Tommy’s Amigo by Nancy Carty Lepri

Even though Tommy Hernandez wins the state spelling-bee contest, he feels isolated and sad. His classmates either ignore or bully him. His only two friends are girls, more reason to be teased. Being Mexican and living with his grandmother because his father is in jail adds to the taunting.

Things get worse when Tommy takes the lead at the school’s Christmas pageant and one of his classmates plays a humiliating prank on him. Also, his grandmother needs an operation, meaning he may go to foster care for he cannot be left alone.

Fear, sadness and anger drive Tommy to do the unthinkable, and he endures a frightening night in the woods. Will Tommy ever find the acceptance and confidence he so desperately seeks?

Excerpt:

About to wrap up his presentation, a noise above Tommy caught his attention.

Crack!

His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. A bucket tumbled toward him. He tried to scramble out of the way, but he wasn’t quick enough.
The splash came right before the bucket bounced off his shoulder. White liquid dripped from his hair and onto his robe. Tommy lifted his wet sleeve to his nose. “Eweeee…milk. And it smells sour.”

A few of the children screamed, and chaos exploded on stage. Some huddled together whispering.

Macy peered up. Beth and an older boy were in the rafters laughing.

Macy grabbed Tommy’s arm and pointed toward the ceiling. “Look!”
Tommy wiped the milk out of his eyes and glanced up. “W…what’s up there?”

“You didn’t see her?” Macy gasped.

“Who?”

“Beth!”

The auditorium became silent.

Tommy gazed at the children on the stage then shook the milk off his wet robe. “I knew it. I told you Beth would do something.”

Links to purchase eBook of Tommy’s Amigo

http://www.amazon.com/Tommys-Amigo-Nancy-Carty-Lepri-ebook/dp/B00HK9UKXG/ 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tommys-amigo-nancy-carty-lepri/1117897877

North Carolina transplant, Nancy Carty Lepri was born and raised in Massachusetts, but also lived in Florida and Louisiana. Nancy earned an AA degree in Visual Art from Cape Cod Community College and a BA in Liberal Studies, with a concentration in writing from Western New England College. In addition, she holds an editor certification from Cape Fear Community College. Illustrator of several children’s books and freelance reporter for several local newspapers and magazines, her chapter book Tiny Angel was released in November 2009, and she has recently completed a sequel. Nancy and her husband Art have a grown daughter and a very spoiled feline. In her spare time, Nancy loves to read and knit.

Visit Nancy’s website at http://nancycl.webs.com. She is also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nancy.lepri and Twitter at https://twitter.com/NancyCLepri

Tiny Angel by Nancy Carty Lepri

Today’s special guest is Nancy Carty Lepri, author of the tween chapbook, Tiny Angel. This book tackles the difficult issues young people face when moving to a new town and into a new school district. It also addresses the topic of bullying. The Phoebe Prince case, which captured national attention, took place in a town that is barely 30 minutes away from here. For those of you who might not have heard of the case, Phoebe Prince was a young girl who committed suicide after continued bullying at her school and online and by texting. A year prior to this, a young boy from a nearby community took his own life because he couldn’t handle the bullying any longer. He was only 11.

Here, the author shares the basis for Tiny Angel.

You know you want to write a children’s book, but wonder what to write. That was the prevailing question on my mind. Where to get ideas? Where to start? My first college writing course, “Creative Writing 101” answered these two questions. The professor stated, “Write what you know!” Sounds simple, right?
I always had the “itch” to be creative, whether through illustrating—I think I came out of the womb with a crayon in one hand—or writing, as the other hand must have held a book. This was my life’s goal. One day as I considered what to write, my insight became clear after witnessing some children picking on one of their peers. Thus, I wrote Tiny Angel.

As a child, I was sensitive and shy, which I am happy to say, I’ve outgrown! I kept to myself engrossed in schoolwork and books. Also having terrible eyesight, I started wearing glasses in the third grade. Due to this, some boys in my class started tormenting me. I was called “four-eyes” or “teacher’s pet”. Never did a day go by without receiving hurtful taunts. I often would not respond, but after one classmate crushed my beloved plastic Barbie lunchbox, that did it! I reported it to my teacher. Sadly, that made matters worse. From then on, I wanted to crawl into a hole and become invisible.

