“Howdy, pardner!” Do you have an active boy (or girl) who won’t sit still for Little House on the Prairie, and seems to long for something with a little more adventure to it? Nigel and I have found just the thing! In this inspiring series, Ralph Moody tells of his rugged childhood years in rural Colorado during the early part of the 20th century. Sometimes you forget you are reading about a little boy, and then it hits you . . . he’s only eight years old! Life on a little ranch in those days was no romantic picnic. In this first book alone, there are flooding rains, tornadoes, narrow escapes, cattle herding, broncobusting rodeos, mountain adventures, as well as hardships for families in desperate need of water and other basics. Simple joys and values were found in family life, obedience, accomplishment, respect for Mom and Dad, and the great outdoors!
The father-son relationship in this story stands in sharp contrast to the lax norms of modern times. Bravery, honesty, ingenuity, love, and morality are just some of the virtues waiting to be explored in this authentic look at our western American heritage. A rare “cuss” word is heard from the mouths of some of the rough characters we meet along the way. These are not glorified moments in Ralph’s memory, but rather sad ones. (During read-aloud time, you can edit these episodes as seems fitting.) Overall, this book offers a powerful tonic to today’s false values and frivolous entertainment. For ages 10 to adult (girls not excluded). 260 pages, softcover from Bison Books.
—Dean & Nigel
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars(5 out of 5 stars)
4 of 4 Reviews Showing:
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Dee S. (Portis, KS), January 08, 2009
Our 16 year old son who has NEVER been a reader, but is a cowboy, has been lost in this book series for hours at a time. He loves them and I love that he is reading!!! We now have the whole set.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Angela Roberts (Airdrie, Ab,), December 18, 2008
My nine year old son loved reading this book on his own. He says he learned alot about pioneer life. I plan on collecting all the books in this series.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Michelle (Glen Allen, VA), May 19, 2008
Our family has loved this book! It has inspired the boys to take more responsiblity around the house and strengthened their love for the rural life. Wonderful read-aloud.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Brenda (Honolulu, HI), February 11, 2008
Our family used this book for a family read-aloud and the adults as well as the children were enthralled - we looked forward to it every evening and many times had requests for "one more chapter" - even from my husband! Ralph Moody is a very talented writer and the plot and the characters were not only great for entertainment but gave us a lot to talk about for character development. By the end of the book, we were all sad to say goodbye to the characters and decided to buy all of the books in the Little Britches series. I have already recommended this book to several friends and am planning on giving away a few copies as gifts!
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