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Buffalo Gal: Buffalo Gal
It's her mother's crazy idea: a trip to Texas to save the buffalo. Amanda Guthridge just wants to ride horses with her boyfriend Philip and plan her coming-out party. But suddenly they're facing alligators, rattlesnakes, and stampeding buffalo on the Texas-Oklahoma frontier with David Talltree, the half-Comanche cowboy who thinks she can't even ride!
So she challenges him to a horse race, no-holds-bared. He's handsome, arrogant, and much too self-assured -- and she's determined to won. She expects adventure. But she hasn't planned on danger -- or romance...
So she challenges him to a horse race, no-holds-bared. He's handsome, arrogant, and much too self-assured -- and she's determined to won. She expects adventure. But she hasn't planned on danger -- or romance...
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
4 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Bill Wallace
100 books187 followersBill Wallace was an American teacher and later an author of children's books. He started writing to quiet down his fourth grade students, who loved his stories and encouraged him to make “real” books.
Bill Wallace grew up in Oklahoma. Along with riding their horses, he and his friends enjoyed campouts and fishing trips. Toasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories to scare one another, and catching fish was always fun.
Bill Wallace has won numerous children's state awards and been awarded the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award for Children's Literature from the Oklahoma Center for the Book.
Bill Wallace died from Lung cancer on January 30, 2012.
Former elementary school teacher; West Elementary School, Chickasha, OK, principal, since 1977, and physical education teacher. Speaker at schools and universities in various states, including State University of New York and University of South Florida.
AWARDS:
Bluebonnet Award from Texas Association of School Librarians and Children's Round Table and Sequoyah Children's Book Award from Oklahoma State Department of Education, both 1983, Central Missouri State University Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1984, and Nebraska Golden Sowers Award from Nebraska Library Association, 1985, all for A Dog Called Kitty; Central Missouri State University Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1984, and Pine Tree Book Award, 1985, both for Trapped in Death Cave.
Bill Wallace grew up in Oklahoma. Along with riding their horses, he and his friends enjoyed campouts and fishing trips. Toasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories to scare one another, and catching fish was always fun.
Bill Wallace has won numerous children's state awards and been awarded the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award for Children's Literature from the Oklahoma Center for the Book.
Bill Wallace died from Lung cancer on January 30, 2012.
Former elementary school teacher; West Elementary School, Chickasha, OK, principal, since 1977, and physical education teacher. Speaker at schools and universities in various states, including State University of New York and University of South Florida.
AWARDS:
Bluebonnet Award from Texas Association of School Librarians and Children's Round Table and Sequoyah Children's Book Award from Oklahoma State Department of Education, both 1983, Central Missouri State University Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1984, and Nebraska Golden Sowers Award from Nebraska Library Association, 1985, all for A Dog Called Kitty; Central Missouri State University Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1984, and Pine Tree Book Award, 1985, both for Trapped in Death Cave.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
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June 27, 2023
2023 Reread: Still just as good. I still want a sequel.
2021 Reread:
Dammit I love this book.
Yes, it's a little dated in terminology in places, but despite that I still love it. How Amanda goes from a spoilt brat who wants nothing to do with roughing it or buffalo to leaning into life on the trail and falling for David, her nemesis.
Child me always thought the ending was so romantic (I even wrote Bill Wallace begging him for a sequel when I was little—and he wrote me back and was so nice about saying he doesn't do sequels but he wanted me to make up their story on my own), and adult me is on Amanda's mother's side in realizing that yes, Amanda is in love with David and accepted a tentative marriage proposal, but she's also just turned 16 and is still a child.
Amanda's mom is definitely the star of this one.
2021 Reread:
Dammit I love this book.
Yes, it's a little dated in terminology in places, but despite that I still love it. How Amanda goes from a spoilt brat who wants nothing to do with roughing it or buffalo to leaning into life on the trail and falling for David, her nemesis.
Child me always thought the ending was so romantic (I even wrote Bill Wallace begging him for a sequel when I was little—and he wrote me back and was so nice about saying he doesn't do sequels but he wanted me to make up their story on my own), and adult me is on Amanda's mother's side in realizing that yes, Amanda is in love with David and accepted a tentative marriage proposal, but she's also just turned 16 and is still a child.
Amanda's mom is definitely the star of this one.
February 14, 2017
I have heard of Bill Wallace and Snot Stew, Upchuck and the Rotten Willy and The Biggest Klutz in Fifth Grade. I knew he wrote children's stories but I never would have guessed that he was the author of Buffalo Gal.
