Johnnie Merritt is a 12 year old boy who lives a pretty charmed life. He has good friends, and his problems are few, well, except for his parents and their demands. As a result of a freak accident, Johnnie suddenly finds himself in a time and place he knows very little about and surrounded by people and a life completely strange to him. Can Johnnie make the adjustment to a strange environment? Johnnie's journey back in time is a fast paced adventure that will have you and Johnnie wondering, will he ever make it back home?
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As he sat there looking out a window, if you could call it that, at a grey sky bleak with its outlook. Then he began to think about days like these when he spent some time with his parents, or over at a friend's house. But on this early October evening in 1608, Johnnie laid back on a lumpy bed made of straw and was thinking how much he missed his bunk bed setup he had in his room. He could picture his computer on his desk with his CD's and games, the bookshelf in the corner, and his toy chest (of which he rarely ever looked into anymore) in another corner. He could see hanging on the walls the various posters of professional athletes he looked up to or admired, as well as the picture he painted in fifth grade his parents insisted on framing, and then there was his collection of baseball caps lining the walls near the ceiling like banners. Each was hung on a series of dowel sticks his father nailed to the walls; however, it had been a few years since they collected any. Now they just seemed to gather dust. He loved having the hat collection, but he hated the words that came from his mother's mouth, Johnnie, time to take down all those caps and dust them off. It was a job that, with any energy, would take about an hour at most to do, but to him it was at least half a day's job. He would always get sidetracked by putting on the caps and then imitate players from that team, or he would play out scenarios of games. You know, the two outs in the bottom of the ninth type stuff. But on this day there was a rainout with no makeup date, none of the players would take the field. Instead, he was staring at a makeshift thatch style roof in a twenty by twenty dwelling with a couple of windows, and a structure that had some holes in the wood that were used to build it. Perhaps he began to realize how precious or lucky his life was, and how much his mother and father meant to him. He even missed playing around with his little brother. At a time in a teen's life when separating from parents in an attempt to gain independence seemed the thing to do, suddenly Johnnie felt very dependent. He was missing his parents very much, and the worst part of it was, there was apparently nothing he could do about it. Little did he realize the comforts of his own home; in fact, taking it for granted because somehow it was always there. Everyday coming home from school it was there. Every time he went out of town with family and returned it was there. Every time he slept over at a friend's house and slumbered home the next morning it was there, and inside this reliable ole place were modern comforts: televisions, radios, computers, games, electricity, running water, a fenced in back yard, a great park nearby, and a safe neighborhood. There was also food, in a wonderfully cold refrigerator with cold milk, or juice, and there was peanut butter in the cupboard. There was the microwave that heated the syrup he loved on his pancakes, or that would prepare his instant macaroni and cheese snacks. Then, there were his clothes, always clean, always fresh. There was something that seemingly was reliable in his life, and it was led by a mother and a father who loved him very much. Had he taken things for granted? Was this some sort of justifiable punishment? It was tough to think outside the box when that box, a twenty by twenty box, suffocated him, and to make matters worse began to leak as the rain continued to pour...
For teachers I have created a Study Guide to complement the story. If you are interested, please email me at: coachreighard@gmail.com and in the subject line type Study Guide Request. The Roanoke Times says: "Journey Back in Time is fun and engaging." Mrs. Atkins, a 4th grade language arts teacher says; "The kids loved the story. They wanted me to continue reading even after the period had ended." Mr. Bishop, a social studies teacher claims; "Mr. Reighard writes an effective portrait of Jamestown at the time of the story. I felt I was there."
About Scott A. Reighard
Scott A. Reighard is a high school teacher and coach in Roanoke, VA. Other than writing, he enjoys participating in triathlons, mountain biking, and spending time with his family. He is married and has 2 children. He and the family love to travel, and this helps to inspire his writing. Since his college graduation, Scott has lived in Georgia, Hawaii, and Florida. His love for writing began as a youngster in middle school. He continues to be inspired and is working on publishing his second novel. "I derive great joy in being able to vicariously breathe life into fictional characters within my imagination and watch them grow as the story progresses." Scott graduated with a BA from Texas A&M-Commerce, and received his MEd from the University of Virginia. Scott has been a member of the US Navy Reserves since 1992.
Johnnie Merritt is a 12 year old boy who lives a pretty charmed life. He has good friends, and his problems are few, well, except for his parents and their demands. As a result of a freak accident, Johnnie suddenly finds himself in a time and place he knows very little about and surrounded by people and a life completely strange to him. Can Johnnie make the adjustment to a strange environment? Johnnie's journey back in time is a fast paced adventure that will have you and Johnnie wondering, will he ever make it back home? 
Scott A. Reighard is a high school teacher and coach in Roanoke, VA. Other than writing, he enjoys participating in triathlons, mountain biking, and spending time with his family. He is married and has 2 children. He and the family love to travel, and this helps to inspire his writing. Since his college graduation, Scott has lived in Georgia, Hawaii, and Florida. His love for writing began as a youngster in middle school. He continues to be inspired and is working on publishing his second novel. "I derive great joy in being able to vicariously breathe life into fictional characters within my imagination and watch them grow as the story progresses."