The year was 1958. America's Explorer 1, took off from Cape Canaveral at 10:48 PM on January 31st, setting the stage for a winner takes all race to the moon. By an incredible stroke of cosmic good fortune, four friends, a rocket club, spelling contests, and a puppet show all converge to teach lessons on courage and the importance of trying again.
The four stories contained in this book detail Fredd's misadventures as they set the stage for the hilarious train-wreck ending in the final chapters of Catastrophe in Mrs. Nelson's Class.
In story one, "Oh! Brother?" we learn how Fredd's wish for a baby sister goes undelivered in the middle of the night. After watching his favorite TV show, Captain Midnight, Fred decides to add an extra 'd' to his name for reasons only he can explain.
In story two, "A Gremlin in the Attic," Fredd's quest to discover details of his crash landing on Planet Earth hits a creepy roadblock. He only has circumstantial proof, but he is pretty sure there has to be evidence somewhere hidden in the house. When his parents warn him not to explore the attic, his suspicions are all but confirmed.
Story three, "The Rocket Club," details the efforts of Fredd's rocket club as it tries to help NASA get to the moon using fizzy powered rocket propulsion for starters. They are surprised when NASA closely adopts their first club insignia.
In the last story, "Catastrophe in Mrs. Nelson's Class," Fredd and his puppet show crew wonder if they will be fired by the school principal. In light of all the calamities and disasters that befall their performance, Fredd is sure she certainly would have if she could.
It all takes place at a time when phones were not mobile, car curb feelers were cool, television shows were all in black and white, mimeograph machines were state-of-the-art, and bookmobiles were the closest thing we had to the internet.
The book is available in eBook format (978-1-7332209-2-7), paperback grayscale (978-1-7332209-0-3), and paperback full-color version (978-1-7332209-5-8)
