The Secret Pledge:

Hank the Cowdog #68

by John R. Erickson

Of all the mysteries Hank has faced in his illustrious career as the Head of Ranch Security, the only one that still has him truly stumped is the key to unlocking Miss Beulah's heart. Why on earth would she go for a bird-brained bird dog when a specimen like Hank stands ready to sweep her off her feet? Could there be more to this problem than meets the eye? When Plato wanders off Billy's ranch and Beulah discovers he's lost, she tries to enlist Hank's help to rescue him, and this presents Hank with a real moral dilemma: Will he help find his rival, or will he leave Plato to face the dangers of coyote country by nightfall alone?

Genres: Childrens

136 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2016

About the author

John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years."

Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults, and when Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks.

When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans.

Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."

Reviews

[Joshua]

Beulah, Plato, and Hank is the only love triangle I accept in fictional stories.

[Lisa]

By far my favorite Hank book. Really funny! I especially loved chapter 3.

[Nick]

I love Hank the cow dog. He is so witty, and it is so much fun to make the characters' personalities come alive. The story was a little simple, and the humor may have been a bit over my three year-old's head. I imagine she will enjoy them more when she gets a little older.

[Norman Styers]

A searing exploration of one of literature's great love triangles (Hank/Beulah/Plato).

[Amy]

Audiobook are amazing! And so entertaining! Just wish he wouldn't use name-calling words like stupid and numbskull.

[serena482*]

My rating 3.5 stars

[Katy Lovejoy]

👍

[Sasha]

Read aloud to the kids. They love this series. There’s so many books in this series, we are no longer attempting to read them in order. We select from the ones available at the library when we go.

[Laura Alderman]

4.5⭐️

[Kaytee]

this book was interesting and in this book i deffinitly did not like hank on this book he was so stupid i just do not like him also because he is so mean to little drover and is really self - centered i shold have put this book one star but there were funny parts.

[Jessica]

There are books that my kiddos gravitate towards because they kind of know what to expect and yet it's fun, exciting, humorous, and in some way comforting.

That is what Hank the Cow Dog books are for my girls. I am not sure that we have actually read an actual paper book of Hank the Cowdog. Always audio. Erickson is quite the tale spinner and his talents geared towards kids always shows.

This was one that I enjoyed as we learn more of the story behind Miss Beulah and Plato. Random and creative... and somehow Hank blows it. HA! My kids found about 5 that we had not listened to on a recent trip to the library. I obviously know what's in my near future while driving around Cowtown.

[Jackie]

even though hank calls drover a dofus i think that hank is a dofus and is really mean to drover sometimes i want hank out of the story.