Pamela Curtis Swallow, Author

"The pages are full of lively conversations and activity . . . light-hearted fun . . ." ---Kliatt

"Genuine kid humor and a good-hearted, all-too-human heroine distinguish this middle-grade novel about an unlikely juvenile delinquent . . . . A well-rounded offering." ---Booklist

"I laughed out loud. Pamela Curtis Swallow has captured the nuances of funny, as well as heartbreaking, situations. Bravo--what a wonderful book!" ---Ann M. Martin

"Funny and caring, Kat is worth knowing. Pamela Curtis Swallow has created a character that readers will want as a friend." ---Paula Danziger

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In books, when you read something like "everything is great," you just know that something terrible is about to happen. But in real life, you can miss the warnings. And then, wham, slam, sneak attack. Everything skids out of control.

Before the first day of seventh grade is over, Kat Randall's year is nearly ruined. When her beloved dog, Cheddar, is run over by a woman with Alzheimer's disease, Kat reacts impulsively, leaving school on a "borrowed" bike to get to the veterinary hospital.

Kat often does the wrong thing for the right reason, but now she has gone from being a person you can count on to someone you probably shouldn't. Suddenly she is looked at differently--by kids in school, the principal, and even the police. If "one of the best years" of her life starts out like this, what's next?

You'll root for Kat as she finds out that It Only Looks Easy.

A FEW WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR:

Pamela Curtis Swallow says, "The title It Only Looks Easy is appropriate. It took me several years to tell the story, as the characters insisted that I do what they asked and rethink my plot. I learned to listen to them.

"The character Kat is a lot like my former seventh-grade self. Like Kat, I could be impulsive. Other real-life elements in the novel: One of my two daughters is a shameless borrower; my mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and for seventeen years I shared my cheese with a comical dog named Beezer."

ROARING BROOK PRESS
ISBN 0-7613-1790-2


			It Only Looks Easy
			It Only Looks Easy
			"Swallow . . . introduces a sympathetic and candid young narrator in this skillfully shaped novel that examines the consequences of acting impulsively . . . . ample humor and a carefully measured dose of pathos . . . . The story's multiple layers enable the author to entertain while sending a well-targeted message about the importance of both being a good friend and thinking before leaping."

						---Publishers Weekly
			"Kat is a funny, warmhearted character whose voice immediately grabs readers. Snappy dialogue, sympathetic adults as well as unpleasant ones, and descriptions of the ways in which an action can have major repercussions all add to this touching, perceptive, highly readable novel that is sure to strike a chord with readers."

					---School Library Journal
	Jacket design and photo montage copyright © 2003 by BTDnye Click here for discussion questions.				---School Library Journal

"The pages are full of lively conversations and activity . . . light-hearted fun . . ." ---Kliatt "Genuine kid humor and a good-hearted, all-too-human heroine distinguish this middle-grade novel about an unlikely juvenile delinquent . . . . A well-rounded offering." ---Booklist "I laughed out loud. Pamela Curtis Swallow has captured the nuances of funny, as well as heartbreaking, situations. Bravo--what a wonderful book!" ---Ann M. Martin "Funny and caring, Kat is worth knowing. Pamela Curtis Swallow has created a character that readers will want as a friend." ---Paula Danziger ABOUT THE BOOK: In books, when you read something like "everything is great," you just know that something terrible is about to happen. But in real life, you can miss the warnings. And then, wham, slam, sneak attack. Everything skids out of control. Before the first day of seventh grade is over, Kat Randall's year is nearly ruined. When her beloved dog, Cheddar, is run over by a woman with Alzheimer's disease, Kat reacts impulsively, leaving school on a "borrowed" bike to get to the veterinary hospital. Kat often does the wrong thing for the right reason, but now she has gone from being a person you can count on to someone you probably shouldn't. Suddenly she is looked at differently--by kids in school, the principal, and even the police. If "one of the best years" of her life starts out like this, what's next? *You'll root for Kat as she finds out that It Only Looks Easy.* A FEW WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR: Pamela Curtis Swallow says, "The title It Only Looks Easy is appropriate. It took me several years to tell the story, as the characters insisted that I do what they asked and rethink my plot. I learned to listen to them. "The character Kat is a lot like my former seventh-grade self. Like Kat, I could be impulsive. Other real-life elements in the novel: One of my two daughters is a shameless borrower; my mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and for seventeen years I shared my cheese with a comical dog named Beezer." ROARING BROOK PRESS ISBN 0-7613-1790-2
Click here for discussion questions.
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