Date Published: 02-26-2026
Publisher: Solander Press
When he gets home, Jon, the farm hand, see the boots and tells him to clean them up then get into his work boots. Jon tells him to give Lady Star a ride because she’s waited all day for him.
On the ride, A.J. heads to the shallow pond out in one field. While A.J. daydreams, Lady Star sees the pond and decides to get there fast. A.J. loses control of Lady Star and finds himself thrown into the pond. Daydreaming on the ride means A.J. has additional chores when he returns to the barn.
After
getting off the bus, I run down the drive to the barn. I have to tell Jon what
happened at school today. I find him in the horse barn mucking out the stalls.
“Jon,
guess what? I got a grand slam during recess! We were playing kickball, and I
was the last one up for the team. Benji, Ronnie, and Layla were all on base.
Elijah tossed the ball toward me and wham. I kicked it so far. I ran.
The others ran, too. We all scored before the other team got the ball to home
plate. It was great!”
Jon
looks over the stall railing and down at my feet. “Your mom know you wore your
new boots to school?”
“Yes,
sir. She was the one who told me it would be okay, just this once.”
“Did
she warn you about not getting them messed up? Just look at those boots!”
I look
down and see the dirty, dusty boots. They are no longer new looking. “What am I
going to do? She’ll be so mad.”
“If I
was you, the first thing I would do is wipe the dirt and dust off them. Then
get the saddle soap and very carefully shine them back up.” Jon comes out of
the stall, closing the gate behind him. “You’d better do it fast because you
have chores to do and you also need to take Lady Star out for a ride. She’s
been waiting all day for you. Now, get going.”
I
hurry to the tackle trunk to find the saddle soap. Grabbing a rag, I get the
dirt and dust off my boots so I can shine them up. I give the rag a good shake
before I use the saddle soap with it. I dab just a little of the soap on my rag
and shine up each boot. Once they look like new again, I take them to Jon for
an inspection.
“What
do you think?”
Jon
rubs his chin as he inspects the freshly shined boots. “Much better. Now, get
to the house and change into your work boots. Those need to go back in your
closet until a special occasion.”
After
putting the new boots away and getting my work boots on, I go back to the barn
to do my chores. Sadie needs to be milked again. I help Jon get the two cows
that need milking taken care of, and then I’m off to clean Lady Star’s stall.
“Hi,
girl. Have you been waiting for me?” I move Lady Star out of the stall so I can
muck it out. “You should have seen me today, Lady. You would have jumped at my
grand slam. It was so fun.” Mucking out a stall is not my idea of fun, but it
means I get to have a horse. Jon says there are responsibilities with
everything.
About the Author
Sherry Roberts is an award-winning children’s book author. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisville. She has written multiple award-winning fiction picture books such as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…A First for Gus, Hello, Can I Bug You?, Gabriel and the Special Memorial Day, What’s Wrong with Barnaby, and The Best Reading Buddy. She also has written two non-fiction award-winning picture books, Sonnet, Sonnet, What’s in Your Bonnet? and A Visit Through the Wetlands. These two were illustrated with her photography. Sherry’s newest picture book, Amica Helps Zoe, was featured in Kirkus e-newsletter June 2025 as Indie Pick and received a Get It: Recommend review.
As a former middle school teacher, Dr. Roberts decided to write her first middle-grade novel (ages 8-13). Her debut novel, The Galaxy According to CeCe, is the first book in a three-book series. It was officially released on February 24, 2024. Book two, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Mysterious Dr. Pruitt, was released August 2024. Book three, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Stars Align, released February 2025.
Sherry’s next venture is a chapter book series (ages 6-8). The first book, Just Call Me Pardner, was released August 1, 2025. The series is about a young boy in the 1930s on a small farm in Northeastern Oklahoma and is inspired by stories of her father’s childhood in the 1930s. Book 2, Just Look at Those Boots, launches in early 2026, with Book 3, Just Don’t Give a Girl a Frog, launching in November 2026.
Dr. Roberts has also written many articles that appear in various academic journals, along with three textbooks. Personal Financial Literacy is in its fourth edition (Pearson). She is an associate professor of Marketing in Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.
https://mybook.to/JustLookatThoseBoots
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