Memorable Books From My Childhood Find New Homes; Being Republished

I would not attempt to guess how many books I’ve read over the last 60 years, but I still remember four of the first ones. I’m not talking about the stories from the big book of fairy tales that my mother read to me during the war years of the early 1940s while we sat each night snuggled in a big quilt to keep warm.

I’m talking about the first books that I sat down and read by myself. I’ve always considered them pretty good books for no other reason that they made a lasting impression on a childhood mind. Now it seems that those four books are among titles that two present day publishers see in them a value that makes them worthy of being reissued.

The first book was DAN HYLAND POLICE REPORTER, a birthday present from my parents when I was ten years old. In my household, with the event coming only eleven days after Christmas, birthday presents were always books since Santa had delivered all the toys I needed.

When I’m asked how I found my way into the newspaper business, my answer has always been that book It’s the story of a crime news reporter who began his career at the bottom rung at a Chicago newspaper and worked his way up to become a journalistic success, flying his own plane about the country in search of stories.

That book settled decisions about my future. Six years later, I got my first newspaper job, working in the pressroom as an inserter on Saturday nights, melding the comics and other pre-printed sections into the Sunday paper as it rolled off the press.

During breaks in the pressroom, I walked upstairs to the newsroom, looking at the place where I knew I wanted to be. Three years later, during my freshman year at college, I wrote my first published article for a county weekly. I’ve been cobbling words together for profit and fun ever since.

Dan Hyland Police Reporter is back in publication. Kessinger Publishing in Whitefish, Montana, is producing faithful reproductions of the book. In reviewing Kessinger’s catalog, I learned the author was Norton Hughes Jonathan, a name I did not remember from my childhood. Unfortunately, an extensive on-line search revealed nothing about this author.

The other three books from my childhood were part of the 300-book library in the one-room, six-grade elementary school I attended. The books were stored in a tall bookcase with glass doors, which some days drew my attention more than did the teacher. My goal was to read all of the books before I finished the sixth grade and moved on to the middle school.

I don’t remember if I reached my goal of reading all three hundred. I know there were books on mythology, geography, and animal stories, but I cannot recall the details. However, three of the books became a permanent memory, one that I turned to more than once during ensuing years. Stephen W. Meader wrote all three: BULLDOZER, BLUEBERRY MOUNTAIN, and T-MODEL TOMMY.

All three of the books were stories that emphasized the qualities that a young man needs when he is on the cusp of manhood and working to become a success in his own business. That was heady stuff to a young boy, not yet a teenager.

I’ve later learned that these were just three of 44 novels Meader wrote during a distinguished writing career that spanned more than 40 years. And again, the Meader’s books are being published, thanks to Jerry Atchley at Southern Skies in Little Rock Arkansas.

Atchley, having read some of Meader’s books as a grade-schooler, wanted to buy copies for a grandson. He found that original copies had become very expensive collector items, some with price tags as high as a thousand dollars.

Atchley’s interest in Meader’s books led to a meeting with the author’s son. A deal was struck. Southern Skies acquired the rights to all 44 of Meader’s published books. Jerry Atchley credits Meader for his business success. “My entrepreneurial spirit was influenced by Meader's books and they influence me still.”

I fully understand what Atchley is saying. And thanks to him and Southern Skies, additional generations will be able to learn the lessons taught in Stephen W. Meader’s books.

Zeal for Proper English Leads to Charges of Vandalism by National Park Officials

Seeing a sign with misspelled words or having improper punctuation often prompts the urge to make corrections. That urge, if followed too far, and later bragged about, can lead to dire consequences, according to an article in the August 23rd issue of the Virginian-Pilot.

A young man from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and a friend, both graduates of Dartmouth College, and others began a cross-country quest earlier this year on behalf of the Typo Eradication Advancement League. The goal was to correct as many typos as they could find.

They posted their successes on a Blog site, gaining national attention as it chronicled their success at correcting what were perceived as mistakes on 231 signs. That proved to be one sign too many.

In Arizona, on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, they ran across a 70-year old hand-painted sign that did not meet their standards for proper English. When their work with correction fluid and marker was complete, a misplaced apostrophe had been concealed; a new one inserted. And a comma had been added.

Afterwards, the pair claimed that they did not know the sign and a companion watchtower were registered as a national historic landmark site. Federal officials showed no compassion for their ignorance of historic sites or their zeal for properly punctuated signs.

The charge was one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to vandalize what court documents described as a “unique historical object of irreplaceable value.” Proof of the pair’s guilt came from postings and photographs on the Web site.

After pleading guilty, the two were assessed a fine and costs to repair the sign totaling $3,035. The duos also face probation for one year, and are banned from national parks and the modification of any public sign. They were also ordered to use the Web site to issue a statement discouraging vandalism of public signs.

There is an ironic addendum to this story about spelling and punctuation. The news article was one that solicited comments from the reading public. One respondent posted a message deploring the action of the pair, calling the sign a part of Americana. Without such, the reader stated, “We lose the since (sic) of where we came from.”

Some Readers Say They Are Growing Weary With The Series, But Child's Books Continues to Sell at Record Pace

Lee Child’s career continues at its whirlwind pace with his 12th novel featuring Jack Reacher. NOTHING TO LOSE, released on June 3, sold at a pace that pushed the book to number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Total book sales for the series have surpassed 30 million copies, according to some sources. However, one can find as much media criticism of the books as praise. Janet Maslin, reviewer for the Times, did the obligatory feature on the book for her paper.

