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Carolyn Hedgecock 825 Mayfair Hill Ct. Dec. 17, 2007 Bedford, Texas 76021 817-319-8604 North Oaks Middle School 4800 Jordan Park Haltom City, Texas 76117

Synopsis for __The Stay-Afters__ Written by: Carolyn Hedgecock and the students of North Oaks Middle

Dontavious, an unmotivated, fun-loving, thirteen year old prankster, asks his uncle, the foreman of the wrecking crew that has orders to tear down the mansion, if he can throw a Halloween party in the old place before it gets torn down. His uncle agrees and seven friends come to his party. He also invites the school nerd, Doyle, and asked him to provide all the refreshments. Later he plans to make fun of him. His party gets crashed by Lanna Jo, the school’s toughest girl and the biggest bully. When it gets dark, strange things begin happening. One by one the kids disappear through a tunnel into the basement which is where the stay-after, Toddalina, has created a haunted school house. The kids must one-by-one stay after in her creepy school to complete the lessons they never learned. Once the lessons are learned, the kids are free to leave with the quick thinking of Lanna Jo and Doyle. Their lives are changed and the Haltom Mansion is saved.
 * Summary:** An old maid school teacher, Toddalina Haltom, (She was an only child and her father, Todd really wanted a boy) heiress of the Haltom Mansion died five years ago. No living relatives have been found to inherit her property. Untouched for years, the once beautiful mansion is now weatherworn and decayed. It is scheduled to be demolished November 1st.


 * Implementation:** We will have a writing competition at North Oaks Middle and have kids interview each of the following teachers: math, science, reading, writing, social studies, P.E., band, art, choir, and of course the librarian. Each teacher will tell the one thing they hope kids learn from them. Actual students will develop the characters of the teachers, students, and events that take place in Toddalina’s scary schoolhouse.


 * Promotional ideas:** Each book purchased will come with one of 30 playing cards. The 30 cards include: ten of the stay-after kids, 10 stay-after teachers cards, and 10 lessons learned cards. Kids collect other playing cards by writing to Shadow Mountain Publishing. They are free with a postage fee. The cards may also be obtained at book signings. For promotionals: actual kids could go on book tours. They share their inspiration came from Obert Skye and his __Leven Thumps__ series. Not all the kids would go at once but rotate them. On the website there could be a picture of an old decrepit two story house with 9 windows and a door. Dontavious is standing at the door. After he opens it, the guests enter and fall down through tunnels into the mysterious Toddalina’s Haltom’s schoolhouse. Website viewers have to match the missing kids with the different teachers and lessons learned. If they collect all 30 cards then they get a chance to win a haunted house keychain or a haunted schoolhouse magnet. There are slots for all the missing kids on the keychain/magnet. There could be magic slate give-aways too. The 10 different lessons could be written on top of the slates. The book would mainly be written by kids. They would be the ones to propel the story; I would put their stories together like piecing a quilt. The primary message is: learning is important. The 3 big take-aways or themes of the book are: Listen, Participate, and Learn… or you too may become a **stay-after**.