Hi Friends,

As I promised, I am including sneak peek of my book, "Joseph's Surprise Gifts."  Hope you like it, and tell me what you think, okay?  Thanks!

Your pal,

Joseph Land
Spokeskid for Literacy :)
Literacy Rocks!  Woo Hoo!


Chapter Two
“Have you decided what you are getting your grandparents?” Mom asked.
Joseph thought and thought. Still, he had no idea. 
Everyone had a nice gift, except him. 
Dad had returned from errands in town in time to overhear the conversation. He washed his hands and sat at the table and peeled an orange. 
It was always better to stay out of Mom’s way when she was baking.
“Tell you what, Joseph,” Dad said. “You might see what they need. How about it?”
“Oka-a-y,” Joseph said, feeling unsure. He crunched on the sweet wet fruit while thinking.
He really hoped Dad was right. The party was just few days away. 
Joseph reached in the bowl for a couple more tasty orange pieces and followed Dad to the truck.


Joseph loved to visit his grandparents. He would ride his bicycle to see them every chance he’d get. 
They lived in a big farmhouse beside Big Bass Lake, where he and Big Papa would go fishing.


This was also the home where his father was born and raised with his big family full of brothers and sisters.
Joseph heard all of them were also coming to the family gathering. So many people and so many things to do.


​
Chapter Three
As soon as they got out of the truck, Joseph could smell Grams’ peach cobbler. She could make the best cobblers. 
BANG, BANG! 
WIZZZ, WIZZZ, WIZZZ!
Big Papa was in his workshop hammering and sanding something. He was always fixing old stuff that needed to be thrown out. When he finished fixing them, they were like brand new. 
People always stopped by to see what Big Papa fixed and would even buy the renewed furniture from him.

Dad walked over to the workshop while Joseph dashed to the farmhouse where the hot cobbler was waiting.
No sooner he opened the door, PLUNK! 
Joseph tripped over Big Papa’s old work boots.
Big Papa never puts away his muddy boots. Joseph quickly got up, placed the boots against the wall and entered the kitchen. 
Grams was busy baking. She loved to cook and bake. If she wasn’t in her kitchen, she was busy in her yard.


“Grams, it’s me, Joseph,” he announced. 
“Come on in, son. I have some of your favorite peach cobbler, hot out of the oven.”
“M-m-m. Yummy for my tummy, Grams.” 
She welcomed Joseph with a big hug. 
“It’s good to see you, dear.” 
He gave her a big smile. It was good to see her too.
“Wash your hands, baby,” she reminded, and he dashed in and out of the powder room in a flash with his damp hands.
She chuckled while giving him a paper towel to dry his hands and placed the tasty dessert in front of him. It was hot and steamy. He dug up a big spoonful. 
Grams sat down beside him and she pulled another chair in front of her to rest her feet. 
“Big Papa fixes everything but my footstool,” she complained.
Grams missed her old footstool. The leather was worn and the legs were shaky, but she loved it just the same. At the end of the day, Grams would relax in her big chair and rest her swollen feet. 
Joseph remembered when Big Papa stood on Grams’ precious footstool to replace a light bulb. 
SQUEAK … SQUEAK … SPLAT!
He crushed the footstool into a pancake. 
O-o-o-h was Grams ever upset. She fretted over her old rickety footstool like it was her child.
“Don’t worry, Grams. Maybe one day you’ll get a new one,” Joseph said with his mouth full of cobbler.
Grams laughed at Joseph’s bulging cheeks. 
“Take your time, son. There’s plenty where that comes from.” 
Grams and Mom were both good cooks, and when the family was together, he enjoyed eating their cooking and hearing funny stories about Dad growing up and how he met Mom.
Grams and Big Papa were living their golden years. They were older and wiser.


They always taught him special things, just like other families and friends who had grandchildren. 
Joseph walked over to the piano where Grams’ favorite family portraits were displayed. Joseph saw a picture when he was only four and his sister was eleven at the time.

He remembered Miriam saying that, “Grandparents are our gifts. They gave us Mom and Dad and now we are here.”
Grams taught him and Miriam all the vegetables and herbs she raised in her garden.

Big Papa taught Joseph how to camp and fish.
Grams wrote and read poetry,
and Big Papa told funny stories.
“Hey, Joseph, did you save me any cobbler?” 
Dad walked in and gave Grams a kiss on the cheek. Big Papa joined them a few minutes later. They all enjoyed the peach dessert and talked for a while, but Joseph and Dad never talked about the surprise party. 
Before they left, Grams had a dish of cobbler for Miriam and Mom.
On their way home in Dad’s truck, Joseph watched the sunset and thought about his visit with his grandparents.
What do you get for people who have everything? 
Suddenly an idea popped in his head. 
“I know what I can get Grams and Big Papa.”
“That’s good to hear. What do you have in mind, son?” Dad asked while he kept his eye on the road.
Joseph told him his idea.
“Can we make this our secret?”
Dad smiled. “Sure, son, it’s our secret.”
Joseph was happy. Now he finally had not only one big surprise, but one each for Grams and Big Papa. Two surprise gifts!
Visiting Grams and Big Papa was a good idea after all.