AUTHOR: Kenneth D. Brubaker Jr.

Home AUTHORS Kenneth D. Brubaker Jr.
I am currently a college business professor. I teach sport management, research, marketing, and leadership courses. In 2011, I achieved my doctorate in leadership studies. I have been teaching at the college level for sixteen years, since 2005. I have also coached for twenty-four years. I have coached high school volleyball, tennis, baseball, and basketball. I was named All-County All-Star Volleyball Coach in 2013 and 2014. I also had the opportunity to be a head junior college volleyball and basketball coach. I was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in Cheektowaga, New York. I now live in Shelby, Ohio. I have two sons, Carson and Anderson Brubaker. Carson is sixteen years old, and Anderson is fourteen. My mom and dad, Irene and Ken Brubaker Sr., still live in Cheektowaga, New York. I have two older sisters, Debbi Socha and Joy Ostrander. They’ve given me three nieces, Anna, Grace, and Kelsea, and two nephews, Tom and Peter. I love when my sons can get together with their cousins. We have the best times getting together with family.

My contact information is kbrubaker1280@gmail.com

PUBLISHED BOOKS

Best Friends from Opposite Sides of the Tracks
The Sequel
Friends ’til the End

Donny and Benny are best friends who live in a divided community. They each live on opposite sides of the railroad tracks that go right through the middle of town and symbolize its division. It is a town that is divided by wealth, race, and culture. Because of this, the boys constantly face peer pressure and have to cope with attempts by this divided community to sever their friendship. Donny, as we know from the previous book in this series, comes from a wealthy family. He is also popular in school and well-known in town as a great student athlete. However, he is rare because he does not let that cloud his judgment or influence who his friends are and how he cares about people. Most of his friends reside on Benny’s side of the town.

Benny is not wealthy, and both of his parents work many hours to provide for their family. Benny feels very fortunate to have a friend like Donny because Donny has always been there for Benny, no matter what the situation is. Benny is most proud of Donny because the so-called popular kids in town and in school have not been able to convince Donny to discriminate against Benny and his friends. However, now it is Benny’s turn to be there for Donny.

As we know from the previous book, their dog, Skipper, was killed. At the time, Donny was going through some tough personal issues with his family. Finally, at the end of the story, Donny was in a terrible accident in which he was hit by a car. At the beginning of this book, he remains unconscious and in critical condition in the Sabreville hospital.

Best Friends from Opposite Sides of the Tracks

This is a story about two boys, who are best friends and face life's challenges together. They are in the fourth grade, about to be fifth-graders. They are each from opposite sides of the tracks. Benny lives in the run-down, poor side of town; Donny, the rich side.

Several moments throughout this story test the boys' friendship. The life issues and challenges presented in this book include dealing with peer pressure, losing loved ones, surviving family heartaches, coping with humility, and making tough decisions. The journey that Donny and Benny experience within this story teach us about the hardships of life and how we can overcome those hardships.