The Adventures of Young Elizabeth and Rollo, the Wondercat* (*Who thought he was a dog?)
by Les Cohen
YE&R is the story of a 15 year-old girl and her friends in the summer before her sophomore year in high school – and, four years later, when she's a freshman in college. It's a story about self-awareness, courage, creativity – about the power of dreams, a ballpoint pen and a spiral notebook, with a surprise ending you'll never anticipate. Except for a few details, it's a true story.Hey.This is a tale of adventure like no other, for young readers, both girls and boys, age 10 and older. Parents are encouraged to read it too."Young Elizabeth," the short title, is the story of a fifteen year-old girl in the summer before her sophomore year in high school – and that same girl, four years later, when she's a freshman in college.Elizabeth is a bright, highly imaginative, aspiring author who writes about her adventures with her extraordinary cat, Rollo, and the bond between the two of them and her friends. Set in a small, mid-Atlantic, colonial town off the Chesapeake Bay, her story describes the events stemming from the arrival of an old safe at Elizabeth’s father’s office and how Elizabeth, Rollo and their friends struggle to solve the mystery that surrounds it. It is a treacherous journey, as the two of them fight to survive the onslaught of desperate strangers who believe the secret of the safe lies with Elizabeth and her family.The tale is told by the nineteen-year-old college student who is thinking back, writing about her adventures with Rollo and her friends when she was fifteen. It’s episodic, each chapter having its own cliff-hanger ending, with Elizabeth telling her tales on a “just between you and me” basis with the reader. Then one day, our college student, writer-in-progress, encounters her own dangerous situation on campus. ("ROLLLLLLOOOOO!!" ...But I'm getting ahead of my story.)And in the end, there is a surprise that not even more seasoned readers will anticipate.YE&R is a story about self-awareness, courage, creativity – and the power of dreams, a ballpoint pen and a spiral notebook.Oh, and one other thing… Except for a few details, this is a true story. Hard to believe, but nonetheless true.