Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers

I had a old cowboy for a neighbor in Wyoming who had a lot of amazing stories to tell. I'd go over there and chew the fat over breakfast and coffee. Anyway one day he told me that he was looking for a series of books that he knew about, but no matter what bookstore he went in he could never find any. He said he used to know the author, back in Colorado.

I said why don't you search the Internet. He had just gotten a laptop, his first, but he had no clue. He wasn't even familiar with keyboards or typewriters. Watching him "hunt and peck" was waiting 10 or 15 seconds for each character. He may have been unfamiliar with that, but he was renowned for his knowledge of things like long-horn cattle and ranching generally. For him going out to kill an elk was no big deal. But he wasn't much on computers, so in never occurred to him to search the internet. Search engine, what's that?

Anyway he told me his friend, the author's name, Ralph Moody. And the books were the "Little Britches" series.

You could have picked my jaw off the table. I had been homeschooling my son, and we LOVED the Little Britches series. This series for boys, is exactly what the "Little House on the Prairie" series is for girls, when you are homeschooling. Old John telling me he was a friend of Ralph Moody, when John was a kid, was like telling me he knew Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote "Little House".

He was very happy when I ordered him the full series off the store.

BTW, this series is highly recommended, even for adults. Gives a nice flavor of America back in the early 1900's. Can you imagine a people too ashamed to take private charity, never mind a government entitlement?

Ralph Moody is the Laura Ingalls of Colorado, only thirty years later.

Reader thoughts:
I love the feel of this story, knowing it's true and yet so well written. It's about Indians, horses, storms, overalls, pulling together through tough times, and about honor and character.

I do describe the Little Britches series as being "just like Little House, except about a boy instead of about a girl." Ralph has a propensity for mischief as bad as Laura's, except he gets into trouble in the corral instead of in the kitchen.

And I might like these books better. I mean, Ralph breaks nine of his toes at one go. How is that not exciting? He nearly drowns. His family is nearly caught in a tornado. They might have starved if 8 and 9-year-old Ralph didn't get so much ranch work. He's paid a man's wages (sometimes as much as a dollar a day!).

The series are also similar to each other because of Laura's Pa and Ralph's Father. They're both calm, hard-working, and wise. They farm and care for their large families and get along with the neighbors. They both put great value in honesty.

Here's the biggest difference, though. Ralph's Father dies at the end of book 1. For that alone I might like Laura's books better. I hate sad stories.

I'll have to re-read the The Little House books before I draw conclusions, though.

Writer thoughts:
I normally don't enjoy non-fiction. These books are written with enough detail to make them real. I love the voice and personality of Ralph. The books have an older narrator's wisdom with a younger narrator's wonder mixed just perfectly. I can't imagine how many times Ralph told these stories to his younger siblings (or children or grand children) in order to remember them all so well. It's very good storytelling, though, and the first book doesn't feel slow for lasting 3 years, either.

<<< "There are only two kinds of men in the world, honest men or dishonest men. There are black men, white men, red men and yellow men, but nothing matters except whether they are honest men or dishonest men. Some men work almost entirely with their brains, some mostly with their hands although most of us have to use both - but we all fall into one of the two classes - honest or dishonest...">>>> page 177

This book, based on the life's story of Ralph Moody was gifted to me as a child and I drag it out and read it again every now and then for inspiration and because of it's importance to me from that long ago time.

Simply but elegantly written, the writing flows uninterrupted from the family's arrival in Denver from the East to find not the lush, well stocked ranch they had been promised by the "seller of gold stock" cousin, Phil; but a three room plain board shack hauled out from Denver, propped up on blocks with plaster falling in, broken chimney and all the windows broken; short of money to stay and face such a disaster but to go back meant the father's certain early death from lung disease. The daily travails ( and triumphs) of dealing with life there through the final chapter where they leave the ranch due to a severe drought which spawned some of "some of those dishonest men" sets this sincere and well told story far above the ordinary. It is poignant from beginning to end - demonstrating clearly what a family that works together can accomplish against seemingly impossible odds - seven mouths to feed with only the help of a few down-to-earth neighbors, no credit cards, but unbending courage. Every obstacle is met and conquered, never easily, but deftly, doggedly. But there is one thing that no amount of planning, no amount of problem solving can accomplish: failing health. Only failing health can bring the unvanquished low; sink the unsinkable ship - and that lives below the surface of each of us no matter how courageous.

Ralph herds cows for the neighbors as thirty five cents a day, his father trades carpentry work for livestock and the mother and other youngsters too young to work tend the home fires and the growing little herd of stock. It is not preachy, but direct, well spoken and interesting throughout as the reader lives life over again through them, realizing what is lost. Desires then were simple and focused, making the task somewhat easier; nobody had much money, and life focused on what was important for survival: food, shelter, love of family and continual guidance and discipline thereof.

The cast of characters living around them is as varied as any little remote ranching community can be; the old mountain man and his "blood brother" indian friend, Two Dog, who has a way with horses and the treatment of their illnesses through old remedies; Mrs. Corcoran, the snappy, bitter and cranky old lady who owned the milk cows Ralph was hired to herd, who pinned his money in his shirt pocket, but who also came to see him when he broke his toes; Fred Aultland, an encyclopedia of experience as a second generation rancher who lived just above them - the generous and steady Rock of Gibraltar in a swaying sea of indecision, coming to the aid in every emergency; and, of course, the cowboys who Ralph wanted to emulate more than anything in the world, to the discomfort of his mother.

What a difference a hundred years makes in attitudes.

