Whistling Hardy's Many Adventures by malinda56@comcast.net Mitchell    Books by malinda56@comcast.net Mitchell · Jimmy's First Garden and Other Young Adult Stories · Harley and the Egg · Miss Sugar Crumb's Cooking Lesson · Miss Sugar Crumb's Magic Kitchen · Life With Willie, The Weeping Willow Tree                 >> View all
Category:	Literary Fiction	Publisher:	Publish America	ISBN-10:	1451240546	Type:
Pages:	112	Copyright:	November 19, 2010	ISBN-13:	9781451240542	Fiction

Woody Hardy was a pleasant man, who enjoyed whistling lovely tunes, and skipping instead of walking. Buy your copy! Amazon Amazon Barnes and Noble Malinda Mitchell Woody Hardy was a pleasant man, who enjoyed whistling lovely tunes, and skipping instead of walking. Woody's dream was to one day retire and travel on foot from town to town, while working at odd jobs and making friends along the way. After years of working and saving for his future, Woody was finally able to make his dream come true. Through the pages of this book you will read about Woody's adventures, and learn that sometimes good things happen when you least expect it. Excerpt Woody's dream was to one day retire and travel on foot from town to town, while working at odd jobs and making friends along the way.

Paperback

interesting, pleasant reading 5 stars
What would you think of a tall, lanky middle-aged man who spent his time traveling on foot from town to town, carrying only a change of clothes and enough food to last him until he could find work? Woody Hardy from South Carolina is such an individual. Woody has never married, but worked hard, saved his money, and retired early from his job so that he could follow his dream. As he goes along, he likes to skip and whistle. Therefore, he's known as "Whistling Hardy."
Author Malinda Mitchell chronicles Whistling Hardy's adventures. One day he finds a large gold coin in the road, which leads him to Parker and Delia Sanderson's farm where he works for them awhile as a bookkeeper and helps their friend Mrs. Williams. Moving on to the next town, he comes across two young boys, Jimmy and Johnny Landis, does odd jobs on their parents' farm, and teaches the two boys how to whistle. After that, he finds an injured mynah bird which he nurses to health and while staying in Mrs. Gadsden's motel assists a young man named Kevin Baines who is down on his luck. Farther along the road, he sees the small farm of Robert and Thelma Finch and their dog Little Kippie Poo. Robert has been taken to the hospital with pneumonia, so Woody finds another opportunity to do good deeds. But will Woody ever settle down and return home?
Some people might conclude that Whistling Hardy's Many Adventures is hopelessly unrealistic and silly. I would strongly disagree with that conclusion. Obviously, the story is fiction, as the information page says, "All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental." However, Woody Hardy illustrates many great character traits, such as cheerfulness in life, helpfulness to others, kindness to animals, and striving to achieve a personal goal, about which it is good for children to read in adults so that they might learn to emulate these qualities, even though they may never quite grow up to go whistling and skipping down the road. The book could have used a little editing for some very minor issues with grammar and punctuation, but otherwise it is a pleasant read that I found quite interesting.

Whistling Hardy's Many Adventures 5 stars
Book Review by Readers Favorite

Woody Hardy had a dream, to retire and walk the country side. Not only did he get his exercise, but he got an education unlike one could not get in school. Woody was better known as Whistling Hardy by his signature whistle as he skipped down the road. He was known in almost every town he visited. He had enough saved that he could fulfill his dream of traveling from place to place on an adventure working odd jobs and meeting some very wonderful families. He used a cell phone and a little book to keep the phone number and address of each family he came in contact with, so that way he will always be able to contact them again.

I found a life lesson in every chapter: returning things one finds to the rightful owner, teaching children the value of work and helping people in need without expecting to get something in return. This book is appropriate for middle school students but adults will enjoy it too. I enjoyed this short read.