How Raspberry Jam Got Invented

By Brian Bakos

The last summer picnic turns into an astonishing disaster! What was supposed to be a fun day at the new state park becomes a life and death struggle with creatures right out of a science fiction horror movie. Middle grade humor and adventure.

Book 1, "Time Before Color TV" series

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brian Bakos
• Release date: Oct 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301040605

Brian Bakos

I like to write and travel. I'm from the Detroit area originally and try to see other places as often as possible. My most recent travels have been to China, Ecuador, and Belize. Am thinking of my next destination. It's wonderful how travel inspires the writing process. Attended Michigan State University and Alma College.Not much more than that. Anything else I have to say comes out in my books. If you really want to know more, please contact me through my website, https://www.theb2.net/. May life bring you many blessings!

Book preview

HOW RASPBERRY JAM GOT INVENTED

Book 1, Time Before Color TV series

by Brian Bakos

cover art: Othoniel Ortiz

Copyright 2013 Brian Bakos / revised 09-2019

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to anyone else. If you want to share this book, please buy an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return to Smashwords.com and obtain your own copy. Thanks for respecting the author’s hard work.

Table of Contents

Part One: The Last Summer Picnic

Part Two: Mysteries at the State Park

Part Three: Uninvited Guests

Part Four: Desperation

Next Book in the Series

Brian’s Other Books

Part One: The Last Summer Picnic

Prolog

Have you ever wondered how raspberry jam got invented?

Look at a jar of it in the grocery store sometime. All those seeds staring out like beady little eyes. Somebody at the jam factory must have smashed the berries and stuffed them in, right?

Maybe that’s how it’s done these days, but the original method was very different.

1. Mean Preparations

Melissa turns on her twin brother.

No, Davis, you can’t come with us! This picnic is just for me and my friends.

Davis backs away. All right, he says in a very small voice.

Melissa jabs a finger at him. And you’d better not go crying to Mom. Got that?

I won’t. He speaks so quietly I can barely hear him.

Good!

Davis walks off with his shoulders stooped and his head hanging. The rest of us – me, Tommy, and Quentin – stand around my back yard looking at each other. We’re all terribly embarrassed.

It wouldn’t hurt to bring him along, I say. We’ve got plenty of food.

Melissa waves her hand. Believe me, Amanda, we’re better off without him. He’s such a bore.

Even if he is, he could have helped carry the stuff.

Why are you always so nice when you don’t have to be? Davis isn’t your brother. I’m the one who’s stuck with him.

I shake my head. If I had a brother, I’d be much nicer to him. Then again, if I did have one, if I had to share things and stuff, maybe I wouldn’t be so kind after all.

My dad always complains about arm chair heroes who want everybody else to go fight wars while they stay behind watching TV and drinking beer. Am I just an arm chair nice person – acting kind because it doesn’t cost me anything?

Being around Melissa too much can get you thinking in weird ways.

"Are we ready to go – finally?" she says.

2. Becker School

You might get the impression that Melissa can be pretty mean and stuck up. You’d be right. So, why do I keep hanging around with her? That’s difficult to explain.

Have you ever kept drinking the same soda pop, even though you can’t stand it anymore, just because you’re used to it? Melissa is kind of like that. Or maybe I think she’s got a good side – that if I keep looking, maybe I’ll find a nice person under all