One Sky Above Us
Ages 8 and up; HarperCollins; October 2002

"This series is a perfect blend of history and adventure that takes us behind the exploits of the legendary western showman, Buffalo Bill, to the boy, Bill Cody." - Joan Lowery Nixon, author of the Orphan Train Series

The Story: Bill Cody may be the toughest kid in Kansas, but all of a sudden he has to get tougher. The journey out west was supposed to be the hard part, but now that the Codys have settled, life is more difficult than ever.

Sure, they get to celebrate the Fourth of July with Kickapoo Indians. And Bill does get to visit Fort Leavenworth and ride Prince, the fastest horse in the west. But plowing the fields is more work than Bill ever thought a body could do. And even worse, the border ruffians are determined to get the Codys out of Kansas.

With his family in serious danger, Bill has no choice but to grow up fast and act like the man he always dreamed he could be.

The second book in an ongoing adventure series about young Buffalo Bill, One Sky Above Us sweeps readers back into the exciting and troubled world of America's frontier past.

Inspiration: Beth grew up hearing about Buffalo Bill from her father who, like our hero, was also named William Frederick Cody. When she began to look into the childhood of Buffalo Bill, she was amazed to find out what an incredibly exciting - and frightening - life the young boy led. Beth travelled the route the Cody's covered wagon took - going through Iowa and Missouri to their cabin site in Kansas, and what she learned about Bill's life truly amazed her.

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