Buddy . . . His Trials and Treasures [Paperback]

Will Edwinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2005

Do you need a little stress relief in your life?
Travel back to the world of Buddy Crawford, a simpler, slower- paced world where Cokes were a nickel, movie tickets were a dime, and ten cents bought you a double dip ice cream cone. These engaging, award-winning stories about a young boy growing up in rural America during the 1940s provide a relaxing respite from today's fast-paced world. They may even revive old memories of your own childhood.

Follow Buddy and Cousin Mont as they gather beer and pop bottles from the roadway barrowpits.  Join him and his friends at the river swimming hole for a swim, or go fishing for carp in the irrigation canal. Experience the fun as he tours the countryside in an old Model T Ford with his friends.  What better way to spend a relaxing two hours than immersing yourself in these stories.

Buddy is somewhat reminiscent of Tom Sawyer in that he quite often finds himself in hot water. Unlike Tom, Buddy's misdeeds are without forethought. They happen because Buddy is...well...he's just Buddy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . . Buddy will remind you of your best friend, your mischievous brother, your son with a toad in his pocket and a missing front tooth, or the little boy who chased you on the playground and dipped your pigtails into the ink wells. Buddy will take a place in your heart." ~ Kitty Fleischman, Publisher/Editor, IDAHO magazine

"The short stories in Buddy are delightful in every detail, evoking memories of childhood in an era now past. Approached through the innocence of youth, but garnished with the perspective of maturity, these recounted experiences bring back our own early memories of discovery. . . ." ~ Trish Oak and Halli Stone, The Trish and Halli Show

From the Publisher

This book won 1st place in a state competition sponsored by Media Network Idaho, formerly known as Idaho Press Women, in May 2006, and 2nd place award at the national competition sponsored by the National Association of Press Women.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Hats Off Books (February 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587364069
• ISBN-13: 978-1587364068
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,454,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Will Edwinsson spent most of his life in Idaho. He made his living in the Southeast Idaho highlands as a dryland farmer raising wheat and barley. For those who are unfamiliar with the term dryland farming, it simply means relying on Mother Nature to provide adequate mositure to grow a crop. No irrigation is used.

Writing was a dream Will had always harbored in the back of his mind, and it wasn't until he reached his mid-fifties that he embarked on a writing career. Up until that time, he had always felt he lacked the necessary abilities and skills for such an endeavor. He also admits he was not that interested in reading for entertainment. His reading material consisted mostly of trade and news magazines. He finally determined that if he were ever to fulfill his writing dream, it was time to start.

Edwinson is a self-taught author whose writing interest tends toward fiction. He began reading fiction, paying attention to the works of authors in many different genres and picking up on their various writing techniques. He also took advantage of the many books and manuals on writing that are available.

Buddy...His Trials and Treasures is a double award winning book. It was also serialized during a 14 month period in the national award winning IDAHO magazine. He continues to free-lance for that same publication, winning awards for his non-fiction articles. Edwinson is also a two time Associated Press award winner for a personal column that appeared weekly in a daily newspaper, the Idaho State Journal published in Pocatello, Idaho. He writes non-fiction as Bill Corbett.

Edwinson has written four novels, two of which have been published. His first published novel A Halcyon Revolution is now out of print, but he is currently working on a revised edition that he will release under a different title, "Operation Achilles--a Quest For Freedom."

Edwinson currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Little Book!, March 6, 2005

By 

Stephanie Johnson (Southwest U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddy . . . His Trials and Treasures (Paperback)

This little book is a great read. Each story is self-contained so that you can read them in any order you choose. Although, reading them in the order published lets you watch the title character grow up a little bit over a period of time.

These stories are reminiscent of those told by authors such as Laura Ingalls Wilder and of TV shows like "The Waltons" which drew its inspiration from its creator's life history.

All age groups should be able to relate to Buddy's adventures on one level or another. With subtle lessons of consequences built into each story, Edwinson conveys through Buddy life lessons that the decisions we make do not always have favorable results. Therefore, Buddy learns that responsibility for the outcome of "bad" decisions must be accompanied by accountability to their outcome-a lesson any generation can learn from.

Overall, this book will entertain and perhaps even provide a small glimpse of life into rural America in the 1940s. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story about true to life people.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful collection of new discoveries through a young man's eyes, December 9, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddy . . . His Trials and Treasures (Paperback)

Buddy: His Trials and Treasures is an anthology of short stories set in a simple farming valley during the 1940s, following the adventures of a typically mischievous boy named Buddy Crawford. Whenever Buddy gets himself into trouble, he learns the hard way that every action has a reaction! Childhood memories flavor this delightful collection of new discoveries through a young man's eyes, building friendships, silly mistakes, and simple growing up.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great read!, December 20, 2006

By 

J. Hentzen "library girl" (idaho falls, id) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buddy . . . His Trials and Treasures (Paperback)

after having no one show for an author talk in my library, i got to visit with the author. i then sat down and read "Buddy..." in one sitting--from cover to cover! i truly appreciated the stories in themselves as well as being wove together to complete the picture of life from a boy growing up in the 1940s.

this book is just a perfect read for anyone wanting to reminisce about the "way things used to be", or for anyone who wants a glimpse of how life used to be.

i read some of the stories to my little boys. even though they are growing up in an all together different world, they loved the stories about how things used to be and now they want to go fishing with Mont, Fred and Frankie!