New York City orphan Joe Monday dreams of finding a family and of being a cowboy. Things look up when he’s sent West on an orphan train, until he ends up with a pair of pig farmers who only want the free labor he provides. Joe runs away with a cattle drive headed north from Texas, though the cowboys are unsure of their young tag-along. But when disaster strikes, Joe proves that even a kid can be a hero, and learns that dreams really can come true. John Sanders has not only written a wonderful story, but he has reopened the Big Book of the American Cowboy for a whole new generation of children to enjoy. Don Edwards AMERICA’S COWBOY BALLADEER