Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

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The Notebook Series: Ride On, Will Cody!

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I keep a notebook for each book I write. I thought it might be fun to share some of those pages with readers through a series of posts. Today’s post, the fifth in the series, will focus on my second picture book, Ride On, Will Cody!: A Legend of the Pony Express.

After visiting the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave in Golden, Colorado in 2012, I knew I wanted to write a story about this larger-than-life showman, but I wasn’t sure where I’d focus. As often happens when I research, my reading started out as broad exploration. I trust I’ll stumble on something I want to study more deeply. When I found out Cody claimed that as a teen he’d taken the third-longest ride in Pony Express history, I knew I’d found my story.

Like Over in the Wetlands, there were rhyming words, rhythms, and refrains to play with.

Here I am getting closer! Some of these stanzas made it to the final book with little alteration. This one’s my favorite:

This book’s publishing journey was much like Will’s ride: three years on submission parallels the Pony Express’s third longest ride. Twenty editors read (and rejected) the manuscript. It was editor twenty-one (like Will’s twenty-one horses) who finally took the book on.

Whew and hee-haw! A journey indeed.

Read the post about May B. here.
Read about Over in the Wetlands here.
Read about Blue Birds here.
Read about Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine here.

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Filed Under: books and reading, Ride On, Will Cody!, the writing life

Ride On, Read On!

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A quick mid-week post to tell you the Pony Express Re-Ride begins today! The 1,966-mile journey starts in Sacramento, California at 3:00pm and will end in St. Jospeh, Missouri on 30 June at 8:30pm.

Riders will carry a GPS in the mochila, so anyone interested can track the mail at any time. Here’s the schedule. Here’s the link to follow the ride.

A perfect companion for re-ride followers is a copy of Ride On, Will Cody!, of course. Will’s currently on sale at Amazon. Check it out!

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Learning More: the Pony Express and Buffalo Bill

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The Pony Express

Ride On, Will Cody! has started its journey as a real, live book. As I’ve shared the topic of my latest story with readers young and old, I’ve been met with enthusiasm for all things Pony Express. Here are some resources that might be of interest to the readers in your life.

articles and events

Death-Defying Riders of the Pony Express :: True West Magazine

10 Things You May Not Know About the Pony Express :: History.com

Follow the Ride from California to Missouri! :: National Pony Express Association
“Ride” along via GPS!

150 Years Later, Pony Express Rides On in Legend :: NPR

picture books about the Pony Express

They’re Off! : The Story of the Pony Express 

Off Like the Wind!: The First Ride of the Pony Express

Whatever Happened to the Pony Express?

museums

Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, MO

Museums along the trail, from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA

A list of monuments and museums, compiled by the National Pony Express Association

William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill)

Likewise, readers have expressed interest in America’s greatest showman, Buffalo Bill. Here are some places you can learn more:

articles

Candace Fleming Tames the Wild West :: Bookology

Top Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Buffalo Bill :: Yellowstone Country

Buffalo Bill’s Remains Lie in Colorado. But Wyoming Begs to Differ :: LA Times

All Bill, no bull: 100th anniversary of Buffalo Bill’s death looks at myths, legacy :: Denver Post

The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill 

museums

Buffalo Bill Cultural Center in Oakley, KS

Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, WY

Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave in Golden, CO

children’s books about Buffalo Bill

Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West

The Boy Who Became Buffalo Bill: Growing Up Billy Cody in Bleeding Kansas

 

Please let me know if you come across anything to add to this list!

 

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I’ll get a small percentage if you click through and purchase. Thanks for supporting this site.

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