Book Review and Interview

What a terrific 24 hours this has been! Fran Lewis reviewed my 'tween book, The Mystery Under Third Base. Randy Young posted an interview with me on www.sleepytownpress.com in the author interview section. Check out the interview at the website.

Now for the wonderful review:

Mystery Under Third Base

Geeks, nerds, brainiacs and really smart kids this one is for you. So what if everyone thinks that you are different. Being smart is definitely cool and as you get to know my friend Huby and many others in this great novel you will learn that using your brain and intelligence to help others pays off.

“ Being a genius and really smart has put me in a strange place. My classmates in school are two years older than I am and they do not accept me as their peer. The fact that I am smarter than them makes it even more difficult for me to make friends. But, then there is Rachel, my princess in shining light, who wants to be my friend and even have lunch with me. My sister and my brother think I am weird and hardly ever say anything nice about me. I guess I am just Weird Willie, or Willie for short. But, then there is much more to tell you. When you read this great novel that Fran Orenstein wrote titled, “Mystery Under Third Base,” you will get to know not just me but my family too.

Just when I thought I was down and out this kid named Huby appeared out of nowhere and my life changed. He says he traveled a lot but does not know very much about things that happen in our century. He agreed to be my friend and when I am with him I feel brave and even tall. My school wants all of the kids to create a project to help the environment and the school and we have this great idea. He even agreed to help me carry out the plans and create them for this outstanding idea. But, first I have to tell you that I have a special hiding place in the cellar. It might not be the cleanest or best place to hide, but I can read my book and contemplate my life down there. I hear noises, voices and more and I think that there might even be a ghost living there. Imagine that! How cool! “ Just who this ghost is and why he’s there is one question this reviewer will not reveal. Willie and Huby with the help of his two friends Rachel and Pete and one special older woman, thought to be a witch, helps poor Daniel find his way home to his parents and his final resting place.


Fran Orenstein introduces Willie Kramer to the reader, his friend Huby and many other kids that learn some really great lessons from these two young boys. Willie’s idea of building a baseball field creates quite a stir but what will happen to his favorite hiding place and a ghost named Daniel who lives in the cellar where he hides from everyone and can be himself? Everyone wants to be accepted by his/her peers, but Willie has trouble fitting in until his teacher Ms. Barley gives him the opportunity of a lifetime to show everyone just how special he is and why being smart is really great! Who is Huby and why does he appear out of nowhere just when Willie really needs him? You have to read this book to find out for yourself. You won’t want to miss a page of it and you won’t stop reading until you learn the answer to this question and much more as the author engages the reader from page one until you read the last word in the book.


Author Fran Orenstein’s creative way of presenting her characters, descriptions of the two kids who went down into the cellar and learned a hard lesson of what happens when you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and one young boy from somewhere out there, will endear you to Willie and his friends forever.

What happens when three kids and one alien decide to rid a cellar of a ghost with the help of a one woman they assume is witch? What happens when Willie and his friends present their ideas to the town council and there is opposition to what they propose? Adults, tweens and even kids from third grade and up will love reading about Huby, Willie and his friends and learn the true meaning of friendship and honesty. Parenting lessons, understanding that every child is not an athlete and accepting someone for who they are and not what you want them to be are just some of the great lessons learned in this humorous and heartwarming book.

Fran Lewis and Willie Kramer: Reviewers and Please don’t forget HUBY!