I found this ragged old copy of Ralph Moody's LITTLE BRITCHES at a local library sale. Bought it for my grandson, but my wife picked it up to look at it and ended up reading it straight through, and said, "You'd like this yourself. Try it." And so did I, read it straight through, I mean. It's that good a story. Ralph Moody's own story about growing up on a poor dry land Colorado ranch. It begins in 1906 when Ralph - the "Little Britches" of the story - was 8 years old and covers the next three years, telling the story of Charlie and Molly Moody's family of five children - Ralph was second oldest - trying to make a living after moving west from New Hampshire, looking for a dry healthy climate, where Charlie might recover from tuberculosis. Young Ralph wants to be a cowboy, and he makes a darn good start, learning to ride and handle a team of horses from the time he is 8 or nine. By the time he is eleven he has even learned some stunt riding and how to cut cattle under the tutelage of his sure-enough cowboy pal, Hi. He has also learned to drive a hay rake and plant vegetables and maintain a garden and build an outhouse and other rough carpentry - much of this from his father, who is very inventive and clever with his hands. He learns about breaking horses and rides in a rodeo before he is twelve. All of these things are related in simple straightforward storytelling that does not fail to delight and keeps you turning the pages wondering what will happen next. In other words, Ralph Moody tells a good story - his own. You will be reminded of Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Little House Collection Box Set (Full Color) series of books. In fact, Moody wrote several more memoirs before he was finished, in addition to several historical novels for young people. In researching Moody (1898-1982) a little, I found it interesting that he did not begin to write until he was well past fifty. By then he had a wide variety of experiences to draw from and just kept on writing them down. Moody is such a natural story teller and engaging writer I am going to try to read some more of his stuff. LITTLE BRITCHES I will recommend highly. (And yes, we are giving it to our grandson to read. I hope he likes it as much as we did.) Oh, and P.S. The book was first published in 1950. In 1970, Disney adapted it for a film called The Wild Country, starring Ronny Howard and his little brother, Clint.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, REED CITY BOY

I really like the story, but this printing and binding is horrible because multiple pages fall out with light reading. This is not an isolated incident as I purchased 4 books in this series by this publisher with this modern cover, and they all lost plenty of pages quickly during the first reading. We are not that hard on our books and haven't had this problem with the hundreds of other books we own. We'll try purchasing used copies of older printings of this Ralph Moody series and I assume that will be much better.

We are now in the middle of the Little Britches series, written by Ralph Moody. I cannot speak for Ralph Moody's later books, or his fiction. I am referring to his series of books for children which are also his autobiography. The books have all of the elements you would expect in a good story and more! Family love, courage, disappointments and celebrations, birth, death, creativity and adventures galore.

Little Britches is what his cowboys friends call the author when he is young, and learns to ride, to become quite the young cowboy. The story begins as the family moves to Colorado to see if Father gets better from his tuberculosis. What follows is the story of their very difficult life as ranchers. But behind the story is the quality of people they were. The author so beautifully writes about the virtues in his parents and how they taught him to be a person of integrity and character--most importantly by being people of integrity and character themselves, not to mention unbounded generosity.

The writing is engaging, interesting, and we have such a hard time turning the iPad off when we arrive at our destinations! So there are trials, but also exciting, rewarding and celebratory times. There are inner struggles and frustrating episodes, there is patience, sacrifice, and love, lots of respecting love.

I mean it. I have seldom read a book when the sacrificial decisions made because of Love were so excruciatingly difficult, and yet made with a heart who unflinchingly wants to do what is right. Yet in these books what emerges as the most beautiful episode so far is one that has me me pondering at night: Mother, after having enduring what is of hardest in this life--the loss of a husband while expecting their sixth child, incredibly hard physical work so as to feed and clothe her children--and finally finding a stable income and a little security in the community, makes the ultimate choice. She gives up everything they have achieved there, their relationships, their place in the community, their income, everything--so as to protect a man from being convicted. It is a long story, but she ends up being the only witness against him, and if she leaves the state he cannot be convicted of a crime she believes him "morally innocent" of. She does ask the two older children to help her make this incredibly difficult, heart-breaking decision, and perhaps it is the best scene of the book: the two teenagers tell her, confidently, that they do not have to think of what Father would want them to do, they know: you put the Other's life before yours. The second book of the series ends with the mother and children, their hearts broken into pieces, exhausted and frightened, leaving everything they love behind, not even having had the chance to say goodbye.

That is what Love is. No matter the cost, we Love. Would I have done it? I doubt it very much. A widow with six kids? For a man who is half-crazy, a drunkard, who may never even know I did it for him? No, I doubt it. I'd find so many reasons to stay, and they would be excellent reasons. No one would ever blame me.

Had she acted like I probably would, and admittedly most everyone would, I don't think the delightful series Little Britches would have been written. It is exactly because he had such a Mother, and Father, and learned at home of Faith and Love, that Ralph Moody told himself he would write his story one day.

***

I've written before on what makes a book a good book. Since I wrote that, many other good books came into our lives. The James Herriot books, for instance, are shining examples of what a good book is. In every one of his stories of the fascinating small-town veterinarian practice in Yorkshire, England, the reader swells with his hopeful message about how Love is what is real in the world. Even if I forget all of the animals and their clinical details of the book, the memories of listening those wonderful books with the girls will always bring to mind how James Herriot looked and found, in the human heart of rich or poor alike, the Love that he admired and how it was the force behind the good in his world.

When I read this book, it was back in the dark ages of the early 60s. It was shelved on the "Adult" are in our public library. I was tall and they checked it ou to me without question. I devoured it (and the others in the series). I enjoyed it just as much when we all piloted in one bed at night for Mom to read it to me and my younger brothers. Now, I am buying it for mt mom to read to her 11-year-old granddaughter ( my niece) while she is visiting her for Christmas--getting the hardcopy book even though Mom has a Kindle because she would rather "read from a book than off a screen."

"Son, there are times a man has to do things he doesn't like to, in order to protect his family."

In this autobiography that's anything but dry or textbook-ish, Ralph Moody begins the story of his childhood. His unique story-telling voice is authentic and appealing, drawing both young and old in. The emotions conveyed throughout these pages are compelling--surprisingly so since it's told from a young boy's perspective.

The account begins in 1906, and Ralph's family has just moved from the East Coast to a Colorado ranch in hopes of improving Ralph's father's health. Using both the risks and the excitement of their new ranching lifestyle, Ralph's father teaches his eight-year-old son the weighty principals of integrity, courage, and upright character.

"A man's character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin. A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth," his father explains.

Ralph and his family encounter a variety of exciting events during their first few years in Colorado: tornados, school fights, rodeos, auctions, personal tragedies, roundups, and trick riding, to name a few. Each new experience increases the father-son bond and puts Ralph one step closer to manhood. But don't let me deceive you into assuming this book is all seriousness; there are plenty of hearty laughs to be had along the way!

