HOW TO GET RICH ON A TEXAS CATTLE DRIVE

HOW TO GET RICH ON A TEXAS CATTLE DRIVE, by Tod Olson, ill. by Scott Allred and Gregory Proch, afterword by Marc Aronson (National Geographic 2010)(ages 8-12) is a 48-page picture book, fictionalized memoir of one A.J. "Little John" Larkin. In 1876, fifteen year old Little John is a buckaroo from Iowa (of all places) who spends a year running cattle on the Chisholm Trail.

Dual page spreads illustrate and explicate aspects of the "wild west," including maps of cattle trails, diagrams of tricks of the trade, pictures of Dodge City, and contemporary photos. Aronson's afterword discusses what is real and what is not.

A fun and lively introduction to the old west, and a companion to HOW TO GET RICH IN THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH and HOW TO GET RICH ON THE OREGON TRAIL.

THE ADVENTUROUS DEEDS OF DEADWOOD JONES

THE ADVENTUROUS DEEDS OF DEADWOOD JONES, by Helen Hemphill (Front Street, November 2008)(ages 9-12): When freeman (from birth) Prometheus Jones wins a horse in a lottery, the scoundrels who traded him the ticket object. So Jones grabs his cousin Omer and they escape to the cattle trail, joining a drive that will take them north to South Dakota. Problem is, it's going in the wrong direction. Jones wants to get to Texas, to track down his father...Good with both a horse and a gun, Jones soon proves his worth on the cattle trail. But can he protect his cousin and make it down to Texas?

Evocative of old-time dime novels and based on a true story, DEADWOOD JONES is refreshing yet charmingly old-fashioned. A western for the modern audience, DEADWOOD JONES will please readers of all ages.