Ann Herrick Books for Kids & Teens
Walk Softly And Watch Out For Bigfoot – Chaucer Publishing
“When Gwynne is forced to leave New York City and all her summer plans for a personal makeover in order to visit her cousin Neeta in Oregon, she can’t believe she’s being sent to “the middle of nowhere.” What’s in Oregon anyway, besides trees and bears? And what’s this about a monster called “Bigfoot?” Gwynne wonders how she’ll ever survive her trip to the wilderness. It isn’t long, however, before cousin Neeta wonders how the wilderness will survive Gwynne’s visit! On a camping trip Gwynne gets lost, has an encounter with a bear, stumbles on the stars from her favorite soap opera, and adds to the legend of Bigfoot. But along the way, she learns to appreciate the magic and purpose of old-growth trees and the philosophy of leaving only footprints in the ancient forest.”
Paperback available at:
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com (or ask for it at your local Barnes and Noble)
Awards
Reviews
“This is a fun story to read, especially for kids who can’t imagine anyone feeling that Oregon is too rural for words!”
~~Sybilla Cook, OEMA Interchange
“…when Gwynne learns to focus on others instead of herself, she ends up finding a treasure she never could have imagined.
Walk Softly and Watch Out for Bigfoot is a fun and quick read…Filled with plenty of humor, drama, and culture clashes, readers will also be surprised to find lots of facts about taking care of the environment. Recommended for readers 12 and up, especially those looking for a wilderness adventure.”
~~Alyssa Feller, YA Books Central
“…a sort of modern interpretation of the old Country Mouse, City Mouse tale…”
~~Teenebooks.com
“I really enjoyed this story and have many great things to say about it, but my daughter got a hold of the story and read it first. She also wrote her own review, and to be truthful I could not have said it better. So here is A.J.’s take on it….
…Ms. Herrick had me on the edge of my seat flipping the pages faster to see what happens to Gwynne. This story was so good, that I read it in one day. Which is pretty amazing, because when you are getting yelled at every fifteen seconds to help clean up, you have to find better hiding places each time . Pick up a copy of this story and remember, Walk Softly and Watch Out for Bigfoot or he just might get you.”
~~Lydia Funneman, Writers Unlimited
4.5 Stars
“…Herrick’s use of nature in ‘Walk Softly And Watch Out For Bigfoot’ as the active dynamic rationale for Gwynne’s growth as a person is excellent.
…Writing is deft, clever, and just plain interesting…a compelling account of family, and learning to think of others as well as self, culture shock, and outdoor adventure, all taking place within a framework of Cousin Neeta’s determination for preservation of an endangered part of very old Oregon forest. Writing is accomplished all with chuckle-to-chortle humor and entertaining, credible characters.
‘Walk Softly And Watch Out For Bigfoot’ is a sure hit for the target audience of middle grades to high school readers. Good choice for the classroom pleasure reading shelf, the personal library and home school reading list.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.”
~~Molly Martin, Scribes World
“…Walk Softly and Watch Out for Bigfoot is a fun and quick read. For those of you city-dwellers who’ve ever imagined life away from all the hustle and bustle, the book offers a great look at what life in a rural town offers. Filled with plenty of humor, drama, and culture clashes, readers will also be surprised to find lots of facts about taking care of the environment. Recommended for readers 12 and up, especially those looking for a wilderness adventure. “
~~Alyssa Feller, YA Books Central
“Ann Herrick delivers a story of culture clash, family interactions, wilderness adventure, and an environmental theme of protecting ancient forests, all with laugh-out-loud humor and characters you’ll long remember.”
~~Pat Engelking, District Librarian, Lowell School District, Lowell, Oregon
“…Ann Herrick creates the story of a young girl pulled between childhood and adolescence as well as the fast-[paced] life of the city and the expansive forests of Oregon. Most interesting, perhaps, is the use of nature in this story as the driving force behind Gwynne’s growth as a person…the writing is smooth and often witty…”
~~Joelle Charbonneau-Blanco, Wantz Upon a Time