Title: David and the Midnight Unicorn
Author: Janyce Brawn
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Book Blurb:
Twelve-year-old David Gonzales takes another trip to the lands below the drains in order to rescue his best friend Marty and their teacher. After a failed science experiment turns Marty into a unicorn and their teacher into a crowuzzle, both are forced through a painting portal that leads to the magical lands. Using his old teleporting hat, David goes down the bathtub drain. Instead of landing in Drainovia, rusty pipes send him to the Wuzzle Swamp. Lost and in need of help, David only has three days to find his friends, get them changed back into humans, and return home. If he fails, they could be stuck forever in the Below Lands. Rated GP.
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
MARTY and I clustered around the sink in the old science lab with the other sixth grade students. For our project, each group needed to pick up a small plate with edges, 3 tiny bottles of food coloring, and cotton swabs. We shuffled across scarred wooden floors as we jockeyed for supplies. Back at our seats, we opened our books for today’s lesson.
The sub, Mr. Jymfitzle, walked around and poured a couple tablespoons of milk on each of our plates. “Take the food coloring and add a drop into your milk, close to the center. Write what you think will happen if you touch your cotton swab with the dish soap into the center.”
We followed all the directions, adding dish soap to one end of the swab. We touched it to the milk and watched as the colors burst and moved around. We wrote our observations.
My friend, Marty Broomstagle tossed a couple pinches of dirt from his pocket onto the milk and food coloring mixture in the dish and swirled it. It gave off a nasty smell and turned the milk a deep purple. “Hey, David, have a taste.”
“Ew, weird. No, way. I prefer plain milk to that junk.” I laughed.
Mr. Jymfitzle sat on a tall stool near Marty and me. “Now that you’ve seen what happens, write another paragraph about it.”
Students wrote quickly then closed their notebooks. They watched to see if the teacher was looking before a few dipped pencils into their mixtures and jabbed each other.
Mr. Jymfitzle held up his hand. “Stop. If you are finished writing, have one student from each group bring your dishes to the sink. Pour out the milk mixture, and then rinse and stack them on the side. Be very careful when you clean up, class.”
“Hurry up, Marty, or we’ll be late for lunch.” I nudged Marty with my elbow, hitting his hand that was holding the plate. His fingers let go and it sailed upward then tilted as it fell. The dark milk spilled as Marty’s hands fumbled to catch the dish. It splashed the science teacher’s neck and white lab coat. The empty dish landed beside the teacher.
“NOOO.” The teacher grabbed a handful of paper towels and dabbed at the mess. “Grrr. …worst nightmare…”
I couldn’t hear all the words that were said, but Marty turned white and froze at the sink.
I leaned forward. “Did you say something, Mr. Jymfitzle? I’m sorry about this accident.”
The teacher snorted as he gathered the wet paper towels and dumped them into the wastepaper can.
The bell rang.
“Class dismissed.” The teacher’s eyes blazed as he watched us pick up our books, and if it had been possible, I was sure smoke could’ve come out of his ears in front of his curling gray hair.
I grasped Marty’s arm. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, David, shouldn’t we finish cleaning up?” Marty wiped his stained hands on a paper towel and tossed it into the nearby can. He looked from me to the teacher and back.
“Go.” The teacher pointed to the door and continued to mutter.
I tilted my head and asked, “Did you say something, Mr. Jymfitzle?”
He glared. “David Gonzales and Marty Broomstagle, you should never fool around when there’s a sub. You can be sure I’ll leave a note for your teacher.” He shook his head and sniffed his lab coat, making a face at the smell and the purple stain. “What a mess.”
We ran out of the room, down the hall to our lockers.
“Wow, Mr. Jymfitzle is bonkers. I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to bump you and send all that awful liquid at him.” I crammed my books into the top of my locker and pulled out my lunch bag then slammed the door. Marty had opened his locker and was staring into it. “Marty?”
“What?” He shook his head and dropped his books. His foot pawed the floor.
One minute I saw a twelve-year-old boy and the next, a midnight blue unicorn with his books on the floor beneath him.
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
David and his friend, Marty, have ruined a science experiment and turned their teacher into a Crowuzzle and Marty into a midnight blue unicorn. When they try to fix the problem, Marty and Mr. Jymfitzle are kidnapped. David goes after them down the drain into the Wuzzle Swamp. Mudlumps, mersperoos, magic crystals, and sister queens with a strange machine called a Skirlmunk, all spell trouble and adventure for the boys. Excitement prevails through their quest to find each other and their teacher, Mr. Jymfitzle, so they can return home to a “normal” life.
Giveaway –
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Open Internationally.
Runs September 10 – September 17, 2024.
Winner will be drawn on September 18, 2024.
Author Biography:
Janyce Brawn is a retired K-12 English as a Second Language and Spanish teacher who also has a degree in Art. She uses her art training to illustrate magazines and books. With a vivid imagination, Janyce has been writing and drawing since she was a little girl working on handwritten stories and crayoned pictures for books with her twin sister. Her Boston Terrier is always curious about what she’s doing at her desk and sticks her short nose into everything, thinking she is helping create characters and scenes. Janyce’s stories and books focus on family values, being kind, and following the Golden Rule to help others through fantasy adventures. When Janyce isn’t writing or drawing, she likes to read, go boating on the nearby lake, or visit with family and friends.
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