LocalLit book spotlight: 'Make the Season Right' by Lee Fahrner

I am currently reading "Make the Season Right," which Lee Fahrner of Hickory Hills sent me last May, and which I saved for the holiday season.

It's this young adult novel I'll be reviewing in Tuesday's LocalLit newsletter.

Fahrner printed limited copies of the novel. To obtain a copy, email him at n9ckz@comcast.net.

Here is the abridged synopsis of "Make the Season Right:"

"Christmas was only a few weeks away but held no meaning for Slick Eddie Roberts," a sophomore at Centerville High. Once an honor roll student, Ed is now in danger of failing first semester and has already quit the basketball team.

"With his father gone and his mother working two jobs, Ed spends his evenings learning a variety of scams from a quick-tempered con artist. Ed and his habitually nervous friend, learn how to take advantage of unsuspecting Christmas shoppers while the con artist claims most of the profits. No matter how well the scams work, Ed never feels satisfied.

"During a parent conference with the school’s assistant principal, Edward’s mother finally reaches the breaking point when she learns that her son, has vandalized the school website and is in danger of failing the entire semester.

"Desperate to make up for the past, Ed attempts to improve his grades with the help of another student, a volunteer tutor. When the tutor asks Ed to accompany him to Outcast Flats, a rundown area on the outskirts of Centerville, Ed reluctantly agrees.

"Their visit to “the Flats” marks the beginning of a quest that eventually ends with both boys accomplishing more than they could ever have imagined and finding the true meaning of Christmas along the way."

KNOW MORE

Each week LocalLit will deliver an original short and family-friendly story, or a book review, by a local author to the newsletter's subscribers.

Authors with a connection to our readership area may submit. Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Stories should be edited and between 1,000 words and 7,500 words.

Contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.