What happens when a boy is threatened with the loss of what he loves most? Eleven-year-old Jed with the help of his eight-year-old friend, Tommy, pits his ingenuity against the hard realities of the adult world. Jed has worked a year to earn the money to buy Dusty, a pony he's helped nurse back to health. Dusty's owner plans to sell Dusty for profit at the county fair auction.
Against the odds, Jed goes to the auction where a pony ring buyer ups the ante. Tommy adds his allowance savings to Jed's wages, but Jed is still outbid and crumples in despair. From the back Tommy hears his uncle's voice pick up the bidding, and the boys take hope. But when Tommy sees his uncle frown, he groans, "The pony ring man's going to make Uncle Joe run out of money, too!" That jolts Jed to an idea that changes the outcome of the auction and leads to the boys' shared ownership of Dusty.
WHAT REVIEWERS SAY:
". . . The story's theme--about the friendship a child can form with an animal even if that animal isn't his--will be easy for young readers to identify with. Westover is surprisingly adept at capturing a young boy's point of view, and her glossary and discussion topics make this book suitable for reading groups or classrooms. There's a lot to discuss here, and some moments that adults will appreciate as well . . . . This short chapter book (is) full of charming black-and-white illustrations . . . ."
~Kirkus Review
"Realistic characters struggle with a problem that will keep you turning pages to the end. A great read."
~Mary-Lane Kamberg, author of The I Love to Write Book: Ideas and Tips for Young Writers.
"Travel back to hard-working rural America of the 1940s in this absorbing story of friendship, love, determination and collabortion. You'll be captivated by Jed and Tommy, two boys with a willingness to work and a passion for Dusty, a run-down pony, they help restore to health. With her engaging writing and vivid sense of detail, Phyllis Galley Westover puts you out into the haying field, sits you down at the family dinner table, and lures you into the auction ring. There you'll perch on the edge of your seat as Jed and Tommy bid their hearts out, trying to save their beloved Dusty from a grueling servitude in the pony ring. This is a story to share with children of all ages, a story to read aloud and savour."
~Deborah Shouse, writer, editor and author of Love in the Land of Dementia, co-author, Antiquing for Dummies.
"There is a palpable tension at the auction and honest emotion sketched with just a few lines . . .".
~Amazon Book Review
"Jed and Tommy are real boys doing real things--learning the value of working a long day for a short day's pay, saving the money made through their own sweat labor for the one thing in life they love best, a loyal and beautiful pony name Dusty. You'll experience the sights and smells of a working farm, the tensions and excitement of an old fashioned auction, where life between the generations is anything but equal and where the triumph of goodness and love between boys and between men will make your heart stand and cheer."
~Chalise Bourque, author of One Right Thing.
"Young readers and listeners alike will delight in Sold to the Highest Bidder. Eleven-year-old Jed is determined to rescue a beloved pony from the auction ring. In the fast-paced tale, Jed battles the pony ring man. Tension builds as complication upon complication arises until a surprising resolution is reached. With exquisite details, Phyllis Galley Westover draws a portrait of a young farm boy learning important lessons about perseverance and friendship. Every child who yearns after the seemingly unattainable will thrill to this offering. You'll want to share the story with all the children in your life."
~Jacqueline Guidry, author of The Year the Colored Sisters Came to Town.
Sold to the Highest Bidder available on Amazon.com and Kindle.
Phyllis Galley Westover grew up in New York City loving animals. A cat and a dog fit in her parents’ apartment, but a pony did not. She saved all the nickels and dimes given her for ice cream cones and all her allowance from the time she was six until she was twelve when her family moved to Alabama. Finally she was big enough to ride a horse and had a place for one. But she only had enough money for half a horse, so she bought one with a friend. And guess what? Her parents surprised her by buying the other half!
Because she also loved stories and to write, many years later she went to college, earned degrees, and began to teach and write. You can read her stories in magazines and anthologies. For more information about her teaching and writing career, see About the Author.
Illustrator:
Jaclyn Dalbey is an illustrator and filmmaker living on the roaring plains of Kansas City. She graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2011 and is currently paying her rent. For more information about her work, see her website at jaclyndalbey@blogspot.com.
