Carole P Roman
Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag
From award-winning author, Carole P. Roman comes a new chapter book featuring Susannah Logan, a young student having a very bad day. It all begins with homework trouble and an invitation to a sleepover that she doesn’t want to go to. Would you want to go to a sleepover in a creepy house? Rather than dealing with her problems, Susannah stuffs them into her backpack. But how much can a backpack take? Will she be able to confront her worries before the backpack bursts? Or will she just continue to hide them away? Join Susannah and her friends in this story sure to charm busy young readers everywhere.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Unfinished Homework
Susannah woke up in the morning. She knew it was morning because the sky was a lovely ice blue with a line of orange and pink where the sun was slowing rising over the ridge of the mountaintops. She looked out her window and saw a beautiful star. It was a bright point in the sky, just over the highest hill. She held out her hand on the windowsill, measuring the distance of the star with her fingers. It was almost a whole handspan away from the horizon.
Susannah stretched and hopped out of bed. Her unfinished homework was on the floor. She looked at the ten math questions, shrugging. She had answered two of them before she gave up, last night. She stared at the raspberry carpet peeking through the tear in the paper. She had erased the answer so hard on the third example, she rubbed a hole right through the paper. Third grade was proving to be a lot harder than she thought. She peered guiltily around, then using her toe, she pushed it under her bookbag.
Susannah gazed in the mirror. She flared her small nose to make it look bigger. It made her skin turn pink clashing with her orange freckles. Her blond hair curled too much to make her happy. She pulled it into a tight ponytail, taming the wild waves.
Her mother called for her to hurry. Mom was always rushing. Between her job and all the things she needed to do everyday, her mother never seemed to have much time. Mom sold houses. She was always running to either see a house, take someone to see a house, or sit with them while they bought the house.
Mom’s eyes were always on the clock in the kitchen. It was as if their whole life revolved around that big clock. It’s oversized ornate hands dictated whether breakfast would be rushed, or if dinner would be meatloaf and with a mountain of mashed potatoes or a quick pizza from Phil’s.
Susannah could hear it’s loud ticking, every minute making her mother more frantic. That old clock could determine what kind of day Susannah was going to have, and from the sound of her mother’s voice, it was not going to be a good one.
That clock decided a lot in my life, she grumbled to herself. Susannah dressed, not caring if her shirt didn’t quite match her pants. Mom yelled again, this time sounding loud and impatient.
Susannah picked up her backpack, the homework lay slightly crushed on the carpeted floor.
“Susannah!” her mother hollered.“I don’t have time for this today! I expect you to be down here on time.”
Susannah tucked the paper in her backpack between her folders. She eyed the green folder, satisfied the paper was hidden. She was sure no one would see it. Maybe she should show it to her mom, she thought guiltily as she dragged her book bag from the room.
Susannah paused, laying her backpack down on the floor and reached in to pull out the uncompleted math homework.
I should talk to Mom about that. She said to herself.
“Susannah Maya Logan!” Mom sounded harried. “I don’t have time!”
Oh, the middle name, Susannah thought. She means business.
Susannah shoved the paper back quickly. “I’m coming,” she called as she bounded down the steps
Interview with Susannah Maya Logan from It’s in the Bag and Things that Go Bump by Carole P. Roman
1- Hi Susannah, can you tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Susannah Maya Logan and I live in a small town in the United States. I am eight years old.
2- I see you have a very nice school bag, can you tell us about it?
Oh this one. It’s new. My old one burst under the bed…well, not really. It burst in a dream I was having, but a banana exploded in it and that was a mess, so…
3- Wait…how did the banana burst?
I was having a very bad day. Nobody was listening to me. I mean… they were, but you know, everybody has a job to do and they are busy on their phones all the time. My mom and dad work hard, but I didn’t finish my math homework and the banana burst.
4- What does unfinished math homework have to do with a banana?
I don’t even like bananas, pumpkins either, for that matter!
5- Okay… did something happen to the pumpkin, too?
Yes! It was such a mess, but that was when I slept in my best friend’s haunted house.
6- Your friend’s house is haunted?
Well, I thought it was with the chains banging and the thump, thump, bump but Lola made me hide with all her dolls and it was so funny.
7- What was funny?
What happened to the ghost!
8- Oh I see…. is there anything else you want to tell me about your…
Adventures. They are fun and have deep meaning for both kids and their parents. I learned a lot by sharing my stories and maybe other children with both learn and share as much as I did on this interview.
There you have it, Susannah Maya Logan and her friends may help your child verbalize what bothers then and perhaps even provide solutions to cope.
Links
Email: cnbbook@gmail.com
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children’s books. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children. She hosts two blog radio programs and is one of the founders of a new magazine, Indie Author’s Monthly. She’s been interviewed twice by Forbes Magazine. Carole has co-authored a self-help book, Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing. Oh Susannah is her first Early Reader Chapter book series. She lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children and grandchildren.
See what our bloggers are saying…
Ananya
I am Ananya, a Book Dragon from India. My fondest bookish memory is of my mother and I reading our favourite books in bed on hot, lazy afternoons during the summer break until we fell asleep. My favourite genres are Historic Fiction, Psychological Thriller and Fantasy. I am a certified Potterhead and a member of the Inner Circle. Although I grew up with books, I only discovered the joys of book blogging 13 months ago. It has helped me grow as a reader, making me try genres that I would have definitely stayed away from such as self-help. At the moment, I am enthusiastically completing my Goodreads challenge of reading 100 books in 2018.
Links
Alex R Carver 
Leave a Reply