Since we moved to Texas, we’ve been trying to learn as much as we can about its history and culture. So, like typical homeschoolers, we switched gears in the middle of the school year and jumped from Ancient Egypt to the history of the South because that’s where the science of relations was happening in real time for us.

There are so many good ones to share in this category, but I’ll start with our current favorite: Bud and Me by Alta Abernathy.

Bud and Me is the hilarious and heartwarming, true story of two brothers, Bud and Temp Abernathy, who embark on wild adventures across America on horseback in the early 1900s at ages 9 and 5 respectively! NINE and FIVE.

Their first trip from Oklahoma to New Mexico takes them right through Texas where they must deal with snakes, scorpions, wolves, heat, gyp-water, and a host of other things that I’m sure are much funnier to read about than experience at such a young age.

Any father today that allowed his sons to ride thousands of miles alone would most certainly be charged with neglect, but I suppose that speaks to how badly society has regressed in all its progressivism.

It is fascinating to read about a time, not too terribly long ago, where children were free to experience life without social media, understood basic survival skills and how to sustain themselves, and had the maturity at such a young age to handle situations that most adults today cannot. Society as a whole could be trusted to look out for each other and lend a hand, rather than turning a blind eye to the needs of our fellow man.

The book is a bit pricey, but money well spent, in my opinion. It had the whole family either roaring with laughter or on the edge of our seats, entirely captivated by this rare, but precious bit of American history! Highly recommended!