It was a charming historical narrative of two teenagers that met during the early 1900s in the American southwest. Amanda Guthridge accompanied her mother to Texas. -Conveniently, her father stayed back to run the family newspaper business in San Francisco, California.- Mrs. Guthridge's mission was to save some of the last buffalo in the wilds of North America but not everything went as planned.
Needless-to-say, Amanda would have rather stayed home.
David Talltree was the son of an orphaned white boy adopted by the Comanche. When his father became a man he married the daughter of Little Ax, a war chief. David was their son and a respected young man living amongst the military community when he and Amanda first met.
David's and Amanda's personalities clashed but that is what made their story so much fun to read. Plus, Mr. Wallace managed to infuse enough realism -snakes, a severe thunderstorm, forgetting an important toothbrush, the need for the Sears Roebuck catalog and so much more- to elevate it from an cutesy children's tale to an enjoyable young adult fiction. I loved watching the MCs spar with each other. The ending was great and could only have been improved with an epilogue taken place about ten years later.
But then, that is just my humble opinion. :))
It was a charming historical narrative of two teenagers that met during the early 1900s in the American southwest. Amanda Guthridge accompanied her mother to Texas. -Conveniently, her father stayed back to run the family newspaper business in San Francisco, California.- Mrs. Guthridge's mission was to save some of the last buffalo in the wilds of North America but not everything went as planned.
Needless-to-say, Amanda would have rather stayed home.
David Talltree was the son of an orphaned white boy adopted by the Comanche. When his father became a man he married the daughter of Little Ax, a war chief. David was their son and a respected young man living amongst the military community when he and Amanda first met.
David's and Amanda's personalities clashed but that is what made their story so much fun to read. Plus, Mr. Wallace managed to infuse enough realism -snakes, a severe thunderstorm, forgetting an important toothbrush, the need for the Sears Roebuck catalog and so much more- to elevate it from an cutesy children's tale to an enjoyable young adult fiction. I loved watching the MCs spar with each other. The ending was great and could only have been improved with an epilogue taken place about ten years later.
But then, that is just my humble opinion. :))
June 13, 2011
Gosh I love this site. I read this eons ago, over, and over, and over again. It is Great!!! Its a ligth romance with tons of adventure and nice look into life years ago. Young girls will definitely appreciate it. Its acceptable while still giving that amazing high that nice romances give only for a young audience. Very light and young historical romance and adventure.
February 6, 2020
Charming historical fiction for young teens. Not modern YA, rather, it reads almost like a teen book from the 1950s. In a good way. Read for a 'set in Oklahoma' challenge and it was so much fun comparing the geography & population then and now. OpenLibrary.org.
August 31, 2012
One of my favorite books from childhood, in fact just read it the other day and still loved it, so a favorite of adulthood also!
February 7, 2021
My sister read this, and recommended it to me years& years ago. I think we were in middle school. (she always found all the good books!)
I remember the girl’s mom was researching buffalo, or something, and wanted her to go out west with her, and the girl didn’t want to.
I remember her saying she should name her horse after the guy in here, so she’d get some satisfaction out of kicking him.
On the trail, there was a man in here who made a toothbrush for the girl out of a plant.
It was cool how the guy in here was native American, or half native American.
I also remember at the end the guys kissed the girl in front of everyone, but brought his hat up to cover them.
This was a good little story. I loved the time period, and subject matter, being out west, on the trail, riding horses, buffalo. I remember wishing the author wrote more books like this!
I remember the girl’s mom was researching buffalo, or something, and wanted her to go out west with her, and the girl didn’t want to.
I remember her saying she should name her horse after the guy in here, so she’d get some satisfaction out of kicking him.
On the trail, there was a man in here who made a toothbrush for the girl out of a plant.
It was cool how the guy in here was native American, or half native American.
I also remember at the end the guys kissed the girl in front of everyone, but brought his hat up to cover them.
This was a good little story. I loved the time period, and subject matter, being out west, on the trail, riding horses, buffalo. I remember wishing the author wrote more books like this!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2021
The nostalgia. This book was my absolute favorite as a girl and as I was rereading it as a 33 year old woman I felt slammed with the nostalgia. The book is not really anything special but a sweet love story between two teens.
I remembered more of it than I thought and it instantly brought me back to my nights of staying awake reading this book to escape and feel...
Rereading it as an adult the characters are kind of flat and predictable but also let’s remember who it was written for and the year it was written.
