When his friends seem to find girlfriends all at the same time, Marvin is left looking for a date with no prospects in sight. While desperately trying to find a girlfriend, Marvin and his friends stumble from one hilariously improbable situation to the next: accidentally setting a fire, causing a blackout, ruining a wedding, and creating chaos during the final basketball game of the summer season. It seems as if nothing can ever go right for Marvin, until he finally begins a relationship with a new African-American girl in town. The problem is, not all of his friends approve. "The Misadventures of Marvin Miller is the story of a boy who has a wonderful talent for getting himself into trouble with hilarious results, but there is more to this story than fun and games. There's a moral to this tale that will teach every reader a valuable lesson." -- Kimbra Kasch, author of Irma the Inventor and the Vampire Spiders, The Cats of Cullaby Creek, and Morgaine Le Fay and the Viking "Misadventures is right! Readers will love joining Marvin on his roller coaster summer search to find a girlfriend. It's one funny adventure after another that has the reader rooting for Marvin and rejoicing when love unexpectedly finds him. The Misadventures of Marvin Miller is satisfying, sweet, and hilarious!" --Stacie Haas, author of Freedom for Me: A Chinese Yankee "Marvin Miller is fun and funny, while tackling the myriad of challenges of being a middle school kid. From small mistakes that feel like life-ruining events to the bigger issues of starting to grow up and seeing people for who they are, Marvin brings a fresh set of eyes to a tough age, while also remaining true to himself and his family. Experience the adventures of a summer with Marvin and maybe even learn a thing or two along the way!" -- Joanna Volavka, author of Threadwalkers After writing Always, Jessie, a more intense novel for young adults, I wanted to write a fun book for younger readers!  I decided to tell a story about all the crazy things guys do when trying to impress the girls they like. The book started with a story my dad told me about trying to impress my mother with a fireworks display that went horribly wrong! Once I started writing, Marvin took on a life of his own and got into one hilarious mishap after another. While the book is mostly lighthearted, there are more significant themes there as well. Marvin and his "hopefully someday girlfriend" Riley encounter some racism and prejudice because of their relationship. Then, Marvin has a tough choice to make when he realizes not all of his friends accept Riley or her family. So, I hope younger readers can learn more about tolerance and acceptance from reading those parts of the story.  A humorous novel with heart, The Misadventures of Marvin Miller is a great summer read, especially for reluctant middle-grade readers. I hope you have as much fun reading the book as I did writing it!  Megan Cassidy is an English professor and the author of books for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers.   The Misadventures of Marvin Miller, Megan's second book, a middle grade novel of one boy's hilarious summer as he tries to impress the girl he likes. Megan's first novel, Always, Jessie is a YA novel charting a teenager's recovery from an eating disorder and exercise addiction in a diverse recovery community. Megan also writes for adults under the name M.C. Hall. Smothered, Megan's adult epistolary mystery, will be published in the Fall of 2017.   Megan's other work has been featured in Silver Blade Magazine, Pilcrow & Dagger, Bette Noire, Fiction on the Web, Flash Fiction Press, Dying Dahlia Review, Citron Review, and the Centum Press One Hundred Voices Anthology.