Read an Excerpt!
“Hey, chubbo quit hogging the sidewalk!” Kenny Thompson yanked the front of his bike off the ground, circled around eight-year-old Macy Carver, and stuck out his tongue.
“Don’t,” she yelled. Kenny cut the bike’s front wheel, covering her with dirty water. Laughing, he sped toward school.
“Creepazoid!” Macy said, brushing mud from her jeans, which made a worse mess. Mud even splattered her favorite top. Tears filled her eyes. Stupid North Carolina! Why did her dad have to move here? She hated being the new kid in class. Thanks to Kenny, the kids either ignored her or were mean. To make things worse, she had to sit next to him. Sighing, she trudged on, hoping that when she got to school, Kenny would have sprouted huge warts on his nose.
The first bell rang. Macy walked to her desk and tripped over Kenny’s outstretched foot.
“Hey four-eyes.” He laughed when she stumbled. “Are you a klutzo, too? Aw, poor Macy, dirty and klutzy.”
Macy grabbed the side of her desk to keep from falling. She glared at Kenny, ready to stick out her tongue, but decided he didn’t need anything else to tease her about. Biting her lip, she sat at her desk. She wanted to go home—fat lot of good that would do her. She knew she wouldn’t feel better there.
The letter she got yesterday from her best friend, Emily burned in her back pocket. Darn Emily! At least they’d been best friends back home. When she thought about everything Emily wrote, Macy’s stomach tightened and jerked as if she’d dropped three floors in a runaway elevator, and those muscles wouldn’t relax. It was the same feeling she got in the pit of her tummy every time she lied to her mother about something. Guilty.
But what do I have to feel guilty about? I haven’t done anything wrong. It isn’t like I wanted to move away.
Betrayed. That’s how Macy felt every time she thought about Emily telling her how she and Tricia Mitchell rode the school bus together now, played games and how they were always at each other’s house. Emily told Macy how much fun they were having, even saying they were going to the roller rink on Saturday then having a sleepover at Tricia’s house…something she and Emily loved doing together. Tricia Mitchell! Funny, Emily never liked Tricia before. She always called her stuck up. Now they’re best friends? What’s up with that?
Maybe Emily didn’t miss her at all. Macy suddenly felt lonelier than ever and she really wanted to cry.
A thwack to the back of her head reminded her that her misery was endless. She grabbed the runaway pencil from her lap and held it up. Kenny reached and snatched it from her. Macy blinked hard to keep the tears away. Please don’t let me cry in front of the other kids.
“Hey, I think Macy forgot her pencil. She’s trying to steal mine.” He leaned in with a nasty smirk and whispered, “Hey, chubbo, do you get a royalty every time someone up-sizes their burgers at Wendy’s?”
Choking with anger, Macy balled up her fist, but before she could give Kenny the pounding he deserved, a blazing ball of bright, pink light blasted through the room. It passed between them looking like a tiny comet zinging around Kenny’s head.
“What the…?” He swatted at it, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. The little pink fireball dodged at him again. Kenny lost his balance, and his butt hit the floor—hard.
Macy blinked and her mouth flew open. What the heck was that? It sounded like an insect, but was much bigger than any bug she’d ever seen. It was almost as if one of those fireworks she’d seen at Greenwood Park with her parents last summer had come to life and was waging war on Kenny.
Macy didn’t want to smile, but just then, she couldn’t think of a really good reason not to.
“Don’t,” she yelled. Kenny cut the bike’s front wheel, covering her with dirty water. Laughing, he sped toward school.
“Creepazoid!” Macy said, brushing mud from her jeans, which made a worse mess. Mud even splattered her favorite top. Tears filled her eyes. Stupid North Carolina! Why did her dad have to move here? She hated being the new kid in class. Thanks to Kenny, the kids either ignored her or were mean. To make things worse, she had to sit next to him. Sighing, she trudged on, hoping that when she got to school, Kenny would have sprouted huge warts on his nose.
The first bell rang. Macy walked to her desk and tripped over Kenny’s outstretched foot.
