LITTLE BRITCHES: Father and I Were Ranchers

by Ralph Moody

Ralph Moody was eight years old in 1906, when his family moved to Colorado.  When he was twenty-one, he wrote in a diary that he would work as hard as he could to save $50,000 by the time he was fifty, and then write a book. He began Little Britches on his 50th birthday! After reading of the character -building hardships his family faced in settling in Colorado, it didn't surprise me that he kept his word. He has an incredible life story; it will touch your heart as you read it. Ralph Moody's books are excellent material for U.S. history / literature classes (teachers, take note!)

On the cover of Little Britches is the recommendation that Ralph Moody's books "should be read aloud in every family circle in America." (---Sterling North)

To order Ralph Moody's autobiographical novels, click below:

If you'd like to order more than one book in the series, please click back to my page and go through each separate link, so I will receive credit for the sales. Thank you so much.

Little Britches      Click here to order

No review can do this book justice. It's a gripping family story from beginning to end, and the first of the series, so you must start here.

Man of the Family    Click here to order

At 11 years old, Ralph becomes man of the family and an entrepreneur. He continues his horse riding, cattle driving, and the Moodys start a cooking business. The struggles of a family who refuses to rely on charity are enormous. Then Mom gets a revelation about washing and stretching lace curtains...

The Home Ranch    Click here to order

This book repeats some experiences and adds new ones to the time period of Man of the Family. We tried reading it after The Fields of Home, but wanted to go forward, not back in time. We'll probably return when we've finished the series and are crying for more.

Mary Emma and Company    Click here to order

In January, 1913, the Moodys must relocate, and go east to Medford, Massachusetts. Mrs. Moody, a widow with six children, struggles to find a job and establish their home. Ralph, at thirteen, is still a resourceful entrepreneur, but Mom and Grace figure prominantly in this book. With much faith, perseverance, and God's blessings, Mom (Mary Emma), Grace, and Ralph are living in a beautiful home and running their own business by May of the same year.

The Fields of Home    Click here to order

Probably the most frustrating book of the series, about when Ralph moves to Maine to work his grandfather's farm. Grandfather is not a very reasonable man, to put it nicely. Hang in there readers, and the ending will be your reward.

Shaking the Nickel Bush    Click here to order

Ralph moves back west because of health reasons and becomes a movie stunt "fall rider" and then an itinerant artist. He meets a friend, Lonnie, who convinces him to buy his first car. The book has a surprise ending and life lesson: don't keep your life savings in the cuff of your pants!

The Dry Divide    Click here to order

Ralph is thrown off a train in McCook, Nebraska, with only a dime in his pocket, and is hired as a wheat pitcher. He discovers why his hateful share-cropper employer travels to distant towns to find a crew. Fate intervenes, however, and Ralph becomes the boss and leads his motley crew to succeed in more than one business venture. As always, Ralph inspires loyalty and friendship in the hired hands: Doc, a "medicine man" when he gets into the tanglefoot, Gus and Lars, the Swedish workers with a hidden talent ("Yiminy, Dat is Fun!"), and Paco, a young Mexican with the gift of understanding horses.

Horse of a Different Color    Click here to order

This last book is as good as the first of the Little Britches series. We stood in awe of Ralph Moody's talents as an entrepreneur, his work ethic, and his maturity in his early 20's. We also loved the characters in Beaver Valley (which Ralph called the friendliest place on earth): Effie, the switchboard operator who helps Ralph succeed in business by providing the farm wives' point of view, and George Miner, a wise and respected farmer who becomes a second father to Ralph. This book is an excellent business course; by the end you will be interested in the hog and beef markets, and understand the value of hard work and perseverance. You will also find out who Ralph marries!

Alas, the series is done, where do we `go from here? May I suggest books by another cowboy: Will James. (1892-1942) He not only wrote many books, but illustrated them as well.

Smoky, the Cowhorse Click here to order

A Newbery Medal book, written from the horse's point of view. The language and grammar were difficult for me to adjust to; being a proofreader I wanted to correct the verbs and spelling. However, it is a beautiful story and the cowboy language is authentic...

RETURN TO READ-ALOUD HOMEPAGE