While Ralph's story may be especially appreciated by those with a soft spot for cowboys, it is also sure to be thoroughly enjoyed by practically anyone who loves family or has been a child once himself. The tenderness, joys, humor, and heartaches conveyed within Father and I Were Ranchers are universal experiences that we can all, at least to a certain extent, relate to. And I raise an skeptical eyebrow toward anyone who won't admit to shedding genuine tears by the end of this, the first book in the Little Britches series. Though not without its flaws, Father and I Were Ranchers provides excellent springboards for discussion on many important life issues.

This one is definitely worth owning. It's also an excellent audio book. Five very enthusiastic stars!

Recommended read-aloud age: all ages
Recommended read-alone age: 12 and up (due to reading level)

"Son, there are times a man has to do things he doesn't like to, in order to protect his family."

In this autobiography that's anything but dry or textbook-ish, Ralph Moody begins the story of his childhood. His unique story-telling voice is authentic and appealing, drawing both young and old in. The emotions conveyed throughout these pages are compelling--surprisingly so since it's told from a young boy's perspective.

The account begins in 1906, and Ralph's family has just moved from the East Coast to a Colorado ranch in hopes of improving Ralph's father's health. Using both the risks and the excitement of their new ranching lifestyle, Ralph's father teaches his eight-year-old son the weighty principals of integrity, courage, and upright character.

"A man's character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin. A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth," his father explains.

Ralph and his family encounter a variety of exciting events during their first few years in Colorado: tornados, school fights, rodeos, auctions, personal tragedies, roundups, and trick riding, to name a few. Each new experience increases the father-son bond and puts Ralph one step closer to manhood. But don't let me deceive you into assuming this book is all seriousness; there are plenty of hearty laughs to be had along the way!

While Ralph's story may be especially appreciated by those with a soft spot for cowboys, it is also sure to be thoroughly enjoyed by practically anyone who loves family or has been a child once himself. The tenderness, joys, humor, and heartaches conveyed within Father and I Were Ranchers are universal experiences that we can all, at least to a certain extent, relate to. And I raise an skeptical eyebrow toward anyone who won't admit to shedding genuine tears by the end of this, the first book in the Little Britches series. Though not without its flaws, Father and I Were Ranchers provides excellent springboards for discussion on many important life issues.

This one is definitely worth owning. It's also an excellent audio book. Five very enthusiastic stars!

Recommended read-aloud age: all ages
Recommended read-alone age: 12 and up (due to reading level)

"Son, there are times a man has to do things he doesn't like to, in order to protect his family."

In this autobiography that's anything but dry or textbook-ish, Ralph Moody begins the story of his childhood. His unique story-telling voice is authentic and appealing, drawing both young and old in. The emotions conveyed throughout these pages are compelling--surprisingly so since it's told from a young boy's perspective.

The account begins in 1906, and Ralph's family has just moved from the East Coast to a Colorado ranch in hopes of improving Ralph's father's health. Using both the risks and the excitement of their new ranching lifestyle, Ralph's father teaches his eight-year-old son the weighty principals of integrity, courage, and upright character.

"A man's character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin. A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth," his father explains.

Ralph and his family encounter a variety of exciting events during their first few years in Colorado: tornados, school fights, rodeos, auctions, personal tragedies, roundups, and trick riding, to name a few. Each new experience increases the father-son bond and puts Ralph one step closer to manhood. But don't let me deceive you into assuming this book is all seriousness; there are plenty of hearty laughs to be had along the way!

While Ralph's story may be especially appreciated by those with a soft spot for cowboys, it is also sure to be thoroughly enjoyed by practically anyone who loves family or has been a child once himself. The tenderness, joys, humor, and heartaches conveyed within Father and I Were Ranchers are universal experiences that we can all, at least to a certain extent, relate to. And I raise an skeptical eyebrow toward anyone who won't admit to shedding genuine tears by the end of this, the first book in the Little Britches series. Though not without its flaws, Father and I Were Ranchers provides excellent springboards for discussion on many important life issues.

This one is definitely worth owning. It's also an excellent audio book. Five very enthusiastic stars!

Recommended read-aloud age: all ages
Recommended read-alone age: 12 and up (due to reading level)

Ralph Moody, similar to the style of Laura Ingalls Wilder, wrote a series of books about his life dating back to 1906. His first book, Little Britches, starts when he is eight years old and his family moves from New Hampshire to Colorado to start life on a ranch out west. His father's health isn't so great, so fresh air and wide open spaces was what the doctor ordered. They arrive to find things not quite as they were lead to believe. But, through hard work and ingenuity they find a way to make things work, for a little while. Ralph never really knew his father before then, but with Ralph the closest thing to another man to rely on his father started working with him and teaching things he would need to know to grow up and "build a house of character". Between these lessons, and some others he learns the hard way, Ralph grows and talks about his experiences out west at the turn of the century.

I found myself enjoying this book quite a lot as it reminded me almost of a "boys" version of the Little House on the Prairie. I don't remember quite so much ethics being instilled in that series as there is in Little Britches. Ralph Moody talks about his father's lessons and writes some very strong themes about character and about morality about hard work and ethics and about what it takes to be a man that is respected.

His writing was simple and straight forward and very refreshing. It was very clean reading, and easy and simple for a ten-year-old to read and enjoy. The humor was also very well done, either in droll remembrances or occasionally in the dialog, some of it designed to go over eight-year-old Ralph's head, and some of it designed to go over a child reader's head as well to the parent over their shoulder. There is also some swearing, but it is mild and placed in a negative light.

I enjoyed reading about the variety of colorful characters introduced, from the Native American Two Dog to the Cowboy Hi. The situations and troubles he gets himself in and out of will be at once familiar to a school age child (fights at school, chores at home and interfering siblings) and potentially foreign (meeting the sheriff in a saloon, learning how to trick ride a horse, working as a cow hand on a ranch). Familiar enough to learn from, interesting enough to keep their attention.

I would definitely recommend this book and the series that follows to any young kids that might already be interested in similar books, such as the Little House on the Prairie series. It has some good strong messages and is some easy, clean reading that you can enjoy at any age.