Remembering those unhappy days was the impetus to write Tiny Angel. Not only to purge the sadness I felt, but I also wanted to help other children going through similar circumstances. My desire was to let them know they are not alone, that someone else has endured this, and that things can get better. Children being bullied feel isolated and tend to magnify their hurts. After all, they are the center of their own world. When they are bullied, they feel slighted and less of a person.

I also believe we have guardian angels. I can site times when my own (also named Jody, after the angel in my book) has come to my aid. Angels can give children (and adults) comfort.

It is ironic that since I have matured and reconnected with several of my classmates, many of them have admitted their own insecurities and fears as children; and these were children whom I thought back then were the “cool kids” with not a care in the world. Funny that was not the case. No matter how happy or “with it” children may seem, I believe everyone has a fear or aspect about themselves they feel does not measure up.

Needless to say, if one child can learn to feel good about themself or find enjoyment by reading Tiny Angel, I will have accomplished the main goal for writing this book.

Nancy Carty Lepri, born and raised in Massachusetts, earned an AA degree in Visual Art from Cape Cod Community College and a BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in writing from Western New England College. In addition, she was a freelance reporter for several local newspapers.

In 1995, Nancy and husband Art relocated to Wilmington NC where her publishing credits included the “Wilmington Magazine” as well as two national and international food-industry trade magazines.

Receiving Editor Certification through Cape Fear Community College in 2006, Nancy taught online writing and drawing courses, illustrated children’s books, started four mainstream novels, and had her children’s chapter book Tiny Angel, published through Guardian Angel Publishing in November 2009.

After a move to the Raleigh area in 2007, Nancy freelanced as senior editor for a national publisher, edited and wrote press releases for more than twenty novels, and copy edited and reviewed for “Affaire de Coeur” magazine. She currently edits and critiques manuscripts, reviews for ReaderToReader.com and New York Journal of Books, and has completed her sequel to Tiny Angel.

http://nancycl.webs.com
http://nancycl.blogspot.com
http://nancycl.livejournal.com

Watch the trailer!

Here is a short blurb from my review of Tiny Angel:

“In this engaging story, your tween will learn how to appreciate their talents, disarm bullies, and the importance of meaningful friendships.

I love the unique aspect of Macy having a guardian angel who encourages and helps her along her journey through the challenging transition from the school and the best friend she lost to truly coming into her own at her new school and making new friends.”

You can read the full review at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/tiny-angel-by-nancy-carty-lepri/.

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Tiny Angel by Nancy Carty Lepri

 Macy Carver is the new kid in town and she sure isn’t happy about it. With her father being transferred from Massachusetts to North Carolina, Macy left her best friend and all that she loved behind to start over in a new school where she is made fun of and bullied. 

But when a flash of light announces the appearance of her guardian angel, Jody, things start looking up for Macy, and with Jody’s encouragement, Macy finds a way to fit in and make some true friends.

A fun and inspiring chapbook for tweens, Tiny Angel by Nancy Carty Lepri will quickly become your child’s favorite.  In this engaging story, your tween will learn how to appreciate their talents, disarm bullies, and the importance of meaningful friendships.

I love the unique aspect of Macy having a guardian angel who encourages and helps her along her journey through the challenging transition from the school and the best friend she lost to truly coming into her own at her new school and making new friends. And while Jody encouraged Macy, she also motivated her to think of others.

I would have liked to learn a tiny bit more about Kenny the bully, just so we had an idea why he acted the way he did, but not having this knowledge didn’t take anything away from the story.

As someone who was teased from the day she entered school until the day she left, I sympathized with Macy’s, and her friend Tomas’s, plight of always being picked on for one reason or another. While the messages in Tiny Angel are timeless,  I also like how Lepri gave a contemporary feel to the story by having one of the characters being left alone at home each day after school while her divorced mother was off working.  The insight into Susan’s character was something very special.

I would definitely recommend this book for your tween. Tiny Angel is an engaging and compelling story whose timeless messages will stay with your tween long after she’s read the last page.

Rating:  🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

ISBN-10: 1935137948

ISBN-13: 978-1935137948

SRP:  $8.95

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