Cow Boyhood: The Adventures of Wilder Good #7


Book Description

Winner, 2022 Wrangler Award - Western Heritage Awards Winner, 2022 Spur Award - Western Writers of America "Cow Boyhood is unapologetically traditional in its valorizing of grit, stoicism and manliness." - The Wall Street Journal Thirteen-year-old Wilder has spent his boyhood watching men like his grandpa Papa Milam . . . and wanting to be like them. Now he is leaving on a two day cattle drive through river and canyon country with his aging Papa and another older man, Red Guffey. In big ranch country full of livestock and wild animals, Wilder is forced to recognize that his own instincts and abilities may have become greater than those of his heroes. ​




Wilder and Sunny (The Adventures of Wilder Good #3)


Book Description

"If you like Hank, you'll like Wilder Good, too."—John R. Erickson, author of Hank the Cowdog If you've read the first two books about Wilder Good, you already know he's 12 years old and lives with his parents and little sister, Molly, in a small town in southern Colorado. He's on the threshold between being a kid and beginning to grow up, and he's trying his best to figure out just what it means to join that grownup world. There's a lot to learn, and Wilder is grateful to the adults in his life who guide him. In this third installment of "The Adventures of Wilder Good," Wilder and his "secret" girlfriend, Sunny Parker, set out with Wilder's mentor, Gale Loving, for a day of fly fishing on the Rio Grande. But in the Colorado wilderness an afternoon of fishing and fun can shift suddenly to a life-and-death challenge. When Gale is injured, Wilder and Sunny must take charge. Together, the two learn what it is to aid and protect a friend. With no one to turn to, they have to make their own decisions and rely on their own skills as darkness falls and they prepare to spend the night in the canyon tending to Gale. "I am a big fan of this series. Last fall I included The Elk Hunt in my list of favorite books of 2013, and Texas Grit is every bit as insightful and positive as the first one."—Glenn Dromgoole (a review of Wilder Good 2: Texas Grit) "Dahlstrom writes about ranch life with flair and specific detail."—WORLD magazine (a review of Wilder Good 2: Texas Grit)




The Longest Letsgoboy


Book Description

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey meets Dog Heaven in this profoundly beautiful book about the special relationship between kids and dogs, the importance of language, and finding the meaning of life even in its final days. Poignant, hopeful, and lovingly told, this dog's journey—told by the dog himself in his own unique words—proves that love abides beyond a lifetime, out of sight but never far away. As a dog and his little girl go on their final walk together, he experiences the sights, smells, and wonders of this world one last time before peacefully passing on. But for such a good boy (oh yes, he is!) and his foreverfriend, that doesn't mean it's the end. Offering a unique and noteworthy take on death, this book balances the somber topic with a dog's ever-optimistic viewpoint, all woven together with its unconventional yet fitting approach to language. Family members, librarians, art-lovers, and educators alike will use this book as an accessible and comforting introduction to the ever-difficult topic of death, discussed and related in a new way with hopeful, uplifting, innovative language. THE PERFECT BOOK TO TALK ABOUT LOSS: The perennial themes of grief, fear, and death are always relevant and classic discussion topics even in families not yet dealing with death. The perfect answer to kids' big questions about what happens when we die, this book will be a standard in every home library. CREATIVE USE OF LANGUAGE: The words in this book are incredibly special, with phrases that conjure how the dog sees the world. The enjoyable challenge of matching up "letsgoboy" to a walk or "pufftails" to rabbits will make for meaningful discussions on a parent's lap or in a classroom reading circle. TEACHES CHILDREN EMPATHY: Reading this story from the dog's perspective is the perfect way for young readers to understand that the way another character thinks and perceives the world is different from their own experience. A BEAUTIFUL DOG STORY: Ideal for readers who love dogs, want dogs, or are going through a grieving process for their family dog, this book celebrates all that is most magical about these animals who are always by our side. A COMFORTING MESSAGE: It's rare for a book about death to extend beyond the moment of dying. The continuation of the dog's story past this point makes it special and especially comforting. Perfect for: parents and caregivers, dog lovers, educators




A Bend in the Breeze


Book Description

When eleven-year-old Pascale Chardon finds herself on a lifeboat drifting toward an uncharted island with no memory of how she got there, all she wants is to get back to her family. The islanders, however, have a different objective. For many decades, the islanders have been anticipating the arrival of someone foretold only as the Long Awaited. The Long Awaited is said to have knowledge of the island’s future and will tell the islanders of their fate seventeen days after their arrival. At first Pascale is sure she’s not the Long Awaited, but when strange happenings occur, she finds it impossible to be certain of anything. Could she be the Long Awaited after all? A Bend in the Breeze, award-winning author Valerie Sherrard’s 30th novel, is a delightful tale about the importance of love and compassion.




