The Side-Yard Superhero (Life in Degraff: An Automythography) [Hardcover]

Rick D. Niece (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009 | Series: Life in Degraff: An Automythography

"I know where Bernie Jones is."With one late-night phone call, Rick Niece is transported back over forty years to cherished childhood memories of small town DeGraff, Ohio. His daily newspaper route, the sights and wonders of a traveling carnival, the sounds of Christmas caroling-the idyllic memories all circle back to one special relationship.To Rickie, being friends with Bernie Jones was no different than being friends with any other boy in town. Bernie's physical world was confined to a wheelchair, but that didn't stop him from being an intrepid daydreamer, adventurer, and hero to Rickie. The unique friendship the boys forged defined an era in both their lives. When he left for college, Rickie promised Bernie they would meet again. Now, decades later, he is making the pilgrimage back to Ohio to fulfill that promise.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When he was four, Rick Niece's family moved to DeGraff, Ohio, a town of 900 citizens. Life in DeGraff was good, and the lessons learned from treasured friendships still inspire him today. As president of the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas, Dr. Niece and his wife, Sherée, are the proud parents of 675 students.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Synergy Books (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 098154620X
• ISBN-13: 978-0981546209
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #845,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Following in his father's footsteps, Rick D. Niece, Ph.D., is a lifelong educator who has served as a classroom teacher, a public school administrator and a university professor, provost and president. In 1997, he was named President of the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas, and has been steadfast in his devotion to the University's success.

A small-town boy who has maintained his small-town values, Dr. Niece remembers his childhood with fond nostalgia. Growing up in picturesque DeGraff, Ohio, young Rickie was influenced by many endearing friends and neighbors who taught him the important life lessons that shaped his future--especially Bernie Jones. Confined to a wheelchair with severe cerebral palsy, Bernie became Rickie's friend, inspiration and superhero, opening a world of compassion, trust and adventure that benefitted them both. From Bernie, Rickie learned the value of unconditional acceptance, kindness and the triumph of the human spirit--lessons he took with him from his years as a newspaper boy to a career in academia.

Side-Yard Superhero is Dr. Niece's first book in the series Fanfare for a Hometown about his upbringing in DeGraff, an "automythography" describing his childhood in rich, vivid detail. Considering himself a "memory keeper," Niece takes readers with him on a poignant journey back in time to a safe haven of heartfelt remembrance. Vibrant, poetic and charming, his stories make DeGraff an open book that everyone who appreciates sentiment will want to read.

Dr. Niece is the recipient of multiple awards, both as an author and an educator. Residing on campus at the University of the Ozarks, he and his wife, Sherée, are the proud "parents" of 630 students.

Book 2 in the Fanfare for a Hometown Series, The Band Plays On, is due out in the summer 2012. For more information, please visit www.RickNieceBooks.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is in the little moments...., June 1, 2009

By 

G. Marlow (Arkansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Side-Yard Superhero (Life in Degraff: An Automythography) (Hardcover)

(In the interest of full disclosure, I'm going to tell you that Rick Niece is my boss at the University of the Ozarks. However, I'm not writing this review to suck up (lol); if I didn't like the book, I would just fall back on the nice, vague, noncommittal smile whenever anyone mentioned it....)

There's a song I enjoy by Rob Thomas with lyrics that include "Our lives are made in these small hours/ These little wonders, these twists and turns of fate/ Time falls away but these small hours/ These small hours still remain." As I finished reading The Side-Yard Superhero, those lyrics came to mind, because this book is a celebration of the "small hours" that make up our lives and of how memory keeps those small hours with us.

Nothing all that extraordinary happened to the author when he was young, and that's exactly what makes this story extraordinary. Niece is a good storyteller with a talent for observing the little details. He uses those details to frame truths about life, sometimes stated, sometimes implicit. My favorite chapters in the book were the ones about the carnival that came to DeGraff. There are several small stories imbedded in that larger story, including a very touching account of how Rickie and his friends tried to help Bernie Jones experience the carnival - in some ways, they succeeded, but in other ways, they failed. I also liked but was sort of saddened by the story of Rickie's trip to the "Nature's Oddities" tent. My favorite bit, though, was Niece's description of watching his parents ride the merry-go-round together: "It's nice when your parents are in love and not afraid to show it." Again, he's hit on one of those unimportant little moments in life that mean everything.

The story of Rickie's relationship with Bernie underscores the importance of the small moments in life. Toward the end of the story, as Rickie is maturing, we come to see through his eyes that those moments we all take for granted were monumental for Bernie, restricted as he was by the physical limitations he faced.

The book has brief chapters that would be just right for a read-aloud experience, and Niece has a distinctive and sincere voice. At the end, I did have a feeling similar to one I had at the end of the "Return of the King" movie -- several times I thought the story had come to an end, only to find there was a little more.

Happy I am that I can sincerely recommend this book -- with no sucking up involved!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and entertaining, February 25, 2009

By 

Civil War Buff "Civil War Buff" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Side-Yard Superhero (Life in Degraff: An Automythography) (Hardcover)

I laughed. I cried. I did not want to put it down. An extraordinary story by an incredible writer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A COMPLETE TRIUMPH!", December 12, 2011

By 

Geraldine Ahearn "Author Geri Ahearn" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Side-Yard Superhero (Life in Degraff: An Automythography) (Hardcover)

Inspired by small town nostalgia and precious memories, Dr. Rick D. Niece takes the reader on a delightful journey of fond memories of friendship that will not only tug at your heart, but will make you laugh, and cry. Bernie, confined to a wheelchair with cerebral palsy, became Rick's best friend. He teaches Rick about human spirit, compassion, and trust. A lifetime adventure begins between two young boys in a small town, where morals and values reflected on the kind of person we would like to be. A small town in Ohio existed where many children spread their wings and left the nest, but it was also admired as the perfect place to come home. I highly recommend "SIDE-YARD SUPERHERO:Life Lessons From An Unlikely Teacher" to all those who enjoy stories that are filled with inspiration and sentiment, and for people with disabilities, and their loved ones. The author penned a touching, heartfelt story on true friendship, loyalty, and life's best lessons. Rick and Bernie share an unbreakable bond of friendship in a picture-perfect childhood, where precious memories are treasured forever. This book is a magnificent work of nonfiction, based on true friendship, boyhood memories, and life's unforgettable lessons. A refreshing remembrance of innocence, seen through the eyes of a hero.