Preschooled

Preschooled

<DIV><P>Behind the toddler-proof gate of Santa Monica’s exclusive Garden of Happiness, it’s the grown-ups who are getting schooled.</P><P>When new preschool parent Justine discovers that the man who broke her heart back in grad school is a dad in her daughter’s class, she tells herself she’s immune to the superficial charms of the ex she calls “the crapwizard.” But when his presence opens a time tunnel of potent memories from her life before motherhood, she must find a way to defuse her old attraction to him before it undermines her marriage.</P><P>Then there’s Ruben, rookie stay-at-home dad and standup comic who quits his day job to pursue his TV-writing dream on his wife’s condition that he take her place among the “power mommies” on the school committees.</P><P>And ruling the sand box with an iron fist is Margaret, whose ongoing divorce from her dentist-turned-New Age-surfer husband forces her to rely on her dubious people skills in order to keep the school that has become the cornerstone of her identity.</P><P>When the new school year kicks off with a flight-risk rabbit named Ozone, a school secretary in desperate need of a social filter, and some double-barreled committee recruiting tactics, it’s not all juice and cookies for Justine, Ruben, and Margaret as they struggle to play nice.<BR /><BR /><BR /><B>Praise for <I>Preschooled:</I></B></P>"This book is like a warning.  A terribly funny and entertaining warning." —<I><B>Jenny Lawson,</B></I><I>The Bloggess,</I> New York Times<I> bestselling author of</I> Let’s Pretend This Never Happened <I>and</I> Furiously Happy<BR /><BR /> “Listen, I grew up in a tough neighborhood, but these parents in Anna Lefler's hilarious preschool novel scare the hell out of me.” <I><B>—Steve Schirripa,</B></I> New York Times <I>bestselling author and co-star of "The Sopranos"</I><BR /><P>"With hilarity and compassion, Anna Lefler examines the juice box from all angles—how do a group of well-meaning parents end up cowed by a preschool that's stricter than Harvard?  Read to find out and wince with recognition." —<I><B>Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin</B>, bestselling authors of</I> The Nanny Diaries <I>and</I> Nanny Returns<BR /><BR /> "Anna Lefler's book is so goddamn funny it made me want to ditch my life so I could read it. Damn you, obligations!" <B><I>—Laraine Newman,</I></B><I> original cast member of </I>Saturday Night Live <I>and the Groundlings, Voiceover Goddess</I></P>“Captivating and relentlessly funny, <I>Preschooled</I> is a brilliant, sublime romp through today’s Pre-K jungle. With a fresh, wry wit, Anna Lefler skewers the ridiculous pretense of the preschool scene while weaving a hilarious and satisfying story that will have you turning pages well past pick-up time.” <B><I>—Jenna McCarthy,</I></B><I> author of </I>Pretty Much Screwed</DIV>