Forgive Us Our Travises

Ted Staunton
• Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Citation

Juvenile Fiction / General
Ages 7–10 • 64 pages • 5 1/4 x 7 1/2"
ISBN 0–88995–207–8 paper • CDN 6.95 • USA 4.95

Travis Bee is the youngest of three sons of Reverend Bee, one of the town's most respected citizens. There are no lengths to which Travis won't go to attract attention to himself whether it's spraying the Sunday morning congregation with his water bottle, playing up his notorious hyena laugh in the classroom, stealing other kids' pencils, clowning around during church choir practice—or, most of all, teasing Mary Beth Harvey. Of course, Travis gets his comeuppance before long: he's chosen to sing the solo during the dedication service for the renovated church building, a prospect that both terrifies and pleases him. This time, however, he'll have to be on his best behaviour, which means he's the perfect target for Mary Beth's revenge. It all makes for an uproarious finale to this rollicking good story about Monkey Mountain mischief.

Reviews
"A cast of dynamic, memorable characters, plenty of humour (a Staunton trademark) and well–paced plots with believable school–age conflicts and satisfying endings. . . . Highly recommended."
–Canadian Materials

"Staunton's strength is that he uses humour to engage the reader while exploring problems that loom large on the pre–teen radar."
–City Parent