Puppet Pandemonium Book

Goodbye Seattle.
Goodbye baseball buddies.
Goodbye Gram & her cool puppet shows.
Hello, Texas.

Baker is sure there isn't anything worse than moving. Except being THE NEW KID. Sure, Gram gave him Waldo, a ventriloquist's dummy, for company— but a puppet, no matter how funny it is, can't take the place of real friends. Baker is bummed.

Until he starts school and discovers that kids in Texas (cowboy hats aside) aren't as different as he thought. And that puppets just might be the key to fitting in.

Let the show begin!

Children's Literature

Baker, a shy boy living in Seattle, Washington, is hired by his grandmother to assist her with her very public puppet shows. He becomes her director, spotlight technician, and amateur puppeteer. Just as he is beginning to feel comfortable with himself, his father breaks the news that the entire family is moving to Franklin, Texas. Needless to say, Baker is reluctant to leave his friends, his new job, and his grandmother, now that she has made him a bit more confident. However, Gran gives him two going-away presents that will make the transition easier: a cell phone, and a ventriloquist's dummy, named Waldo Peppernickle. Waldo becomes Baker's alter ego and while Baker practices his ventriloquist skills, Waldo expresses Baker's thoughts, sometimes much too honestly for Baker to have said himself. In Texas, he is disappointed to find that his father's taste in a new home leaves much to be desired. There's a giant hole in the roof of their run-down Victorian home. His father intends to use his woodworking abilities to fix the house up. His mother becomes involved in a baking contest for the town's fair with rival town Buffalo Gulch. Baker befriends a redheaded, take-charge girl who becomes his first new "best friend." She pushes Baker to use Waldo in the school play, of which she is the narrator. When she comes down with the chicken pox, both Baker and Waldo save the day. Their school wins the coveted "Fair" trophy for the best historical play. Baker becomes the hero, tames the class bully, and develops two wonderful new friendships as well as a renewed sense of confidence.