I read this book to my son and daughter a few months ago. What a beautiful story it was! There are two things the uninitiated might want to know: One, Moody is writing from his childhood. When he revealed what people said, and they used colorful, adult language, he puts it in the book. Because I was the one reading it, I said, "blip," and my children knew it involved bad language. Ralph's family didn't talk that way, but some neighbors and work associates did, so when they said it, it was in the book.

The other thing you will want to know is that this book leaves you wanting more. It is the beginning of a series, and my children would love it, I think, if I never read them anything but the sequels until the series is finished. We are midway through the second book now.

I highly recommend it. As a mother, knowing the language is there, I would still permit my children to read it themselves. It is the kind of thing that we wouldn't say, but might hear on television. There may have been one time with something stronger than that, but I'm not certain about that. Otherwise, it involved things you can't shelter them from in the real world.

My mind drifts back to crochety, old Mr. Nicholas, our teacher in a North Carolina orphanage. These were tough kids, many of whom had no use for school or learning of any kind. Every day, immediately after lunch, Mr. Nicholas would have us lay our heads down on our desks while he read to us. Though I didn't realize it then, he was reading Ralph Moody's books, beginning with Little Britches. He typically read one chapter each day. Suddenly these kids who hated school with a royal passion were begging our teacher to read two chapters or three at a sitting. It was adventurous, amusing, challenging, and fun stuff. I suspect an added appeal was the account of a happy family life which, of course, our class members had often yearned for but never known.

Years later I tracked down these books based only on a description of the story line. Now I can't wait until I'll be able to read them to my grandchildren. Do your kids or grandkids a huge favor and begin reading Moody's books with them.

When his New England family is obliged to move out to frontier Colorado at the Turn of the Century, Ralph Moody quickly delights in the western lifestyle. But before the 8-year-old boy can start taming horses and herding cows, he has many hard lessons to learn himself along the difficult road of life, in order to build the walls of his "character house."

The Moodys rent land and a rundown shack on the flatlands outside of Denver, but they must struggle for economic and physical survival in a never-ending series of battles against Nature, the Gold Panic, accidents, his father's weak lungs and the vicious water hogs at the head of Bear Creek. Ralph's own impetuosity and sneakiness land him in trouble, often requiring his parents' ingenuity and patience in meting out deserved, but character-buildihng, punishment. The seemingly incorrigible boy is a source of both pride and despair to his hard-working, honest parents, who strive to prevent their offspring from losing their gentlemanly upbringing in the wild Colorado boonies.

Ralph must come of age in the family's first three and ½ years as Westerners. He meets an old Indian named Two Dog with whom he establishes an immediate and lasting, though rarely verbal, friendship. He confesses his "crime" to the tall, tough Sheriff of Fort Logan, though he never tells Mothers that he did so in a saloon! He idolizes a friendly cowboy named Hi Beckman, who teaches him invaluable lessons about training horses and cows, plus stunt riding and even how to shoot a gun.

But it is Ralph's relationship with his adored Father which proves the core of this heartwarming story. Father doesn't say much, but he provides his son with serious advice for a healthy, decent life. Being promoted to Partner by his father is a great joy to Ralph, who at 11 and ½ was accepted as a man in many ways. LITTLE BRITCHES-Ralph's nicknamed given by his cowboy mentor-is a a wonderful, warm, and interesting story, for kids of all ages!

If a classroom full of students with BEHAVIOR problems can sit through this book without incident, you can imagine how compelling this story is.
Little Britches is the first book in an autobiographical series. Ralph Moody (aka Little Britches) tells us about his family's move from the East and their struggles and triumphs as they scrape a living from a ranch in Colorado. Ralph is 9 years old, with an older sister and several younger siblings. The book is much more than a chronology of interesting and exciting events-- much more. It is rich in the values of honesty, family unity, ingenuity, and the pride of doing a task well.
There are many strong messages about building character -- earning trust, earning respect, and giving a man a good day's work. Ralph's wonderfully wise father is his primary teacher regarding the building of Ralph's "character house", but along the way Ralph meets other memorable men -- "Hi" the cowboy was our favorite. Ralph gets in several predicaments, doesn't always make the right choice, but takes to heart his father's wise counsel.
This book is a true treasure. I would recommend it for ages 5 and up as a read aloud. 10 and up to be read alone. A great read for adults too -- a "can't miss" present. Don't hesitate -- put it in your library and then share the gift of this wonderful author.

I remember my mom reading this book out loud to us kids at lunch time when we homeschooled. This spring I pulled it off the shelf to read to my kids. I had forgotten how rich the writing is. The characters leap off the page and come to life. I love that!

I encourage you to get the book. My ten year old daughter enjoyed the stories and the family immensely. But the life lessons on how to grow up to be a man of character are incredible. The father is full of wisdom that is passed to us through the books pages. All of your kids will enjoy these stories of growing up on a ranch in Colorado at the turn of the century, but your boys will especially love it.

One of the ranchers uses a bit of colorful language. The kind I had to edit as I read aloud to a young audience.

My Fourth grade teacher read this book to us in class. That would have been back in the 60's. It truly is a book that changed my life.

I'm now reading this book to my youngest child. He's a 10 year old boy who, like Ralph, has just moved from the city to rural life on a farm.

I MUST recommend this book to dads to read with their young sons. Ralph is so honest as he relates his struggles to reach maturity, to earn the respect of his peers and to live up to the steady and loving example of his father. My son begs me to read more of this story every night.

An earlier comment on this book mentions occasional curse words. Please don't let this put you off. The language is common on TV and movies. The other men in the book speak as men often do. But the example of Ralph's father, a man who never loses control of himself and never swears within ear-shot of his own children provides a valuable example and counter point. There is a level of strong male kindness and maturity in this story sadly lacking in literature today. And it's a thrilling read.

When I was 10, the book made me want to be Ralph. As I read it now, it makes me want to be as wise and understanding as Charlie (the dad). I still can't read the chapter, "Father and I Become Partners" Without being moved by the story of a father lifting his son up to manhood.

In short, Ralph delivers a pleasingly paced narrative with a keen ear for language, a sharp eye for details of farm life and horsemanship and a clear honest memory of a boys'life at the turn of the 20th Century.

