Dear Agent:

What twelve-year-old Andrew “Tinker” Beals hates the most about being homeless, besides the obvious, is the stereotypes.  His mother is neither a drunk nor a drug addict and he has never stood on the corner with a cardboard sign begging for money. 

After a violent incident at the homeless camp, where Tinker defends himself, he and his best friend Colleen flee with their families.  They stumble upon an abandoned amusement park, Wonderland Acres.  Once a thriving theme park, all that remained is an old roller coaster track and a few broken down rides.  Tinker’s mother is distraught over not being able to provide for her son.  She’s never ridden a roller coaster and her son may never have the opportunity to either due to her life decisions.      

Tinker sets his sights on repairing the old roller coaster in order to grant his mother’s life-long dream of riding one.  However, when other families move into Wonderland Acres, it attracts the police, who arrive and begin the eviction process, Tinker has two weeks to make the roller coaster operational before the city evicts them and he loses his opportunity to granting his mother’s wish.    

WONDERLAND ACRES is a contemporary middle grade novel completed at 41,000 words.