The Adventures of Fearless Fredd (with Two d's)!: Book One - The Assignment Hardcover ? December 13, 2019

The year was 1958. America's Explorer 1, took off from Cape Canaveral at 10:48 PM on January 31^st, setting the stage for a winner takes all race to the moon. By an incredible stroke of cosmic good fortune, four friends, a rocket club, spelling contests, and a puppet show all converge to teach lessons on courage and the importance of trying again.

The four stories contained in this book detail Fredd's misadventures as they set the stage for the hilarious train-wreck ending in the final chapters of Catastrophe in Mrs. Nelson's Class.

In story one, "Oh! Brother?" we learn how Fredd's wish for a baby sister goes undelivered in the middle of the night. After watching his favorite TV show, Captain Midnight, Fred decides to add an extra 'd' to his name for reasons only he can explain.

In story two, "A Gremlin in the Attic," Fredd's quest to discover details of his crash landing on Planet Earth hits a creepy roadblock. He only has circumstantial proof, but he is pretty sure there has to be evidence somewhere hidden in the house. When his parents warn him not to explore the attic, his suspicions are all but confirmed.

Story three, "The Rocket Club," details the efforts of Fredd's rocket club as it tries to help NASA get to the moon using fizzy powered rocket propulsion for starters. They are surprised when NASA closely adopts their first club insignia.

In the last story, "Catastrophe in Mrs. Nelson's Class," Fredd and his puppet show crew wonder if they will be fired by the school principal. In light of all the calamities and disasters that befall their performance, Fredd is sure she certainly would have if she could.

It all takes place at a time when phones were not mobile, car curb feelers were cool, television shows were all in black and white, mimeograph machines were state-of-the-art, and bookmobiles were the closest thing we had to the internet.

The book is available in eBook format (978-1-7332209-2-7), paperback grayscale (978-1-7332209-0-3), and paperback full-color version (978-1-7332209-5-8)

While most kids in the 1950s wanted to be firemen or policemen, Fred wanted to be a writer for MAD Magazine. If that lofty goal failed, his second option was to become an astronaut. Born in Niagara Falls, baby Frederick Fedrizzi could trace his ancestry to a country in Europe once known as Tyrol. When the family dropped the "zzi" from the end of their last name, forming the tongue twister 'Fred Fedri, ' it was no wonder Fred had so many nicknames. Fred loves to tell stories and episodes of his life to anyone who will listen. Many stories of his early childhood paint a picture of a time when life wasn't so complicated, and analog technology reigned supreme. During his freshman year at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Fred's English professor valiantly tried to convince him to change majors from Mechanical Engineering to English. Unswayed because of Fred's wish to design houses for the moon, Fred stayed the course, graduating the year the draft lottery became mandatory for military service. Graduating as the top honor graduate from the UH-1 Helicopter Crew Chief class located in Ft. Rucker, Alabama, he returned to his unit and was promptly assigned as a tractor-trailer truck driver because of the souped-up standard transmission hot rod he drove in civilian life! Hired in 1972 at Westinghouse as one of the first computer system analysts, Fred turned away from the world of computing to marry Pauline and started work as a project engineer in North Tonawanda, N.Y. With a knack for writing, Fred found himself producing several newsletters. His Engineering Society of Buffalo Unsupported Column articles featured many humorous tales relative to the world of engineering and technology. His work as a Communications Manager provided a unique opportunity to speak and present at STEM career day activities and Earth Day events. His presentation, "Spaceship Earth Is Now Hiring in All Areas," provides a unique view of our planet and the jobs needed to maintain its operation.