Read this book. It has lived in me for years and has now earned a special place in my farm library.

Ralph Moody has just turned eight when he and his family--father and mother, eleven-year-old sister Grace, and younger sibs Muriel Joy (five), Philip (three and a half), and Hal (going on two)--move to Colorado early in 1907 to settle on a rented "ranch" (more of a farm than anything). Ralph's father Charlie, though reared on a farm in Maine, has worked for years in a New Hampshire woollen mill and suffers from lung trouble, and Cousin Phil, a mining-stock booster in Denver, manages to persuade reluctant Mother that in Colorado his health can be restored in a year and he "can make as much money as he'd make here...in a lifetime." As you might expect of a stock booster, Cousin Phil's predictions fall somewhat short of the reality--it may be the 20th Century, but life outside the cities isn't too different from what it was 30 or 40 years earlier: indoor toilets are unknown, and cowboys still carry six-guns as they ride the range. But the Moodys make the best of it. Father turns out to be a creative manager who swaps livestock shrewdly and trades work for the goods the family needs (one of my favorite scenes involves the moving entire of a disused bunkhouse, bigger than the whole three-room house that comes with their rented land, to create bedrooms for the children and a bigger kitchen), and a perceptive parent who teaches the lessons of character in a quiet, understandable way--and realizes that boys shouldn't be turned into Lord Fauntleroys or expected to always "turn the other cheek." Though the family sees barely $100 in cash in a year, they manage to eat well, send the children to school, enjoy good books and accumulate an impressive menagerie of domestic animals, and Ralph falls in love with the West (a love that will later be expressed in a long list of books about it, including several sequels to this one). There are moments of thrills (the windstorm that nearly destroys their house and forces them to crawl to shelter in a nearby gulch), joy (picnics in the mountains, Christmas feasts), quiet family togetherness (Mother reading aloud in the evenings), humor (like the fight between Jerry Alder and the Denver man while Ralph and his father are helping a neighbor with his threshing), and even danger (Father's participation in a battle over the neighborhood irrigation ditch, which culminates in what may be the first recorded attempt at a drive-by shooting), besides an assemblage of unforgettable characters--Fred Aultland, the rancher next door, who drives around at full speed in a buckboard drawn by two mettlesome bays, and his mother and sister; Hi, the cowboy, who becomes Ralph's idol (one of the best sequences in the book shows them breaking in a new young horse, the twin of Hi's own blue roan, and training the two in a precision trick-riding routine that takes first place at the annual rodeo), Mr. Thompson who claims to have known Kit Carson and his partner the Blackfoot Indian Two Dog who can gentle the wildest horse and cure the sickest, and of course Cousin Phil--and Father. Through their four years in Colorado, until Charlie dies of pneumonia, Ralph comes to know his father as he never did before, and to love and respect him for his ethics, his skills, his gentleness and firmness, and his understanding of the human condition. And in the end he emerges ready to become, at 12, the "man of the family." This is a book for families to enjoy and young and old to read independently, a book that shows something of the reality of pioneering and would fit splendidly into a homeschooling curriculum. No American should fail to read it.

I remember my mom reading this book out loud to us kids at lunch time when we homeschooled. This spring I pulled it off the shelf to read to my kids. I had forgotten how rich the writing is. The characters leap off the page and come to life. I love that!

I encourage you to get the book. My ten year old daughter enjoyed the stories and the family immensely. But the life lessons on how to grow up to be a man of character are incredible. The father is full of wisdom that is passed to us through the books pages. All of your kids will enjoy these stories of growing up on a ranch in Colorado at the turn of the century, but your boys will especially love it.

One of the ranchers uses a bit of colorful language. The kind I had to edit as I read aloud to a young audience.

My Fourth grade teacher read this book to us in class. That would have been back in the 60's. It truly is a book that changed my life.

I'm now reading this book to my youngest child. He's a 10 year old boy who, like Ralph, has just moved from the city to rural life on a farm.

I MUST recommend this book to dads to read with their young sons. Ralph is so honest as he relates his struggles to reach maturity, to earn the respect of his peers and to live up to the steady and loving example of his father. My son begs me to read more of this story every night.

An earlier comment on this book mentions occasional curse words. Please don't let this put you off. The language is common on TV and movies. The other men in the book speak as men often do. But the example of Ralph's father, a man who never loses control of himself and never swears within ear-shot of his own children provides a valuable example and counter point. There is a level of strong male kindness and maturity in this story sadly lacking in literature today. And it's a thrilling read.

When I was 10, the book made me want to be Ralph. As I read it now, it makes me want to be as wise and understanding as Charlie (the dad). I still can't read the chapter, "Father and I Become Partners" Without being moved by the story of a father lifting his son up to manhood.

In short, Ralph delivers a pleasingly paced narrative with a keen ear for language, a sharp eye for details of farm life and horsemanship and a clear honest memory of a boys'life at the turn of the 20th Century.

Read this book. It has lived in me for years and has now earned a special place in my farm library.

