To Be a Logger

American Regional

by Lois Lenski

A young boy growing up in the Oregon wilderness dreams of becoming a logger

Little Joe has been sawing trees since he was 5 years old. A child of the Oregon hills, he spends his days scampering through the forest around his family's cabin. Ever since he was old enough to hold an ax, he's wanted to be a logger like his daddy. He wants to wear boots with nails on them, saw down the mightiest trees in the forest, and holler "Timber!" as they come crashing to the ground. Little Joe has logging in his blood.

Finally, Little Joe is old enough for his 1st visit to a logging camp. He sees the great machines taking down trees and loading them onto trucks, and he wants to be a logger more than ever. But as he grows up, he will find there are better ways to show his love for the forest than cutting it down.

Genres: Childrens, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics, School, Young Adult

174 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Lois Lenore Lenski Covey was an influential American author and illustrator whose work reshaped twentieth-century children’s literature through its combination of artistic skill, documentary realism, and deep empathy for childhood experience. Beginning her publishing career in the late 1920s, she went on to write and illustrate nearly one hundred books, ranging from picture books and historical novels to regional fiction, poetry, songbooks, and literary essays. She is best known for the Mr. Small picture book series, her meticulously researched historical novels, and her groundbreaking Regional books, which portrayed the everyday lives of children across diverse American communities.
Born in Ohio and trained formally as both an educator and an artist, Lenski studied at Ohio State University, the Art Students League of New York, and the Westminster School of Art in London. Although she initially aspired to be a painter, exhibiting work in New York galleries, she gradually turned to illustration and then to writing, encouraged by pioneering children’s editor Helen Dean Fish. Her early books drew heavily on her Midwestern childhood, while later works reflected extensive travel, field research, and close observation of family and community life.
Lenski achieved major critical recognition with her historical novels Phebe Fairchild: Her Book and Indian Captive, and with her Regional novel Strawberry Girl, which won the Newbery Medal. These works were notable for their commitment to authenticity, incorporating dialect, material culture, and social realities often avoided in children’s books of the era. She believed that literature for young readers should neither sentimentalize nor sanitize life, but instead foster understanding, tolerance, and empathy.
Alongside her own writing, Lenski illustrated works by other major authors, including Watty Piper’s The Little Engine That Could and the early volumes of Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series. Her influence extended beyond publishing through lectures, teaching, and advocacy. In 1967 she established the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, dedicated to providing books to children facing social and economic disadvantage.
In her later years, Lenski continued writing while living in Florida, publishing her autobiography Journey into Childhood shortly before her death. Her legacy endures through her books, her educational philosophy, and ongoing efforts to expand access to literature for children.

Reviews

[Nann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lenski goes to the west coast for this regional tale. Set in southwestern Oregon, Joel wants to be a logger like his father. There is tension between Forest Service management and independent loggers. There's tension at home, too -- Dad promises to build a sturdy house "some day" (which doesn't come) and Mom wants nice things so goes on a spending spree buying furniture and appliances "on time."

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story shows all the hardships that a logging family had to endure a few decades ago. Their work depended upon weather, threat of fire, injury, mudslides, and layoffs. Very sympathetic from the little boy's point of view.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boys enjoyed this one.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

this would be good to read with children; it's interesting how points of view have changed over time. I used to live in northern Wisconsin; I found people who still felt that being a logger meant you didn't need much school education. But I don't feel that the National Park Service is all good, either.

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Issues of living of logging. Like this series. For younger readers.