Overall I am glad I picked it up again and I will be passing this copy on to my nieces because there is something so special about getting lost in a romance. ❤️
Also this is the first physical book I have picked up in a long time thanks to kindle and access to a pretty awesome public e library... there is just something satisfying about flipping pages...
I remembered more of it than I thought and it instantly brought me back to my nights of staying awake reading this book to escape and feel...
Rereading it as an adult the characters are kind of flat and predictable but also let’s remember who it was written for and the year it was written.
Overall I am glad I picked it up again and I will be passing this copy on to my nieces because there is something so special about getting lost in a romance. ❤️
Also this is the first physical book I have picked up in a long time thanks to kindle and access to a pretty awesome public e library... there is just something satisfying about flipping pages...
April 28, 2016
This is such a good story. I loved this book, not only because the love interest was part Native American, but that they were out in the wild west and we got a glimpse of life back then. I liked the love/hate relationship of the main characters, that they got off on the wrong foot and had bad opinions of each other, but that they came to love each other. This is such a good book, comes from a time when books were inspirational and interesting and actually let you learn something. I'm surprised that a man was able to write something so romantic, because I've only read one other male author who's actually written a romantic love story that also has a lot more going for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2017
Reread it this year as part of a 2017 "bucket list". This was one of my favorite books as a kid. Still enjoyed it a lot. I expected to laugh at it and kind of nostalgically criticize the cheesy writing. But I couldn't seem to do it. I didn't laugh, but I smiled plenty and I almost cried at least once. Great book for pre-teen girls who are (or want to be) strong, independent females. Don't get me wrong, it is cheesy writing, but it's still a fun read.
October 2, 2018
I remember absolutely loving this book as a kid, but it did not hold up. As an adult, I really don't care for the writing style. It feels petulant, inauthentic, and expositional. I'm sad to lose a childhood favorite in the harsh light of maturity.
June 2, 2022
Had to post on r/whatsthatbook to remember the name of this book because I forgot the name but remember how much I absolutely adored it as a kid. Read it countless times. Honestly too scared to reread it now and not like it as much, so I think I’ll just leave it alone in my memory.
January 28, 2025
I have loved this book for years!
June 12, 2024
The first time I read this book was in a read-a-thon in the third grade. As a child that grew up riding horses and was a hopeless romantic from a young age, it had endless appeal to me. A relatable female lead, an arrogant but handsome romantic interest that grows on you, fun and touching side characters, and a beautiful description of the Old West in the era where it started to be tamed. I reread it many times over my childhood, to the point that my poor copy is barely hanging on anymore.
Now as an adult, I still reread it for the nostalgia. The writing is a tad simple, and the book is short, but the plot still entertains even after knowing all the twists and turns it takes. The protagonist Amanda is an average teenage girl, even if the timeline is 120 years ago. She grows quite a lot over the short story, as does the romantic lead, but I wish he had more time to be fleshed out in his changes towards the end of the book. Overall though, I wouldn’t change a bit of it. It’s a great story for the children/young adult genre it appeals to, and has a great balance of thrills and humor that can be appreciated by most. I highly suggest it for any children with an interest in the Old West.
Now as an adult, I still reread it for the nostalgia. The writing is a tad simple, and the book is short, but the plot still entertains even after knowing all the twists and turns it takes. The protagonist Amanda is an average teenage girl, even if the timeline is 120 years ago. She grows quite a lot over the short story, as does the romantic lead, but I wish he had more time to be fleshed out in his changes towards the end of the book. Overall though, I wouldn’t change a bit of it. It’s a great story for the children/young adult genre it appeals to, and has a great balance of thrills and humor that can be appreciated by most. I highly suggest it for any children with an interest in the Old West.
September 1, 2022
I remember reading this book more than once out of all the ones he had wrote. I'd been a bookworm of a 10 year old, trying to read all the books one of my favorite authors had written. This book had a hold on me though; the setting was back in the early era, where Oklahoma was still considered a territory instead of a state.
The main character I'd say I'd rate her first from the beginning of the story three stars but as the story progresses it bumps up to 5 stars.
Anyways, the main character Amanda just wanted to spend the summer with her boyfriend in San Francisco with her boyfriend Philip.
Her mother has other plans, such as saving the near extinct animal, buffaloes back in Oklahoma. Dragging Amanda down with her, Amanda throws a fit and the trip isn't made any easier when she meets the group that is going to help them save the buffalo.
Especially when David Talltree gets into the picture. David and Amanda seemed to be at odds about EVERYTHING, but there might just be something there if they give each other the time of day.