Ralph Moody has just turned eight when he and his family--father and mother, eleven-year-old sister Grace, and younger sibs Muriel Joy (five), Philip (three and a half), and Hal (going on two)--move to Colorado early in 1907 to settle on a rented "ranch" (more of a farm than anything). Ralph's father Charlie, though reared on a farm in Maine, has worked for years in a New Hampshire woollen mill and suffers from lung trouble, and Cousin Phil, a mining-stock booster in Denver, manages to persuade reluctant Mother that in Colorado his health can be restored in a year and he "can make as much money as he'd make here...in a lifetime." As you might expect of a stock booster, Cousin Phil's predictions fall somewhat short of the reality--it may be the 20th Century, but life outside the cities isn't too different from what it was 30 or 40 years earlier: indoor toilets are unknown, and cowboys still carry six-guns as they ride the range. But the Moodys make the best of it. Father turns out to be a creative manager who swaps livestock shrewdly and trades work for the goods the family needs (one of my favorite scenes involves the moving entire of a disused bunkhouse, bigger than the whole three-room house that comes with their rented land, to create bedrooms for the children and a bigger kitchen), and a perceptive parent who teaches the lessons of character in a quiet, understandable way--and realizes that boys shouldn't be turned into Lord Fauntleroys or expected to always "turn the other cheek." Though the family sees barely $100 in cash in a year, they manage to eat well, send the children to school, enjoy good books and accumulate an impressive menagerie of domestic animals, and Ralph falls in love with the West (a love that will later be expressed in a long list of books about it, including several sequels to this one). There are moments of thrills (the windstorm that nearly destroys their house and forces them to crawl to shelter in a nearby gulch), joy (picnics in the mountains, Christmas feasts), quiet family togetherness (Mother reading aloud in the evenings), humor (like the fight between Jerry Alder and the Denver man while Ralph and his father are helping a neighbor with his threshing), and even danger (Father's participation in a battle over the neighborhood irrigation ditch, which culminates in what may be the first recorded attempt at a drive-by shooting), besides an assemblage of unforgettable characters--Fred Aultland, the rancher next door, who drives around at full speed in a buckboard drawn by two mettlesome bays, and his mother and sister; Hi, the cowboy, who becomes Ralph's idol (one of the best sequences in the book shows them breaking in a new young horse, the twin of Hi's own blue roan, and training the two in a precision trick-riding routine that takes first place at the annual rodeo), Mr. Thompson who claims to have known Kit Carson and his partner the Blackfoot Indian Two Dog who can gentle the wildest horse and cure the sickest, and of course Cousin Phil--and Father. Through their four years in Colorado, until Charlie dies of pneumonia, Ralph comes to know his father as he never did before, and to love and respect him for his ethics, his skills, his gentleness and firmness, and his understanding of the human condition. And in the end he emerges ready to become, at 12, the "man of the family." This is a book for families to enjoy and young and old to read independently, a book that shows something of the reality of pioneering and would fit splendidly into a homeschooling curriculum. No American should fail to read it.

This book was read to our class when I was in the 6th grade. I loved it! When our kids were growing up, I read all of the series to our kids as we traveled. Because I am a speed reader, sometimes I would "read" a funny part and start laughing, before my out loud reading would be there. Who would think that modern-day kids would be entranced with stories about early 1900 kids, but they were. Ralph Moody caught the imagination as we could see this kid getting into situations before he was there. These are marvelous. Every child in America should read them. This is the stuff of the sturdiness, resiliency, & character we come from. Adversity happens, it is happening right now...the question is can we face it with strength and imagination. Laugh until you cry. Love greatly. This is a splendid series.

Because I was in the middle of another book when this arrived in my mail box, I had no intention of reading it immediately. However, after casually reading the first couple of chapters I found myself constantly feeling drawn back to the book while I went about my day. Suffice it to say, the other book was put down for a couple of days, while I indulged myself in Little Britches.

At its most basic level, this story is about a poor family trying to make a go of ranching in Colorado back around the turn of the 20th century. Pretty basic right, so what is so compelling about it? For me, it is the simplicity. The matter-of-fact narration. Its example of good character without being preachy. The continuous pickles Ralph Moody gets himself into as he struggles to find the self-discipline that goes along with good character. Its understated humour and sometimes painful honesty. The growth of a young boy as he eagerly takes on the responsibilities and challenges of a man.

Perhaps the only two things I didn't like about the book, is that there is a small amount of bad language and there were a couple of unexpected twists to the story that I didn't particularly appreciate but accept as necessary nonetheless as the book is autobiographical.

I found this book to be soul-enlarging and completely engaging. It's a true classic in that you walk away a better person after reading it. I can't wait to share it with my childen. As for myself - I'm back for the rest of the series.

We read this as a family read-aloud. Our older children, 10, 7, and 5, as well as, my husband and I really enjoyed it. We lived close to where this book was set at one time so that added a bit of connection for my husband and I. There were many good family discussions that came out of our reading. Every day the kids asked for another chapter.

Little Britches is one the best books we have ever read! It has sparked a number of conversations with my young sons about character and wise choices. This morning I even pulled it out to read a quote from it after they had disobeyed me about something! The quote is something Ralph's father says to him after he (Ralph) has lied: "If (a man) tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin. A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth."

I highly recommend this book BUT please be aware that it does contain cursing! Fortunately, we are reading this aloud, so I can skip over objectionable words, but in all the reviews I have read (on the store and elsewhere), no one has mentioned this. Am I the only one who objects to my elementary-school aged children reading curse words?

Anyway, wonderful book, HIGHLY recommended!

Great book about living on a ranch, the lessons a father taught a son, and family ties. Adventure, risks, challenges, horses, interesting characters, this book has it all. And it is rare to get to read about people with great character these days. Thanks, Ralph Moody.

This book came as a "read-aloud" with my 10-year old's 4th grade curriculum. I read it to myself first, and loved it so much I gave it to my husband and my Mom to read. We have all fallen in love with the life and times of young Ralph Moody, and are eager to read his other books. We are currently stationed in Athens, Greece and had thought we'd have to wait two years to find out "what happens next," but now are PSYCHED to find Moody's books available through the store. We'd recommend this book to anyone--and my daughter would be the first one to recommend it, which speaks for itself. Definitely, a 10

Little Britches is a warm entertaining book, at the same time showing how a family used their God given ingenuity to provide for themselves with dignity.Children love this book , imagining themselves doing the things Ralph did,trick riding or working as a cowboy on a ranch.
The book made its appearance in 1950. It is as fresh today as it was then. Father had TB. Cousin Phil painted a bright picture of ranch life not far from Denver, Colorado.He implied making a living would be easy and the dry climate would make a new man out of Father. They put hope in his word. Sold their home and everything in it. When they got to the so called ranch,it was a discouraging mess,just a three room cottage hauled out from Denver. Most of the windows were broken and the chimney broken off. Father thought he could make it livable so he and eight year old Ralph got to work.
The following spring when Ralph and his Mother were planting their vegetable garden a group of cowboys came by. Ralph liked the one named Hi immediately but his Mother didn't. He let Ralph ride his horse and showed him trick riding and knowing her son that scared her.
That summer Ralph got a job herding cows on horse back. Alone he figures out how to do trick riding and practices until he can do it well but of course he doesn't tell his Mother.
He unintentionally traps a pheasant. Shooting a pheasant is illegal in Colorado. Although it was an accident his Father makes him ride to town to show it to the sheriff. He found the sheriff in the Last Chance Saloon. Slowly he went in threw the swinging doors. The bar tender bellowed, "Who do you want to see?" Ralph answered. The bar tender pointed to the biggest man Ralph had ever seen.
Ralph had many exciting and sometimes dangerous adventures like tornadoes and the time he broke nine toes. He became a cowboy and earned a man's wage. There were water fights and shootings. This is a great true story and brings enjoyment to everyone who reads or hears it.

