Little Woody Stories

Little Woody Stories by Woody Dykes

(Summary taken from the back cover) "In a land far, far away called Wichita there was a magic street called Rutan. This street had a tree-lined tunnel that covered the sky. On this magic street lived a tribe of Indians called the Rutan Indians. These are their stories. I am the last of this tribe. These are stories of my childhood when I lived in Wichita, Kansas, on Rutan Street. I was six to eleven (I think) during this time. The stories are true and actual, to the best of my memory. I had two friends who shared most of these adventures with me--Eddie Kangus and Larry Rochillen. This was my crew. Tall Larry and Loud Mouth Eddie--the Rutan Indians. These stories are called "Little Woody Stories" by my family and friends. ~Woody Dykes"

This book reminds me of stories my grandparents would tell me when I was growing up, especially my grandpa. Some of them are very funny and some of them make me cringe (like the one where he jumps off the roof with the red spring shoes on). They also remind me of stories my dad would tell of things he did growing up, and yes, some of them remind me of things I may have done (but don't tell my kids.....). It's fairly well written and I like Mr. Dykes' humor. It's a fast, easy read (I think it took me less than an hour), and is ok for the older elementary-age kids. I had my son, who is in 5th grade, read it, and he liked it as well. He also read it quickly and the only thing I was concerned about was him getting some not-so-good ideas from the stories. We had to look up the definition of mercurochrome and google "Kit candies," but it was great to turn a fun story into a teaching moment. I like the "Lessons Learned" bit at the end of each story. This is a fun book and would be fun as a read-a-loud as well.

Rating: PG (Just don't get any ideas......) I had to tell my son that if I ever found a hole cut in our roof he wouldn't leave his bedroom....ever....

Recommendation: 4th or 5th grade and up. Parents may want to read it first to see if it is appropriate for their child. And, if nothing else, it may bring back some fun childhood memories.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.