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The Box M Gang by Mark Redmond.
Children’s 1800s US Historical Fiction.
The year is 1875. The Arizona Territory is a wild, sparsely settled place. The Martin family’s Box M Ranch is ten miles from their nearest neighbor and twenty miles from Tucson. Ma has been gone for two years, and Pa hasn’t been the same since she passed. Something inside him broke when he lost her. Fifteen-year-old Ruth, fourteen-year-old Thad, twelve-year-old Sarah, ten-year-old Bart, and eight-year-old Billy have been doing most of the work to keep the Box M running. Consequently, when Pa passes away, the Martin siblings face little change in their daily routine as far as their chores go.
They do, however, face an ominous threat. Ruth, Thad, and Sarah know they can continue to run the Box M without Pa. They also know if folks discover Pa has passed away, the local lawman will load the Martin siblings into a buckboard and haul them off to the orphanage near Tucson. Ruth is confident she, Thad, and Sarah can protect their secret from the occasional travelers who visit the Box M, but she’s concerned about Bart and Billy. They need to practice their conversations with each other to prepare for talking with strangers. They need to pray for God’s help as they tackle a nearly impossible task. They need to work together. They need to become the Box M Gang.
During the next few months, visitors to the Box M include the sheriff, a bounty hunter, cattle rustlers, and a family with five small children. Some of the visitors stay long enough to rest and water their livestock. Some spend the night and move on the next day. Others overstay their welcome. All of them pose a threat to the Martins.
Can they keep their secret and remain on the Box M? Saddle up, and let’s find out!
Editorial Review and Endorsement by Book Marketing Global Network. Siblings Forced To Keep A Secret And Band Together To Save Their Ranch!
Fifteen-year-old Ruth Martin is the oldest of the five Martin children. Her bravery, love for her siblings, her faith, and her leadership take “The Box M Gang” on a path to secure their future together and save their ranch. It can’t be easy for 5 kids to keep the biggest secret of their lives, and yet their very survival will rely on their promise to each other.
As an adult and grandparent, I bonded with these kids on the first page. I held my breath as I imagined the wild, sparsely settled Arizona Territory in 1875. The Martin family’s ranch is ten miles from their nearest neighbor and twenty miles from Tucson. The dangers to the children and their ranch animals are compounded by thieves, cattle rustlers, squatters, outlaws, the local sheriff and a possible murderer in the area.
Let me bring you into their story here. This is the morning after the kids have made their secret pact. I quote:
…The next morning, as usual, we left the house just after sunrise, ready to begin our daily chores. I saddled our bay mare so I could ride out to check on our livestock. I led the mare from the stable and paused to look around me. Sarah was scrubbing our clothes in a wooden tub. Bart was milking the cow. Billy was gathering eggs in the chicken pen. Thad was replacing a broken post in the corral fence. Everything looked the way it should on the Box M Ranch.
…I smiled as I mounted the horse and started her toward the pasture. The sun was shining; the morning air was cool and fresh. The day would be beautiful. I had just started to hum an old hymn when I spotted the buzzards.
…Now, I know that buzzards have a purpose, just like most of God’s creatures. Ma had told me one time that if buzzards didn’t clean up dead animals, the whole world would stink. I believed her, but I still felt a little sick whenever I saw those nasty birds circling over something dead or dying.
…These buzzards were already flying low, and they were dropping rapidly. When I realized they had to be flying over our pasture, I nudged the mare to a gallop. As I approached the pasture, I slowed her to a walk, rode to the gate, and reached down to let myself in.
I invite you to join Ruth as she makes a startling discovery.
No one brings fictional western drama to life for young readers like Mark L. Redmond. You can rest assured when your middle grade reader has Mr. Redmond’s book in his or her hands: their imaginations will soar, their spirits will be lifted, and their lives will be better for the lessons woven into action-adventure drama with captivating characters their own age. Don’t forget to also pick up The Box M Gang and the Army (Book Two) In the Box M Gang Series. In addition, The Adventures of Arty Anderson, a 6-book series, is also available in print and kindle for your middle grade readers.
About The Author: Mark L. Redmond taught high school English for 28 years in South Bend, Indiana. He has published over 25 short stories and articles, a six-book middle grade fiction series (The Adventures of Arty Anderson), a collection of short stories (Five for the Trail), and two western novels for more mature readers (Bounty Hunter Nate Landry: Major Issues and Bounty Hunter Nate Landry: Family Fury). Redmond and his wife Susie were workcampers, who lived in their motor home for eight years and enjoyed exploring the West. A member of Western Writers of America, Western Fictioneers, SCBWI, ACFW, and the Single Action Shooting Society, Redmond has been studying the West through reading and travel for most of his life (and he is an old timer, born in 1953!). Mark and Susie now live in Arizona, where Mark continues to write.
Amazon Author’s Page
https://www.amazon.com/Mark-L.-Redmond/e/B001KISXXW
Author’s Page At Book Marketing Global Network:
https://bookmarketingglobalnetwork.com/book-marketing-global-network/author-mark-l-redmond/
