One, two Buckle My Shoe

About the Book

lovely Carlie, her shining blonde hair with just a flash of red from her Grandmother Baker. But it was the eyes that people noticed, such a deep brown they were nearly black. They had a sparkle like sunshine on the morning sea. The contrast with her hair was quite striking. …dark rooms were safe. Rudy felt the need to be safe. He liked his new friend. He’d never had a friend. Rudy decided she would be his friend as he watched her bounce excitedly across the entrance to the castle. The sound of her giggles made him weak. He wiped his mouth with his hanky. …Rudy leaned carefully around the corner of the dark blue column of the jumping castle; it was soft to his shoulder. He could see her once again, lying still on the grass, her soft hair covering her face. She was asleep. She was very little. He bent, slipped his arm under her neck, the other around her waist. Holding her like a small baby he rose to his feet and started running. He wasn’t sure why or where. He was scared.

About the Author

Shirley Conrad lives in Southern Oregon; upon receiving her BA in English from Southern Oregon University in 1997 she decided to pursue her Masters in Writing. When finished, she spent four years in Australia; while there she attended hundreds of weekend markets, becoming intimately acquainted with the culture of these amazing transitory communities. It was here she met a seasoned policeman and an autistic boy in a red baseball cap.