Shorty

About the Book

Shorty is the runt of his litter of seven, and Shorty’s mother knows right away that something is wrong with her smallest piglet. He is green all over, except for his red tail, ears, and feet. One leg is shorter than the other three, so he walks with a limp. His eyes are not centered, and his vision and hearing are poor. Shorty spends a lot of time in the veterinarian’s office, and his mother, Ebbie, is worried about him because all the animals in the barnyard make fun of him. Ebbie takes extra time and care with Shorty because he does not have confidence in himself and is afraid of everything. By accident, Shorty ends up on the auction house truck with older hogs who are destined to be sold, when the truck turns over in the rain, Shorty goes on the adventure of a lifetime.

About the Author

I was born in Opelika, Alabama, and moved to Winter Garden, Florida, in the midfifties. My family arrived in western New York in 1958. We lived in the small town of Kendall for two years and moved to Hamlin in 1963. I attended Kendall Central School from 1958 to 1963. My last year of high school was spent at John Marshall High School in Rochester, where I graduated on June 19, 1964. I attended Monroe Community College and graduated with a degree in nursing in 1990. In 2012, I graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College with an advanced degree in nursing. My writing began in 1968 with short stories to amuse myself and seven brothers and sisters. Our father and mother were great storytellers. I would love to share these childhood stories with others, including our grandchildren. I work full time as a nurse and run a women’s group. I like to cook, and I collect green frogs, small turtles, and angels.