For Eugene Appleton, the summer of 1876 in Rattlesnake Junction, Colorado promises to be just as sleepy as the ones before, his only excitement provided by the pulse-pounding Dead-Eye Dan adventure novels he devours.
But Eugene’s life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Tumbleweed Thompson, a gangly, red-haired boy who spins yarns about whaling voyages in the Atlantic and hidden stashes of gunpowder.
Drawn into Tumbleweed’s orbit, Eugene soon finds himself chasing smugglers, firing rifles, and competing for the attention of the lovely Charlotte Scoggins. The pair’s innocent mischief takes a serious turn when they stumble across a sinister plot hatched by the infamous Clean Shave Gang.
Soon, Eugene and Tumbleweed are smack inside the middle of a twisty plot lifted from the pages of a Dead-Eye Dan book. They’ve learned a lot from each other’s friendship. But will it be enough to thwart the Clean Shave Gang’s plans?
The debut novel from Glenn McCarty, The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson is a wild and woolly tale that’s classic Americana for a new generation.
Inspired by buddy adventure novels like Homer Price, The Great Brain, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the story follows 12-year-old Eugene Appleton, whose summer in the frontier town of Rattlesnake Junction, Colorado promises to be just as sleepy as the ones before, with his only excitement provided by the pulse-pounding Dead-Eye Dan adventure novels he devours. But Eugene’s life swerves into unexpected territory with the arrival of Tumbleweed Thompson, a gangly, red-haired drifter who spins yarns about whaling voyages in the Atlantic and ice fishing with the Inuits. It’s a novel about friendship, adventure, belonging, and finding out there’s a whole lot more out there than you first thought.
Glenn McCarty was raised in the shadow of Walt Disney World, and has never really grown up. He lives with his wife and children in a small town in Western New York that's pretty much Mayberry. But without Don Knotts. Bummer. He also has a dog who likes to bark at visitors, then boldly run and hide from them. He is the author of Horace and Oscar Visit the Lake, a children's chapter book, and is possibly at this very moment eating a slice of pie. Or thinking about it.
Glenn McCarty is the author of the children's middle grade novels The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson and Dead-Eye Dan and the Cimarron Kid, and companion short story collection Junction Tales. He has written about stories and parenting at Story Warren, and has shared the magic of stories with children and adults through speaking engagements, workshops, and hands-on writing classes. He lives with his wife, two boys, and a cowardly dog in a small town in Western New York that’s pretty much Mayberry. He wishes he could play the banjo, and has a slight obsession with all things Pixar, but he's working through it.
Learn more about the book at https://glennmccarty.com
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