Customer Reviews

In the Saddle with Uncle Bill

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For the second summer in a row, siblings Scootie and Kip Powers are back on the Five Barb Ranch and ready to ride. Just one day after their arrival, they hit out for wild horse country with their cowboy chaperone "Uncle" Bill. But when Bill takes off after a herd led by three renegade horses, Scootie and Kip are left in his dust and with no idea how to return to the ranch.

This second installment in the "Uncle Bill" trilogy reads more like a short story than it does a novel. The children's solitary adventures on the range, including losing their horses and trapping the elusive renegade horses, are bland to the say the least. The story could easily have been wrapped up some fifty pages sooner; as it is, several pointless chapters are tacked on after the story has obviously already reached its conclusion.

James's folksy, conversational style is the only thing that makes this tale bearable. His characters are lifeless and two-dimensional, and as for plot - well, be forewarned and don't strain yourself looking for it.