Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
The Abilene Kid: Dead Man’s Hand (Wise Wolf Books, 2025) by John V. Madormo was a fun time travel western! (Another MMGM blogger recently shared this book and it sounded so interesting I had to read it. Thanks, Rosi Hollinbeck!)
Twelve-year-old Dominick is obsessed with the Old West. So much so that when he writes about “The Most Influential Person in His Life” he chooses “Lone Wolf” Malone, a sheriff from the time period. His teacher is not amused.
Then a book in the library transports Dominick to 1888 Abilene, Kansas and he gets to see what it’s really like living there. Under the name, Pete Moss, he becomes an apprentice to the local sheriff, Lone Wolf himself, and wants to warn him about his upcoming death, but the sheriff won’t listen.
This is the first book in a four volume series. The Abilene Kid: The Boot Hill Curse and The Abilene Kid: Sacred Relics are already out. But the fourth book is only available for preorder.
Read about the author here and read log lines about some of his books here. (This might be helpful for writers writing their own.)
This does sound interesting! A former student of mine was was really into westerns, and this would’ve been perfect for him. It seems like so many MGs are set in big cities. It’s nice to see something different–and time travel too!
It is!
This is such a fun way to open the world of Westerns to younger readers. Thanks for sharing!
I agree.
I always think that students will like Westerns, but they are sort of like carnival and pirate books… no one picks them up. They do look interesting. I guess these young readers don’t have the attachment to the West the way Little House on the Prairie readers do!
Maybe there will be a revival!
I like time travel stories. And I haven’t read about one set in a western. Thanks for sharing it this week.
I hadn’t either.
I enjoyed this one, but I grew up with Westerns on TV and in the movie theater. I think young readers would be fascinated by this time period. Happy MMGM!
I hope so!
Thanks for all you do!
This is a fun one. I enjoyed it too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I haven’t read many westerns, and I do think it is a part of historical fiction that some of my students would really enjoy. Sounds like a great book. Thanks for sharing.
Since I grew up on westerns, I think this is a fun way to introduce the genre to young readers.
Westerns aren’t my favourite genre, but I can see the attraction for younger readers… except with the change of attitude since tv westerns were made, maybe they just don’t get to see them any more. A culture which needs revival, even if it also need revamping 🙂
Agreed!