Average Boy’s Above-Average Summer

by Bob Smiley, Jesse Florea

Average Boy is here to make you laugh and encourage you in your faith!The Average Boy series features humorous writing and whimsical illustrations to help readers embrace the idea that life isn’t always about being the smartest, most athletic, or best-looking kid in the neighborhood. Faith, family, and friends are far more valuable than being perceived as cool.What happens when “Average Boy” Bob Smiley gets to the end of an above-average school year? Why, it’s time for an above-average summer, of course! If things go according to plan—and Average Boy always has lots of plans—then this summer will be his best one ever.You see, Average Boy isn’t going to sleep in until noon this summer—at least not every day. No, he has big goals for the next few months. This summer is when Average Boy will finally build that tree house he’s been planning with his best friend, Billy. This summer is when he will brush his teeth every morning (as soon as he finds his toothbrush). And this summer he’s setting a goal to invite everyone in town to church.There will be challenges along the way—challenges like Donny the school bully, or Sarah and Everley, who always seem to have water balloons in hand. But his biggest challenge this summer is the Huge Hairy Hisser, who lurks in the woods behind Average Boy’s house and seems determined to ruin his tree house-building plans.It will definitely be a summer to remember!

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 17, 2024

About the author

Bob Smiley began his writing career as a research assistant to the late, great William F. Buckley, Jr. In 2008, he wrote the sports memoir Follow the Roar, chronicling his journey around the globe as he followed Tiger Woods for every hole of an entire season.

His latest project is the satiric novel Don't Mess with Travis, now out from Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press.

Don't Mess with Travis has been heralded by Kirkus, Booklist, The Dallas Morning News, Steve Forbes and Breitbart.com, who called it "one of the year's best and arguably the most stinging work of political satire since Christopher Buckley's Boomsday."

Smiley continues to write for television and film, having written for network sitcoms as well as for Fox News Channel’s Half Hour News Hour.

He is currently writing a pilot for Disney XD and developing a half-hour comedy for AMC, along with having a movie deep in development with producer/director McG.