I introduced my family to the Moody family under the guise of just reading a small section - just one of their adventures. After that, they were hooked, and we have continued to read the rest of the series. The values of hard work and honesty are present throughout, which makes this a wonderful teaching tool. My children have acted out scenes from the story because the lively adventures of the Moody children are irrestistible. Mr. Moody is a clear and descriptive writer and made us feel like part of his family while reading this book.

I've read this book twice. Once alone and now aloud to my 4 children. It is such a gift to find books that burrow down deep inside and make themselves part of you. Make you a better you!
Little Britches is such a book. Ralph Moody had an uncanny way of using the sparsest of prose to convey the grandest of meaning. Every emotion is felt in this book and you just become a part of the Moody family and experience. The relationship between Father and Little Britches is humbling to read, honestly. And the way Ralph Moody could write about it 40 years later with such clarity and distinction is a real tribute to the men that they both were. I cried both times. More this time actually. You'll never forget the words "And I became a man"

THANK YOU Ralph Moody.

I also recommend "THE DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE"

Ralph Moody books should be required reading at home and school. He brings out all the values that the average parent aspires to in their childern and does it in a laughable, loveable, touching, tug at your heart strings way. It makes you almost long for the hardships that he went through. It certianly built character! An American treasure we should all cherish. I had them for my childern and am now starting the grandchildern on them. Unforgettable in every way. Don't miss these very special books!!!!

My grandmother, who was raised on a ranch gave me this book for my 8th birthday in 1950 shortly after it was published. My mother read it to me and then our 3rd grade teacher read it out loud to the class. Over the years, I have reread it several times. It only gets more enjoyable with age. Imagine my delight, when I found out a few years ago, that there were sequels. I've now read them all, thanks to the ongoing enthusiasm that has kept them in print. They are about responsibility and living life in a way that matters. As such, they are very popular with home schoolers, but are exciting adventures in themselves, following Ralph's life into adulthood. Highly recommended.

I am ordering Little Britches today with the utmost excitement. When I was in 5th grade in the 60's, my teacher read it to us every afternoon. I have never forgotten how it kept everyone's attention. You could have heard a pin drop. When my kids were little, I looked for this series in bookstores with no luck.
Now I have grandkids and my search was renewed. Thank heaven for computers and the store!

This book was recommended by a co-worker that read it as a chld(she's now in her 50s) I purchased it for my 11 year old son. I gotinto reading it during a family vacation in Yellowstone and found myself unable to put it down as I read chapters to my sons. It is a gripping story of making the best of what you have, while doing the right and honest thing. It's as readable as it was decades ago. Read it yourself and share the story and values with your children or grandchildren.

I've read the Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables series and this beats the lunch money out of both those series! I'm in my mid-twenties and read this aloud with my parents who are in their mid-sixties and we couldn't put it down! We'd read together late into the night, and steal it away to read ahead on our own whenever we could. Little Britches is tough, brave, and hilarious! Ralph Moody has written in a wonderfully straightforward manner of the joys and tragedies of a life lived with dignity, honor, and especially humor. "Father" teaches so simply and beautifully the way to love and raise children. His family becomes so real that you feel like you're saying goodbye to your best friend when the book ends. I laughed and cried and practically wet my pants because I couldn't bear to take a break in the middle of the chapter. I'll read this one over and over. It's something that grows into you and is impossible for you to grow out of.

P.S. DO NOT read this series out of order.

Incredible true story of a 1900's family from the northeast relocating to Colorado, and persevering in the face of natural and man-made disasters.. Living history at it's best. Should be read aloud in every family. Some oaths/language, but seems tame by today's standards.

Recommended for anyone with kids

This is a wonderful story. Any time I want an uplift I pick-up this book. It is full of gems and lesson in life that are always welcomed.

Ralph learns to become a man, a cowboy, an honest person, a person of character. Similar lessons can be found in The Virginian - FREE kindle version available or as a book.

Worthy of a prominent place on your bookshelf.

Oh I am speechless. This is a book full of grace, character, This is the writers real life boyhood and apparently thought he could make a good book out of it. Boy was he right! I could read this book about three hundred times and then maybe think about putting it down! This man had such a life as a kid! man you would think it was fictional but when you know its not it makes you well... Speechless!

This book is terrific for single digits to triple digits in age.

My Grandmother bought this book for me and read it to me when I was little enough to be read to. It probably has something to do with me living in Colorado now. I have gone looking for places mentioned on days off. I am 61, and a pharmacist- and collect books from this series- I have all of them and have read and reread them. I have multiples of some and my original that Grandma gave me. I have one signed by the author too. I feel the whole series is a must. (Sooner or later) The wisdom and ingenuity of this boy and his family is amazing. And it is all true!

Some of the books in good condition 1st edition are getting quite pricey. They made a movie based loosely on this book under a different name. I have not found a copy of this.

This book will take your heart. (I tried to contact Ralph Moody to tell him how much the book meant to me - several years ago and was told he had died.)

In 1987 while living in Haines,Alaska;I asked the librarian for a good book. I wanted something like Little House on the Prairie kind of story. She handed me Little Britches. I took it home and read the most wonderful adventure of a boy, growing up and learning lessons in life. It touched my heart so deeply I felt I knew him. I returned to the library after I had finished reading the book and asked if he had written any other's. The library owned one other book by Ralph Moody and that was Man of the Family. It was checked out,and not due in for two weeks. I put in a request and waited anxiously. When I finally was able to read it, it was just as wonderful as the first. To my delight Mr. Moody had written many books of his childhood. I have six children who love me to read these stories to them. Of all the books I have ever read, I must say by far that Ralph Moody's Little Britches is my all time favorite book.

