The Abernathy Boys [Hardcover]

L. J. Hunt (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Abernathy Boys

Meet Bud Abernathy, age nine, and his brother, Temp, age five: two cowboys determined to see the Old West. The boys are headed for the Goodnight Ranch, where their daddy once was known as "Catch'em Alive" Jack for his ability to catch live wolves with his bare hands. To get to Goodnight, the brothers and their horses, Sam and Geronimo, will have to cross the caprock, a vast desert that is the loneliest place on earth. They're determined to do it -- and to do it alone.

Some would say that the story of the boys' journey is a mighty tall tale. But it's entirely true.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6--Set in the early 20th century, this novel is based on the experiences of brothers Bud and Temple Abernathy. Bud has always dreamed about seeing the exotic places that his father describes in his stories. Although he is only nine years old, he carefully plots a route for him and his five-year-old brother to follow. With their daddy's permission and certain stipulations, the boys set out alone on horseback from their home in Oklahoma to travel through the Texas desert to Santa Fe, NM. During their trek, they encounter many dangers including quicksand, rattlesnakes, bad water, and mirages. They also meet kindhearted people who provide them with food and lodging. Ultimately, they are successful in their quest to visit all the locations on their itinerary and still return home in time for the beginning of the school year. The author uses dialect in the characters' conversations and includes historical figures, such as Theodore Roosevelt, to lend authenticity to the story. The boys' relationship develops from Temple's hero worship of his older brother to a truly close and loving friendship. Written with the matter-of-fact tone of a tall tale, the narrative provides glimpses of the old West and a way of life that is about to change forever. Filled with action and humor, it will appeal to reluctant readers as well as to those who are seeking stories of adventure and danger.--Lana Miles, Duchesne Academy, Houston, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. In this well-told, fictionalized account of a true-life adventure, nine-year-old Bud Abernathy and his five-year-old brother, Temple, ride on horseback across the from Oklahoma to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and back. With the blessing of their incredibly indulgent father, the boys set out on this journey on nothing more than a whim. Young readers may find the first few chapters a bit slow, but things pick up when the brothers hit the trail and encounter rattlesnakes, scorpions, wolves, dust storms, and even kindly outlaws. Hunt layers his compelling adventure story with lively colloquial language as well as rich descriptions of the Old West in its waning days--a world in which the automobile is just beginning to overtake the horse. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064409538
• ISBN-13: 978-0064409537
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,300,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!, May 3, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Abernathy Boys (Hardcover)

I want to review this book, the Abernathy Boys, because it is the best book I ever read!! I live in Chicago but I like to read about cowboys. This book is about two kids who go on their horses all across the wild west. They do it all by themselves without their parents. The most amazing part is that the story is true and really happened in 1909! The two kids were Bud and Temp Abernathy and they were only 9 and 5 years old when it happened. I am 10 and wish I could go with my brother on horses like they did. They get through quicksand, rattlesnakes, wolves and lots of other adventures and get all the way from Oklahoma to New Mexico. I won't say how it ends. When you read this book just remember it is true! I loved this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our favorite book this year, April 10, 2008

By 

K. Brockett (Midwest USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Abernathy Boys (Hardcover)

Hands-down, this is the best book my boys and I read this year. A great true adventure of boy-hood.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Great story!, January 5, 2007

By 

Mousinator "~Mousinator~" (none) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Abernathy Boys (Hardcover)

Ever wonder what a "Vinegaroon" is? The boys find one on their journey through the west!

This is a great book about the bond of brothers, and what it means to grow up... even if you're still a kid.

Both kids have been riding horses almost before they could walk. The younger boy likes insects, and dreams of being like his older brother.

The boys are 9 and 5 when they go on their journey through the west, meeting all kinds of people and situations. (They go with their father's permission.)

It's an unusually well-drawn portrait of brothers relating to each other.

The journey is really interesting and keeps you reading.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, because it's interesting, it's based on a true story, and because of the vinegaroons! (An actual, stinging insect that lives on the desert.)