Born during WWII to Italian-American parents in Schenectady, New York, an industrial city, Gary Philip Guido can remember military equipment being built and tested on the street where he lived. His mother worked for both American Locomotive and General Electric on secret projects and was highly educated. His father was at that time working as a sand blaster for General Electric. His mother wanted him to have a good education, so he was enrolled in St. Joseph's Catholic School where he spent several years. His mother was an avid reader and shaped his education by having him read classics such as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Count of Monte Cristo, and many others. He was also introduced to Greek mythology and the works of Homer at a very young age. Reading was his escape and he could visualize himself in many of the novels he read. Eventually, he went to public school, but in his words unfortunately left before graduating to join the military. After his discharge, he returned to Schenectady and married. He also returned to school at night to receive his High School Diploma. His marriage produced four boys who were joined over the years by four girls they took in. As a youth, he was a Boy Scout and continued as an adult volunteer. Scouting was a passion of his, and he was involved for the rest of his life. He volunteered with the American Red Cross as a First Aid Instructor and with his local YMCA as a SCUBA instructor. He became affiliated with a children's home and then became a member of the Board. Working a plethora of jobs to support his growing family from driving big rigs to operating equipment, and doing electrical and plumbing work, he continued his education through Empire State College and earned an MBA and MSW over the course of several years. It was around this time, he became Chairman of the Board for a group of homes for abused and neglected children, a position he held for many years. Eventually, he became Chief Executive Officer for the facility and after many years at the helm, he retired. Living in the northeast with its cold winter climate, his wife Susan and he decided to move to Melbourne in Central Florida for the winter months in 1999. Writing was not new to him when he wrote a trilogy about the animals on their camp property in Ticonderoga, which is in the Northeastern section of New York State. Over the years, Gary had written manuals and long range plans for work and for the Boy Scouts of America, where he volunteered for over half a century. The trilogy was written for his three younger granddaughters who live in Colorado and Southern Florida. It was at the urging of a good friend who is a College professor and accomplished author that he decided to have the works published. After much thought, he did give in and now people from every corner of the country and as far away as Australia are reading his stories. As an author of children's books, Gary used nature to capture the imagination of the reader. It was his hope that his books will give you a love for God's creations. His hobbies included woodworking and volunteering his time helping others with their projects as well as writing. If you asked Gary about his beliefs, he would tell you they are Christian, and I try to adhere to its values. Gary lived from October 1942 to January 9, 2020.

Books - New and Used

The following guidelines apply to books:

• New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
• Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
• Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.

Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.

Shipping Fees

• Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
• Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
• No additional fees and charges.

Delivery Times

The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.

Estimated delivery times:

• Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
• Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days

Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.  

Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times. 

Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.). 

If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.

Additional non-returnable items:

• Gift cards
• Downloadable software products
• Some health and personal care items

To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)

• Book with obvious signs of use
• CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
• Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
• Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery

Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.

Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.

If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:

• Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
• Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
• Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.

Shipping Cost

We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.