Think I would have been fascinated with this book as a kid, but as an adult I find the pace just a little too fast. I like to relax with a book, and this is not the book for that. It moves at a rapid clip from one scene to the next and is a great view of the west at the turn of the century. Highly recommend for late grade-schoolers or middle-schoolers.

I read my first book by Ralph Moody, "The fields of home" when I was 8, on my fathers recomendation. He told me that the story reminded him of he and his father, but after reading it I saw more of my dad and myself; rather than father and grandfather. A couple of years ago a friend told me of these great books he had bought, and said that he would loan them to me, once I saw the author I had to purchace the set for myself. I read these books at least once a year, and there hasn't been a time when they dont bring a warm feeling to my heart, and bring a feeling of kinship to Ralph and his family with its rural heritage. If the kids of today cared half as much for family as Ralph does for his, today would be a much better place.

This book was read to me as an elementary student. We all enjoyed it as a class. I remember some very funny things happening. The next book was also read to us, but Little Britches was special. I was really surprised to see it still in print. Hopefully, my grand-daughter will enjoy it as much as I did.Gloria Griffin

Ralph Moody's account of his boyhood days in Littleton, Colorado is an inspiring story of courage and pluck. Ralph, aka as Little Britches, has some hard lessons to learn, but is given quite a bit of freedom to do so by his father. The elder Moody is the quintessential father everyone wishes they had. Together they make an unbeatable team. This is the first in a series of seven books. I highly recommend them all.

This last month we "Shut Off" the television in our home. My wife and I thought our three children (oldest 5) were watching way to much.
I had read "Little Britches" when I was twelve and read it to the entire family three or four chapters a night. We are now almost finished with "Man Of The Family" now (second book)
My five year old can't tell enough people about "Little Britches". This book has brought our family back together again and I plan on reading the entire selection of Ralph Moody books to my family every night. This may take awhile, but the T.V. won't be on until we are finished. Again, the best book, series of the century!!

I was in the sixth grade when I learned I loved to read, and these books did it for me. I have never stopped reading. When my teacher felt like we had been good, she would read a chapter or two to us. I spent that summer reading the rest of the books in the series. 26 years have gone by, and I am so happy to finally be able to remember these books. Thanks you Mrs. Tingley for introducing me to my first and longest love. Reading

You really get the feel of Ralph Moody's childhood through his writing. He hadn't lost his perspective as he grew older (and possibly wiser) through the years. Perfect for children of all ages (perhaps especially us older children).

One of the best books I have ever read! Ralph Moody combines a life with amazing adventures with an equally amazing ability as a story-teller. He brings the people and events to life and includes humor, drama, tragedy, and the determination and persistence the pioneers used to overcome incredibly difficult obstacles. You won't regret purchasing and reading this book--it will be read, reread, and passed on to others!

When I was in elementary school, one of my teachers read "Little Britches" to the class every day after lunch. I was delighted to find the book was available at the store. I was really delighted that there is more than one book in the "Little Britches" series! Heart warming, good values, and more for our children today! This grandmother is ordering all the books in hard copy for the grandkids.

I first read this book probably in junior high, and have since read it several more times, enjoying it each time as much as the last. It is such a great story of what family is and should be, and an incredible portrayal of a wonderful father who is loving yet firm. I've read almost the entire series, and will be reading them to my children in a few years.

true story of ralph moody's experiences as a young boy on a farm in Colorado. his family struggled but they had great integrity and strong family bond. I now have all the books in this series and they are fascinating.

My second grade teacher read this to me, and the world would be a better place if everyone had values like the Moody's. Ralph's father showed true character to his son. I'm in the eighth grade now and have already read this book at least 5 times and I will be sure to read it many more. I reccomend this book to anyone, and when I have kids, I will be sure to read it to them

Ralph Moody's book Little Britches is a really good book for people of all ages. As you read the words he wrote you feel like you are actually on the ranch in 1906 w/Ralph. The punishments, jobs, weather and animals Ralph encounter are priceless as he learns a lesson from each. I recomend this biography for anyone who likes a good book about the old times!

We just read this as a family. An awe inspiring look at ranch life in turn of the century Colorado. Kids love the adventure and parents are inspired by the father's righteous parenting style. If we can just instill responsibility and honesty in our children as this father did!

I don't know how I missed Ralph Moody and Little Britches before. I can't wait to read more by him. Fun, exciting, wholesome, page-turning stories. I love'm, my kids love'm and come to find out, my grandfather loved'm too. Don't know how to compare the book, almost like a boy Laura Ingalls, but different.

I just finished this book tonight. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. Every family in todays society needs to read and reread this book as it is all about character and goodness. I am a better person because I read this book. I will read it to my kids immediately!

This is a great book full of simple wisdom and a true portrait of life in the West just after the turn of the twentieth century. It includes hilarious episodes of an eight-year-old's life. Reads well aloud, and is great for anyone from an eight-year-old to his grandfather. Just plain fun.

I was in the 6th grade when my teacher read this out loud to us after lunch recess. I could always imagine everything going on. In someway, I thought I was there in the midst of it all. The series was written in that way.

This last month we "Shut Off" the television in our home. My wife and I thought our three children (oldest 5) were watching way to much.
I had read "Little Britches" when I was twelve and read it to the entire family three or four chapters a night. We are now almost finished with "Man Of The Family" now (second book)
My five year old can't tell enough people about "Little Britches". This book has brought our family back together again and I plan on reading the entire selection of Ralph Moody books to my family every night. This may take awhile, but the T.V. won't be on until we are finished. Again, the best book, series of the century!!

This book was so sad and otherwise depressing. They got scammed into moving to Colorado(they should have gone back immediately). The dad dies,the whole family suffers the loss. What a downer, and I don't care if its a "classic".

little britches was boring boring boring boring boring boring .

so, as you can see,I was bored, period.
I read the first chapter and the last chapter and they were bor--
( none of it was touching!!!! )

okay, you get the point.

Well written! Lots to be gained from reading this book. Our family loved it. My 9 yr old daughter cried at several points though. It was emotionally challenging material, death is confronted at various points.