way to the corner. She started following the trail, picking up the licorice as she went along.
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