The Old Cobbler, after reading her article in which she praises Reacher’s great mental capacity for analytical thinking, was left with the feeling that she was “reaching” in her laudatory comments.

It’s a situation somewhat akin to the current vogue in politics—don’t say anything outright negative; condemn with faint praise. There are, from several viewpoints, areas for criticism in the Jack Reacher series.

Many members of one group of Americans find the Jack Reacher character unrealistic, if not offensive. Portrayed as a former military major, he does not sit too well with many members of the United States military.

Collectively, the opinion is that his actions, as described in the books, are unbecoming that of a West Point graduate, an officer and a gentleman. A man who handled his affairs in such a manner would never have made it to the rank of Major.

Child, in defense of his character, has explained that he wanted an ex-military man who was “used to moving around a lot.” In one interview, he said, “Specifically, I was determined to avoid the hero-as-self-aware-damaged-person paradigm. I'm afraid as a reader I got sick of all the depressed and miserable alcoholics that increasingly peopled the genre.”

Child also admits Reacher is Jim Gant (his birth name) the child, grown up. “I was a tough guy in a tough neighborhood, and I grew big very early, so I ruled the yard -- never scared, never intimidated. At elementary school I was a paid bodyguard. Kids gave me cookies and lunch money to watch their backs.

Some bully stepped out of line, I was waiting for him on his way home. I never started a fight, but I was in plenty. I broke arms, did damage. But I felt I was on the side of the angels. I wanted to recapture that feeling and update it into adulthood.”

In Reacher, he said he “wanted a happy-go-lucky guy. He has quirks and problems, but the thing is, he doesn't know he's got them.” That last sentence seems to pretty well sum up the character: big, dumb, and happy. Reacher in action comes across as a combination of Popeye and Rambo, with a little Dirty Harry thrown in.

Before he adopted the pen name Lee Child, the former union shop steward spent 18 years in British television. He has stated this background was an influence on his writing style when decided to become an author. That is evident in his writing.

The average length of an episode in a TV series is 44-45 minutes, filled with scenes and dialog to tell, in literary terms, a short story. This time constraint demands a story without depth of background, without a full explanation of the whys behind the characters and the story.

If a series stays on the air long enough, bits and pieces of background on the main character or characters may find their way into the script, allowing viewers a chance to get to know them. And so it is with Child’s main character. If one has a good memory, or takes notes, then the reader who plows through all twelve books will have some knowledge, but maybe not understanding of Jack Reacher’s background.

Reacher’s footloose wandering as a plot line for each novel is one that has been used at least twice with marginal success on American television. From 1960 to 1964, the TV show Route 66 gave us two young guys driving about the country. That series is best remembered today for the Corvette convertible and the show’s theme music, written by Nelson Riddle. The instrumental became a big popular hit.

During the 1969-1970 season, a series called Then Came Bronson arrived on American television. This time, the footloose wandering was one guy, with a motorcycle for transportation from town to town. The pilot episode for that series was released in Europe as a feature film, and now occasionally shows up as a late-night cable movie.

Reacher, like the characters on these two shows pops up in various towns like mushrooms on a morning lawn. Readers know that going to the bus station and buying a ticket for the next one leaving may be his exit move, but why he stops where he does, nobody knows.

So, what has made Lee Child one of the hottest writers around? It has been suggested that his appeal lies in the fact that his books are a fantasy for both men and women. Child does not disagree.

For men, it’s the country song, “Take This Job and Shove It.” The author said, “For men, as they get bogged down with responsibilities, commitments, bureaucracy, it is a fantasy just to think of shedding everything literally, walking away with nothing at all, and just hitting the road.”

For women, it’s the movie,” Bridges of Madison County.” Child again. “For women, there's a kind of fantasy that such a man might conceivably knock on her door. Mainly because he wouldn't stick around. In reality, affairs are always messy, because somebody finds out, you get divorced, or whatever. With a fantasy affair, a guy like Reacher might stick around for three or four days, and then you can guarantee you'll never hear from him again. He won't write and he won't call. It's safe and it's perfect.”

And then there is Lee Child, the author, the perfect front man to be promoting his books. He’s British. He’s tall, has that voice and accent that so many Americans consider sexy, and bears no resemblance at all to the Royal family. There are those who consider him a hunk, a real life version of their Jack Reacher fantasy.

The question of the author’s real name is a lure to some. When asked his real name, this was his reply. "The performers' unions I belonged to in the past demanded a name change if there was a danger of confusion with an established personality. As a consequence over the years I worked under three different names.

Maybe ten people in the world call me by the name on my birth certificate. Sometimes I can barely remember what it is. Ten million people call me Lee Child. That's more real to me than government paperwork."

That seems to beg the question: has the man become a fantasy in his own mind? With the income from over 30 million in books sold, the 52-year-old writer can certainly afford to live a life of fantasy, including who he is.

NOTHING TO LOSE is the twelfth in the Jack Reacher series. In television time, that’s just about one season’s worth of episodes. Will the series continue?

With an average of over 2 million sold copies for the first eleven episodes, there’s lots of room for freefall before Jack Reacher buys a ticket on the next bus out of town and never shows up again.