“Hey four-eyes.” He laughed when she stumbled. “Are you a klutzo, too? Aw, poor Macy, dirty and klutzy.”
Macy grabbed the side of her desk to keep from falling. She glared at Kenny, ready to stick out her tongue, but decided he didn’t need anything else to tease her about. Biting her lip, she sat at her desk. She wanted to go home—fat lot of good that would do her. She knew she wouldn’t feel better there.
The letter she got yesterday from her best friend, Emily burned in her back pocket. Darn Emily! At least they’d been best friends back home. When she thought about everything Emily wrote, Macy’s stomach tightened and jerked as if she’d dropped three floors in a runaway elevator, and those muscles wouldn’t relax. It was the same feeling she got in the pit of her tummy every time she lied to her mother about something. Guilty.
But what do I have to feel guilty about? I haven’t done anything wrong. It isn’t like I wanted to move away.
Betrayed. That’s how Macy felt every time she thought about Emily telling her how she and Tricia Mitchell rode the school bus together now, played games and how they were always at each other’s house. Emily told Macy how much fun they were having, even saying they were going to the roller rink on Saturday then having a sleepover at Tricia’s house…something she and Emily loved doing together. Tricia Mitchell! Funny, Emily never liked Tricia before. She always called her stuck up. Now they’re best friends? What’s up with that?
Maybe Emily didn’t miss her at all. Macy suddenly felt lonelier than ever and she really wanted to cry.
A thwack to the back of her head reminded her that her misery was endless. She grabbed the runaway pencil from her lap and held it up. Kenny reached and snatched it from her. Macy blinked hard to keep the tears away. Please don’t let me cry in front of the other kids.
“Hey, I think Macy forgot her pencil. She’s trying to steal mine.” He leaned in with a nasty smirk and whispered, “Hey, chubbo, do you get a royalty every time someone up-sizes their burgers at Wendy’s?”
Choking with anger, Macy balled up her fist, but before she could give Kenny the pounding he deserved, a blazing ball of bright, pink light blasted through the room. It passed between them looking like a tiny comet zinging around Kenny’s head.
“What the…?” He swatted at it, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. The little pink fireball dodged at him again. Kenny lost his balance, and his butt hit the floor—hard.
Macy blinked and her mouth flew open. What the heck was that? It sounded like an insect, but was much bigger than any bug she’d ever seen. It was almost as if one of those fireworks she’d seen at Greenwood Park with her parents last summer had come to life and was waging war on Kenny.
Macy didn’t want to smile, but just then, she couldn’t think of a really good reason not to.
Watch the Trailer!
Here’s what reviewers are saying about Tiny Angel!
“In a day and age when chapter books for ‘tweens can sometimes be more hype than substance, Nancy Carty Lepri’s Tiny Angel is a breath of fresh air… I think Tiny Angel should be read in elementary schools everywhere. It would open up dialogue about bullying and how devastating it can be to an individual, and teach students the lost art of compassion.”
–Dixie Phillips, award-winning author of Stubby’s Destiny and other children’s books
“Tiny Angel is a well-written, delightful story that will entertain middle-grade girls… it’s simply a good story about school, friends, being oneself, and achieving one’s full potential. Highly recommended.”
–Mayra Calvani, author of Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster, Crash!, and The Magic Violin
“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.”
–The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection
"A book I would recommend to children who are dealing with being bullied or need a lesson in compassion for others."
--I'm A Reader, Not A Writer
"I would recommend this book to children ages 7-9, particularly those who are going through a stressful time, are bullied or need to hear that there is positivity in the world."
--Acting Balanced
In 1995, Nancy and her 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 was copy editor and reviewer for Affaire de Coeur magazine. She currently edits and critiques manuscripts, reviews for ReaderToReader.com and New York Journal of Books, and is completing her sequel to Tiny Angel.
You can visit Nancy’s website at: http://nancycl.webs.com/.
Thanks so much for hosting me today! It was a great pleasure. Happy Holidays!
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