James L. Butler (1) (1950–)

This delightful children’s book is about the adventures of Tim Slinger, and his sister Dana, on their Midwest Farm in the 1960s. Life on a farm is hard, but children always seem to find a way to make the dull a little more exciting. When his mother tells him that they have to move to town, Tim is devastated. Can he ever learn to adjust to city life? Find out in this delightful book that I would recommend for all age ranges.

I received this book as an early review copy for my honest review and I have given it. The opinions expressed herein are my own.
… (plus d'informations)

This delightful children’s book is about the adventures of Tim Slinger, and his sister Dana, on their Midwest Farm in the 1960s. Life on a farm is hard, but children always seem to find a way to make the dull a little more exciting. When his mother tells him that they have to move to town, Tim is devastated. Can he ever learn to adjust to city life? Find out in this delightful book that I would recommend for all age ranges.

I received this book as an early review copy for my honest review and I have given it. The opinions expressed herein are my own.
… (plus d'informations)

Growing up on a farm I could relate to so much of this. It brought back fond memories. On a farm you have to use your imagination to play. I also remember when my city cousins would visit how much fun they had. I couldn’t wait to spend the night in town with them. It seemed like there was so much more to do. I even recall saying I would move to the city when I grew up. Then like Tim and his family we moved away from the farm. The difference is we sold our farm to move to Florida. We had chores just like Time and Dana. We had accidents that required stitches from doing stupid things or things we weren’t supposed to do. Dana easily adapts to life in the city as did all of my siblings. I like Tim had a hard time adjusting and look forward to one day when my husband and I can move back to a rural area. We currently live in the city because my elderly mother lives with us. She has recently started to reminisce about “the good old days on the farm”. I think kids who have never lived on or been to a farm will enjoy this and learn a lot. I also believe that children/adults who grew up on a farm will enjoy and be able to relate to this story. I, like Tim, can look back on my life and see how living on a farm shaped me and my work ethic. This is a wonderful book and I look forward to reading so much more by this author, and recommending the book to everyone.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. I received no compensation.… (plus d'informations)

I received a copy of The Cow-Pie Chronicles by James Butler after agreeing to write an honest review of the book. I went into this agreement knowing that this was a book for younger readers so I honestly didn't expect to get much out of it. Once I started reading, though, I was pleasantly surprised.
Not only is The Cow-Pie Chronicles written well, it is also written in a way that, I feel, is easier for younger readers to grasp. A good example of this is the footnote that is added for any words that may be unfamiliar to readers who have not grown up near a farm or in the country. The themes and overall storyline are also very relatable and appealing to readers from all walks of life.
The story follows a family of four, mostly from the perspective of a young Tim Slinger, as they navigate through the ups and downs of rural farm life. While there are many fun and entertaining exchanges between Tim and his sister, Dana, there are also some more serious moments as the family deals with financial burdens and adjustments that come with moving to a new environment (the city).
There were many aspects of this book that were relatable to me, personally. The two main ones being that I grew up in rural America, and I have an older brother that reminds me quite a bit of Tim. Much like Tim and Dana, my brother and I spent countless days making up games to play together and picking on one another. After all, there wasn't much else to do once the chores were finished. Boredom tends to do great things for a child's imagination as we see many times in this book. Although I did not grow up on a farm, I did grow up around a great many of them, and I had a lot of friends who lived on farms. I saw their families go through many of the same ups and downs that the Slinger family endured.
Overall, The Cow-Pie Chronicles was a fun, interesting read. James Butler wrote a great, down-to-earth story of a regular family without any embellishments. If you are looking for a real life account of the good and bad sides of family life on the farm, The Cow-Pie Chronicles is the book for you.… (plus d'informations)