52 Humorous And Inspirational Short Stories! 52 humorous and inspirational short stories from year 7 of Life's Outtakes, a nationally syndicated column by Daris Howard. From the humor of a what students write in Student Communications to the wonderment of a child in need of a friend in Angels Among Us, this is a fun look at family and community life. Stories include: Value For Value Bad Hair Day Student Communications (#3) Off Road Bicycling How Much Is A Bike Worth A Super Ugly Bike How Not To Name A Baby Puppy Baseball A Halloween Vendetta Football And Nylons Football, Ice, And Snow The Fall Camping Trip Anyone Can See Love Nothing But A Fire Drill The Incomplete Yearbook The Too Real Nightmare Giving Away Christmas Uncle Hickory's New Year's Resolution Playing To Win A Geek's Guide To A High Score We Are All God's Children A Reluctant Dancer A Dancer With No Class Competing In Dance And A Change Of Heart Learning To Believe In Yourself A Valentine Description Competing With Confidence Never Old What Students Learned In Math Class What To Look For In A College Hiding My Own Easter Eggs A Blanket Permission To Dance It Has Been A Long Time An Upset Student And A Letter The Right Character For The Role A Little Girl Who Needed An Angel A Bicycle For A little Girl Dogged Every Step Of The Way. First Time At Church Angels Covered In Tattoos And Dressed In Leather Angels Among Us The Hottest Father's Day Gift An Exciting Summer Day How To Get Pizza For Free When Something Gets Your Goat A Thief At Scout Camp Solving The Case Of The Scout Camp Bandit A Kitten Named Oliver Signs For Tourists What Bravery Isn't Courage To Stand Up To Friends The Greatest Courage Of All

Daris Howard is an author and playwright who grew up on a farm in rural Idaho. He associated with many colorful characters including cowboys, farmers, lumberjacks and others. Besides his work on the farm he has worked as a cowboy and a mechanic. He was a state champion athlete and competed in college athletics. He also lived for eighteen months in New York.
Daris and his wife, Donna, have ten children and were foster parents for several years. He has also worked in scouting and cub scouts, at one time having 18 boys in his scout troop.
His plays, musicals, and books build on the characters of those he has associated with, along with his many experiences, to bring his work to life.
Daris is a math professor and his classes are well known for the stories he tells to liven up discussion and to help bring across the points he is trying to teach. His scripts and books are much like his stories, full of humor and inspiration.
He and his family have enjoyed running a summer community theatre where he gets a chance to premiere his theatrical works and rework them to make them better. His published plays and books can be seen at http://www.darishoward.com. He has plays translated into German and French and his work has been done in many countries around the world.
In the last few years, Daris has started writing books and short stories. He writes a popular news column called Life's Outtakes, that consists of weekly short stories and is published in various newspapers and magazines in the U.S. and Canada including Country, Horizons, and Family Living.