When Little Joe Stout survives the car accident that took his parents’ lives, he is sent to live with his maternal grandparents in the small town of Round Rock, Tennessee. Orphaned and missing his Texas home, Little Joe is reluctant to adapt. But his grandparents, especially his grandmother, are up to the challenge of raising him despite their own struggles. Soon, childhood friendships are forged in the oddball duo of Sugar and Bobby, and—with the help of a new canine companion—Little Joe begins to see that his new home offers the comfort and love he thought was lost forever.

Set against the drama of World War II and the first sparks of the civil rights movement, Little Joe’s new home is a microcosm of America in the 1940s. A frightening incident with a Chinese motorist traveling on the wrong side of town, the migration of troops across the countryside, and a frank discussion of Jim Crow laws are just a few of the local events mirroring the radio broadcasts that bring the news of the day into his grandmother’s kitchen.

Received in ebook format from netgalley.com.

This is a book of a more innocent time, with an orphaned child from Texas being sent to live with his grandparents in Tennessee. It's a new way of life for him. so he not only has to cone to terms with surviving the car crash that killed his parents, but with living on a farm instead of the city, with people who he doesnt know that well. There are some hard lessons to learn: dont name the chickens as it's hard to kill and eat something you see as a friend. Pigs are bred to be killed and eaten. There are bullies at school and you have to learn to deal with them There are other lessons that Joe learns, often without realising: what family and friends are about. how to look after others and that other people can feel sorrow. That there is still bigotry, even after the civil war that freed the slaves.

This is a story about a 10 year old, and easily read by a 10 year old. There is no deep or meaningful exposition or character development. The language is plain, simple and uncomplicated. It'll be interesting to see if the next book in the series is written the same way or differently. Not everyone will take pleasure in the writing style - it is quite plain and simple, and it's not deep on characterisation, which some people dislike. Not having read the "Little House" stories, I dont know whether other people's comparisons stand up - I have read similar stories such as "Anne of Green Gables" and whilst this is not as gleaming positive in it's style of writing, the reading level is about the same.

It's October 1942, and the Stout family--Ann, Joe, and their young son, Little Joe--are on their way to visit Ann's family before Joe, an Army pilot, takes up his new assignment in Indiana. There's a storm and the road conditions are terrible, though, and when a tire blows out, Little Joe is the only survivor of the resulting accident.

The loss of his parents, the abrupt transition from life in urban Texas to life in rural Tennessee, and the shock knowing the animals he's eating for dinner on his grandparents' farm, are all hard on Little Joe. Daddy and Mother Washington--Persifor and Frances--are strong, loving, and understanding, though, and work to give him a sense of security and a grounding in values that will last him a lifetime.
Because World War II is under way, they deal with rationing, with troops moving into the area for training and maneuvers, and getting word of the deaths of young men they know.

Young parents today may be shocked at the degree of risk and danger that was a normal part of growing up prior to about a generation ago. What kind of childhood is it, when you don't get a chance to blow something up?

Because it's the 1940s, Little Joe encounters the effects of Jim Crow on the family of a man who works for his grandfather, and the first stirrings of the Civil Rights movement, and his grandmother's calm but firm rejection of the racism around them.

An excellent and moving story, and a glimpse into an important part of our past. Highly recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

**I was provided an ARC for an honest review. All opinion are my own.
An authentic portrait of life, unfettered by the demands of our modern lives, in small town America in, the period leading up to WWII. A story of innocence, loss, uncertainty, prejudice, unlikely friendship, acceptance, forgiveness, and love. I was captivated from page one, Mr. Glasscock recreated a world most of us have only read about. I enjoyed the scenes of small town farm life he depicted in this book. I am greatly looking forward to following Little Joe over the next novels to find out where his story leads and to see who he becomes.

The depth of emotion that I felt for Little Joe exceeded what I envisioned when I read the synopsis. I was drawn into a world, that while in a state of anxious anticipation for a war that we were being drawn into, was still innocent and loving. When we meet him, in the hospital, just learning of the death of his parents, he meets his grandparents, whom it seems he doesn’t really know. He is thrust into their world by cruel fate, and seemingly has a hard time adjusting to his new life. His grandparents seem distant and almost uninterested at times. But you soon realize that they are guiding and shaping him to become a caring and responsible young man.

I would have no problems recommending this book to people of all ages.

~Michele
Book Geeks Unite! ( )

Little Joe Stout’s life changes drastically when his parents are killed in a car accident when he is just a young boy. Michael E. Glasscock weaves a delightful story about Little Joe in the first book of the Round Rock series, Little Joe. The Round Rock series features stories about the people of Round Rock, Tennessee.

Little Joe goes to live with his grandparents, Persifor and Frances who Little Joe calls Daddy and Mother Washington, after his parents are killed. Little Joe blames himself for their deaths because they were arguing in the car before the accident. When Little Joe goes to live with his grandparents, it is a drastic change from his Texan city lifestyle to now be living on a farm in the middle of Tennessee. He hates the way Frances cooks everything in a pound of bacon grease and how they kill the animals they are going to eat. Throughout the first year of living with his grandparents, he has a lot of adventures with his two good friends, Sugar and Bobby. Through these adventures, he learns a lot of hard lessons about life and death. But can Little Joe ever really get used to the farm life and living with his grandparents?

I really enjoyed the setting of Little Joe. It takes place during the Second World War, which makes for an interesting setting with Little Joe in the midst of a worldwide war and a war within himself. I would give Little Joe a 4 out of 5 stars. ( )

Little Joe became an orphan in an instant. His grandparents were nearby and so he went to live with. This is his story of life completely different from the one he led before.

The book was well written and in the beginning the tragedy drew me into the story. Unfortunately, it really did not do much for me. It was well written and a good story; however, I kept waiting for something to happen. There were small incidents along the way but no real climax to the story. The grandparents were a bit surreal. Little Joe received punishment for bad behavior but not in a realistic fashion for the period in which the story takes place. It just felt like someone telling a brief story about their past but there wasn't really anything interesting. ( )