An Amethyst Tree

by Rolla Donaghy

136 pages

In An Amethyst Tree, when school peers pretend and deceive to win and a friend competes against Jennie, her brother instructs her to be truthful and calm all year, promising a gemstone if she complies. But the challenge is impossible!

Paperback

$15.95

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Category: Fiction:Young Adult:Coming Of Age	Read a FREE excerpt (requires Adobe Reader)
About the Book
An Amethyst Tree is an original fictional teen novel about a high school girl’s relationship with her brothers and parents as she tries to cope with competition, and peer pressure to pretend, act mean, and deceive in order to win. Trying out for choir, cheerleading and an after-school job at a bakery, Jennie juggles her stories and plans, and even has a scheme with her brother, Tim, to borrow the family car. But what will happen after her oldest brother, Brendan, makes her promise to be calm, truthful and honest all year? He even promises her a gem, or precious stone if she complies. Seeing it as a silly social experiment, she agrees. Back at school, Jennie doubts that she can win anything if she is completely honest. She wants to have a gem from her brother, yet she simply cannot survive in high school if she takes him seriously and follows the rule!! This story is a coming-of-age, humorous portrayal of high school when friends become competitors, and there seems to be little room left for generosity or kindness.
Related Titles
Henry Hooper Leaves the Farm: A Field Mouse Story by Rolla Donaghy When the field mouse leaves the farm, everything goes wrong. Henrietta Hooper Chases a Starfish: A Field Mouse Story by Rolla Donaghy When field mice meet a small wave, it spells TROUBLE! The Wind's Scrapbook by Rolla Donaghy In a story based on photographs of nature, the wind carries the birthday balloon through the sights of a park. This 800-word book presents images, vocabulary, and concepts for beginning and emerging readers, pre-K to Grade 3. It encourages visual perception and language skills. The Picnic at Squirrel Park by Rolla Donaghy Where are the birds and flowers? Henry and Henrietta, field mice, find the fields are bare after October rain. This book is for children pre-K to Grade 2, and ESL. The story presents action words and concepts suited to beginning readers. Colorful illustrations encourage positive social interaction, curiosity and awareness of the environment. The Perils Of Pencil Lake by Rolla Donaghy As Ray Marks, a college student, sells his grandfather's Adirondack property, alarming rumors emerge that someone plans to get the farm for free. Ray and his friends work together to identify their opponents and outsmart them, in a diverse community that is not always on their side. A Lobster Lesson by Rolla Donaghy and Lynne Donaghy A fishing fleet waits to go out on the ocean as a Captain in the bay prepares his boat to check lobster traps. The opportunity to go with him is exciting for children visiting the shore. A Lobster Lesson is a nature, non-fiction story for age 6-12 and ESL with photographs that depict rules of lobster fishing and safety in a marine environment. MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMISES by Rolla Donaghy, Illustrations by Angela Amato With a B average, and struggling to learn a new instrument, Lisa devotes herself to middle school orchestra, only to meet another Lisa - who is pretty, popular, and gets straight A's. Can anything good come of this? Middle School Promises is an inspirational and humorous coming-of-age story for readers Grades 5-8. Tomorrow Maybe by Rolla Donaghy After a funeral, teenage girls try to help their families by babysitting Adam, a 6-year old child with whom they share their imagination, books, and love of flowers. TOMORROW MAYBE is a middle grade coming-of-age story for Grades 7-10.

About the Author
	Rolla Donaghy, born in Canada, studied music, drama and radio theater. A professional in childhood education, she specialized in early reading skills in Toronto, Boston and Honolulu schools.