Phoebe Clappsaddle for Sheriff

After Phoebe welcomes the new schoolteacher, Miss Hornswaggle, and her bird to the Texas town of Buzzard, she finds she has to put the Tumbleweed Gang in line once again.

After Phoebe welcomes the new schoolteacher, Miss Hornswaggle, and her bird to the Texas town of Buzzard, she finds she has to put the Tumbleweed Gang in line once again.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-The star of this rowdy tale is a little lady first introduced in Phoebe Clappsaddle and the Tumbleweed Gang (Pelican, 2002). While diminutive in stature, Phoebe's skills and commanding presence have won her the respect of her Texas territory and beyond. Her reputation is such that the governor asks her to meet the new schoolteacher's stagecoach, an honor normally reserved for the sheriff. The territory is, however, without one and Phoebe proudly dons the tin star formerly worn by her grandpa. The Tumbleweed Gang takes her absence as an invitation to cause trouble. In nonstop action, she must save the out-of-control coach, calm the teacher's ornery parrot, and then deal with the misdeeds of the gang. Cartoonlike illustrations evoke the ambience of Texas in the early days of statehood. This lively tribute to female empowerment should have regional appeal and will supplement tall-tale collections.-Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

MELANIE CHRISMER is a fifth-generation Houston native. She frequently speaks at schools and libraries, where she discusses the history of her native state and shares hints for developing writing techniques.