Silverbelly (The Adventures of Wilder Good #6)


Book Description

"Spur Award finalist S.J. Dahlstrom has brought this coming-of-age tale to life through his natural, easy writing style and stunningly beautiful descriptions. I have been a Wilder fan from the start, and each subsequent adventure only gets better."―Rocky Gibbons, Roundup Magazine What if everything you thought about deer hunting was wrong? That the biggest deer wasn’t always the best one. Wilder is back on his grandad’s ranch in West Texas and a run-in with his dangerous neighbor, Saul, spins Wilder’s head like the blizzard that hits the ranch the day before Thanksgiving. Along with his sister, Molly, Wilder must rethink his ideas about what a trophy is, and how he relates to the wild landscape around him. Praise for S. J. Dahlstrom and The Adventures of Wilder Good series: “If you like Hank, you’ll like Wilder Good, too.”―John R. Erickson, author of Hank the Cowdog “Dahlstrom’s superb writing takes Wilder through those anxiety-producing years between childhood and adulthood, when life’s simplest and most important lessons are learned.”―Forbes “Very family-oriented, very wholesome.”―Lone Star Literary Life




Texas Grit (The Adventures of Wilder Good #2)


Book Description

"If you like Hank, you'll like Wilder Good, too."—John R. Erickson, author of Hank the Cowdog "I am a big fan of this series. Last fall I included The Elk Hunt in my list of favorite books of 2013, and Texas Grit is every bit as insightful and positive as the first one."—Glenn Dromgoole "Dahlstrom writes about ranch life with flair and specific detail."—WORLD magazine In Texas Grit, Wilder spends a week in West Texas at his grandfather's ranch, while his mother and father travel to Denver to see her doctors. Wilder finds it hard to leave his parents. Papa Milam is a cowboy, gruff and sometimes a bit intimidating, yet grandfather and grandson care for each other very much—and find they actually have lots to learn from each other, too. Wilder works cattle on horseback and explores the rough ranch country with Papa. One night they start out to hunt for whitetail deer in the cottonwood bottoms but end up encountering a rattlesnake instead. A few days later, four cowboys arrive at the ranch to help with the branding of Papa's new calves. Wilder gets the opportunity to join the crew and takes his place alongside the grown men in the strenuous and sometimes dangerous work of herding, roping, and branding. Wilder does a lot of growing up over the week, and together he and Papa experience the kind of adventures that only a place like Texas can provide.




The Elk Hunt: The Adventure Begins (The Adventures of Wilder Good #1)


Book Description

As his father helps in his mother's battle with cancer, twelve-year-old Wilder Good joins his mentor, Gale Loving, on an elk hunt in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, where they face threats from fatigue, injury, and a wilderness predator.




Black Rock Brothers (The Adventures of Wilder Good #5)


Book Description

Every boy has it in his soul to make the big trip. Alone, into the wild. Wilder feels the call after reading about an obsidian deposit on a forgotten bluff in the Spanish Peaks Wilderness. If he can find the glassy, black, volcanic rock, he'll be able to replace his family's most cherished heirloom. Wilder wants to prove that he can make the journey alone, but his parents make him bring his best friend Big, and a new kid called Corndog. With no adults to turn to, can the three boys face the rigors of the outdoors―and each other? Praise for S. J. Dahlstrom and The Adventures of Wilder Good series #4 The Green Colt Winner of the Western Heritage Award for Juvenile Book Winner of the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Young Readers Finalist, Western Writers of America Spur Award for Juvenile Fiction "The Green Colt is told beautifully, with grace and quiet power, and shows S. J. Dahlstrom to be a big new talent. I highly recommend this wonderful book." --Nancy Plain, award-winning author and vice-president of Western Writers of America "Horse-loving readers will identify with Wilder, and take away positive messages about horses, respect, family, friendship, and never giving up." --Western Horseman "Wilder loves the outdoors, and the author's appreciation for nature rings true in his writing. The language was rich, and the imagery was vivid. I felt as if I was walking the ranch with Wilder, feeling his pain or his excitement." --The Old Schoolhouse magazine #5 Black Rock Brothers "The story will hook adventure-loving boys while delighting parents with its character-building plot." - WORLD magazine "With his fifth book in the series Dahlstrom takes a leap! Black Rock Brothers reminds us that in an ever disconnected world, friendship, family, and honor are the true ties that bind."―Paul Allen Hunton, Texas Tech University Public Media