Bud & Me : The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys [Hardcover]

Alta Abernathy (Author), Barbara Harris (Author), William B. Rogers (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

Bud & Me is one of the 20th Century's most exciting true stories of courage and adventure. The year is 1905. The new century is still in its infancy. Automobiles are little more than rich men's toys and many short-sighted people feel that everything that can be invented has been invented! In the early 1900's there are only 150 miles of paved road in the entire country. Fifty percent of Americans live and work on farms. Radios and refrigerators are still years away. Women are not allowed to vote yet and Teddy Roosevelt is in office. Against this background come two adverturesome boys, Temple and Bud Abernathy. Raised by their widowed father, "Catch-'em-Alive" Jack Abernathy, known as the man from Oklahoma who catches wolves with his hands . . . the boys, ages 5 and 9, set out on a series of daring rides across America. First, alone on horseback from Frederick, Oklahoma to Sante Fe, New Mexico and back. Then to New York City, alone on horseback to meet the! ir friend "Teddy" and back to Oklahoma driving their own "Brush" automobile. Their longest ride and again alone and on horseback, takes place in 1911, when two New York promoters challenge the boys to ride from Coney Island to San Francisco in 60 days time. The boys are allowed only one change of horses and they cannot sleep or eat under roof during the entire trip or they forfeit the $10,0000 prize money! It is hard to comprehend how diferent the country is today from just 90 years ago! The story is captivating and an important piece of Americana and rare that it can be shared by an entire family!

Editorial Reviews

Review

" Bud & Me is a classic "

" As I read Bud & Me, I kept thinking - this is fiction. Then I'd turn a page and here's a newspaper clipping or a picture of the boys and it brings it to life. This is not just a story, this really happened! Bud & Me is really a classic! I think it should be in every elementary and middle school library in the county. " -- Rodney Rayburn, DDS - Houston, Texas

" Bud & Me is a shared treasure "

" Bud & Me is a shared treasure and it is a reminder of things American. This happy little book deserves an audience of both children and adults." -- Randall Holdridge, Review from Tuscon Weekly

" My kids wanted more."

"I just finished reading your wonderful book, Bud & Me, to my 4th grade class. The stories were funny, scary and above all . . . inspirational! My kids wanted more! Thanks again for a wonderful, loving, sweet memory of two little boys! " -- Jeannie Scott - 4th grade teacher in Frederick, Oklahoma

About the Author

Alta Abernathy, wife of Temple Abernathy for 64 years is a gifted storyteller. Alta spent many years with the TRITA Story Club in Wichita Falls, Texas and shared her association with the National Story Art League. Though blinded in 1988, two years after Temple's death, it was her greatest hope to preserve the stories for future generations that Temple had told her over the years about his adventurous childhood. Alta's daugher, Barbara Abernathy Harris, became her Mother's eyes in accomplishing the manuscript. Alta is a shining example of the spirit of the 20th Century female. She is a beautiful person and an inspiration to all that are priviledged to know her!

Product Details

• Hardcover: 162 pages
• Publisher: Dove Creek Pr; 2 edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966216601
• ISBN-13: 978-0966216608
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True adventures of two remarkable young boys., November 27, 1999

By 

Virginia Folsom (Teague, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bud & Me : The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys (Hardcover)

In today's culture, it is hard to imagine two boys accomplishing everything that Bud and Temple Abernathy did. But they did do some wonderful things, and along the way became young ambassadors for the Southwest in 1910. It is great reading if you are 8 or 80. The book also gives readers a concept of what life was like at the beginning of this century as times changed before their eyes with each mile. The boys meet representatives of the old ways (Chief Quannah Parker) and the new (The Wright Brothers.) Just to name a few. Very enjoyable reading just by yourself and/or a book that you will want to read over and over to your children.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second Review by Jeannie Scott from Frederick, Okahoma, April 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bud & Me : The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys (Hardcover)

This is my second review of this book. I use to teach fourth grade and read the last edition to my students for Oklahoma. What a joy. We wrote to Alta Abernathy, the author, and she wrote back to us. I'm not sure if she is still alive or not, but would love to know. What a wonderful book. I now teach third grade and still read this wonderful book to my students. I blew the pictures up and made a map for each child to follow all those boys adventures. A must read for all children and adults who love adventure. Jeannie Scott

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intertaining recap of the journeys of two young boys., November 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bud & Me : The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys (Hardcover)

BUD AND ME is one of those books that hold you spellbound while all of the time you are saying to yourself "this can't be true"...and yet, there are the photos to prove the story. My uncle was the stepson of Jack Abernathy, the Oklahoma US Marshall whose sons, Temple and Bud, journeyed across the US on horses, elephants, donkeys, cars and motorcycles. I have heard these stories for years and I must admit took them with a grain of salt...until this book was published. Now I believe! Anyone, whatever their age, with a little bit of wanderlust in their soul will have a very difficult time putting this book down. Can you imagine two lads 5 and 9 (I think this is close to their ages)walking to school today, much less from ocean to ocean on horseback...alone? Read about it...and read it to your kids and grandkids. For them to repeat this feat today would be more than a little difficult. But it certainly can teach them a little self reliance and independence...which can't hurt them at all!