Knee High by the Fourth of July: More Stories of Growing Up in and Around Small Towns in the Midwest

by Jean Tennant

Thirty-three heartwarming, funny and dramatic stories about life in the Midwest. The authors' ages range from twleve to eight-seven, yet their words share a universal theme of nostalgia and a love of storytelling. "Outhouse Oscar" tells of a lighthearted prank, "The Zipper" recalls a time of budding romance at the county fair, and "A Harvest of Stones" is a haibun, a unique combination of narrative and haiku. Whatever your reading mood, there's a story here for you.

182 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Editor - "True Cow Tales: Literary Sketches and Stories by Farmers, Ranchers, and Dairy Princesses" by Dog Ear Publishing.

Author - children's picture books "The Night of Many Lights" and "Beauly the Donkey-Mooing Beltie" (Shapato Publishing).

Essayist - in first and third anthologies by Shapato Publishing ("Amber Waves of Grain" and "Walking Beans Wasn't Something You Did With Your Dog").

Poet - published in "Unhoused Voices: Granting Change for The Homeless" by Sabella Press."

Reviews

[Michell Karnes]

I liked this book. It was several short articles written by individuals who had happy memories of living on a farm in the midwest.

[Cindy Williams]

Many of the stories reminded me of my early childhood. Very enjoyable read.

[Mary Kay Bidlack]

This book wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. Since I grew up in Iowa (although not on a farm), I expected stories I could identify with. And this seldom happened. Since each story is written by a different author, the quality of the writing varies a good deal. I had hoped I would enjoy it as much as I did Mildred Kalish's "Little Heathens" but it had little of the joy and love of that book.