I'm a sucker for romance and this book is the reason why. 100/100 I recommend.
The main character I'd say I'd rate her first from the beginning of the story three stars but as the story progresses it bumps up to 5 stars.
Anyways, the main character Amanda just wanted to spend the summer with her boyfriend in San Francisco with her boyfriend Philip.
Her mother has other plans, such as saving the near extinct animal, buffaloes back in Oklahoma. Dragging Amanda down with her, Amanda throws a fit and the trip isn't made any easier when she meets the group that is going to help them save the buffalo.
Especially when David Talltree gets into the picture. David and Amanda seemed to be at odds about EVERYTHING, but there might just be something there if they give each other the time of day.
I'm a sucker for romance and this book is the reason why. 100/100 I recommend.
February 21, 2018
I love this book. It is the first book with romantic tones I ever really loved and I still sing Buffalo Gal to myself. Amanda was such a badass but also kind of soft like me, lol. Great descriptive scenes and it really describes land that I know and love so well. Probably because the author is from my home state, in fact from the town I went to college in!
This is one of those 'early hints that I would be a raging feminist' books.
This is one of those 'early hints that I would be a raging feminist' books.
September 8, 2023
I read this book a LONG time ago and forgot it existed until something reminded me of it the other day. I took to eBay and found an old beaten copy, bought it, and proceeded to read the whole thing in one sitting.
I love light romance, and this is such a cute book for younger girls to read! I've recently gotten into wholesome romance westerns, so if anyone knows of anything good in that genre, send it my way!
I love light romance, and this is such a cute book for younger girls to read! I've recently gotten into wholesome romance westerns, so if anyone knows of anything good in that genre, send it my way!
July 28, 2019
This was a reread from when I was younger. I liked the characters, the adventure, and the environment created by the author. This was an enjoyable read. The only negative is the beginning relationship with how the two main characters reacted to each other and always fought. I think the mom was one of my favorite characters.
September 26, 2022
Believe it or not this book was so good, I remembered reading it in around the 6th-7th grade. And recently I was able to buy a copy of it for myself. It has the sweetest storyline, I never forgot it. And I always wondered what happened to the characters after this book. Did the author ever continue their story after they were all grown up? So sweet 🌻
May 30, 2023
Apparently, I am walking down memory lane with Younger Me's favorites.
I loved this book. I read it several times as a young girl, and thought it marvelous. I wish I could find it again to re-read, just to see if adult me would feel the same way.
Regardless, it's going in the pile for favorites.
I loved this book. I read it several times as a young girl, and thought it marvelous. I wish I could find it again to re-read, just to see if adult me would feel the same way.
Regardless, it's going in the pile for favorites.
June 2, 2023
This was my favorite book when I was in Elementary school… I just thought about it and went to find this book on here. 5 stars for being my favorite childhood book and for introducing me into romance 🥰
There is nothing this childhood horse girl loved more than reading about a romance in my state involving a cowgirl and a cowboy!!!
There is nothing this childhood horse girl loved more than reading about a romance in my state involving a cowgirl and a cowboy!!!
August 26, 2022
I read this book when I was young and went hunting for it again as an adult. I enjoy it very much. It's simple and straightforward in its writing, but it's full of adventure, character development and the sweetness first love.
July 20, 2024
Honestly, there were some mature themes for a YA/children’s lit, but nothing was purposefully inappropriate… just real thought processes from the cattle trail. Fun Oklahoma/Texas based book. Very thrilling and it had my heart racing at times. Important to remember the year in which it was set.
June 24, 2025
This has been my favorite book since I was in elementary school. My husband bought me a copy about 10 years ago and I read it at least once a year. I can’t wait until my daughter can read it too!
It’s the perfect mix of adventure and romance and appropriate for kids.
It’s the perfect mix of adventure and romance and appropriate for kids.
January 7, 2018
Daring and lovable, these two people win over your heart with their quarrels and love.
December 7, 2020
A great story about a girl getting exposed to a world completely different from her own and finding love along the way.
October 27, 2021
I read this when I was probably 12? It was probably my first romance and "tainted" my little mind. Probably need to read it again someday
February 2, 2022
I like this book. It’s a simple read but fun. My only beef with this book is the cover and always has been.
May 20, 2022
One of the first books I can remember making an impact on me and bringing to life my love of reading! Read this book in middle school (1990s)
enjoyed
March 21, 2023Great book.
May 26, 2023
This book was so incredible! I read it several times over growing up. Incredible! Absolutely incredible!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews