Journey back to 1960s Ingalls Park, IL, one of the last remnants of the simpler baby-boom America, as told through the eyes of young Jim Ozella. As the final bell rings in his elementary school, signifying the start of summer vacation, “Jimmy O” invites readers to hop on the back of his trusty black-and-gray bike for the daily adventures, in which memories and dreams are limitless, and where one can always expect the unexpected… Long before he became a veteran educator and a head coach of more than forty years — guiding future MLB stars and coaches, Cy Young award winners, and World Series champions — Jim Ozella was a child raised in Middle America, where he learned the true meaning of community, friendship, and, above all, family. These cherished stories are sometimes sentimental, sometimes breathtaking, and always timeless. "There's lots of talents retiring Hart baseball coach Jim Ozella has besides a passion and dedication for coaching baseball. He has written a memoir, 'The Greatest Time To Be A Kid: Stories of Unexpected Adventure,' that will be available in paperback and ebook on April 2. Ozella grew up in Illinois, attended Catholic schools and learned lots of life lessons while playing sports and with neighborhood kids in Ingalls Park. He moved to California, became a social studies teacher and coach...." -Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times Santa Clarita resident and retired William S. Hart High School Baseball Coach Jim Ozella announced his first book was published this spring. "The Greatest Time to Be a Kid: Stories of Unexpected Adventure." "I was blessed by the guidance of loving parents and family to develop while living in the Ingalls Park-Joliet region," he said. "The book shares my memories of being raised in a loving environment during the 1960s, when our American society moved at a simple pace." -Elite Magazine, July/August 2024 This four-story "readable" memoir describes the suburban lifestyle of Baby Boomer boys like me, who grew up in the Midwest during the 1960s. I invite readers, both young and old, to discover and embrace the challenges and accomplishments of elementary-age boys during the fun-filled summer vacation months. And while these stories revert back to a simpler American way of life—uncomplicated by the developing culture of the time, which provided for a more enjoyable experience for these boys—they are timeless. Being raised during this time period and in this loving environment comprised the greatest time to be a kid!