Wild West Books for 8-12 year olds
What if your quiet summer in a sleepy town turned into a wild Western adventure?
What if your new best friend was a red-haired rascal who couldn’t stay out of trouble?
And what if his tall tales landed you in real trouble, chasing smugglers and dodging bandits?
Welcome to The Sword and Story Podcast—where we help Christian families find exciting, faith-filled books for their boys.
Our mission is to raise strong, courageous warriors for the Kingdom of God. Join us on a quest to discover stories that inspire our boys to grow into godly young men.
I’m your host, Laurie Christine. I’m an author, bible teacher, wife, and mom to four wild, wonderful, boys. I’m the author of the Dragon Slayer Bible Series, adventure-packed biblical fiction and devotions for middle-grade boys.
Our guest author today is Glenn McCarty.
Glenn McCarty is the author of the middle grade Tumbleweed Thompson Adventure series. He teaches middle school English in Western New York, where he lives with his wife and children.
Tumbleweed Thompson series
Wild West books for 8-12 year olds
The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson is the first book in the Tumbleweed Thompson Adventures series, a wild and wooly tale that is classic Americana for a new generation.
For Eugene Appleton, the summer of 1876 in Rattlesnake Junction, Colorado promises to be just as sleepy as the ones before. Eugene’s life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Tumbleweed Thompson, a gangly, red-haired boy with a knack for spinning yarns and finding trouble. Drawn into Tumbleweed’s orbit, Eugene soon finds himself chasing smugglers, firing rifles, and competing for the attention of the lovely Charlotte Scoggins. The pair’s innocent mischief takes a serious turn when they stumble across a sinister plot hatched by the infamous Clean Shave Gang. They learn a lot from each other’s friendship. But will it be enough to thwart the Clean Shave Gang’s plans?
More Books in the Tumbleweed Thompson Adventures Series by Glenn McCarty
More books by Glenn McCarty
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW
Tumbleweed Thompson series by Glenn McCarty
Laurie Christine:
Glenn McCarty, welcome to the Sword and Story podcast.
Glenn McCarty:
Hi there.
Laurie Christine:
We are excited for you to join us today. Glenn and I were chatting beforehand and we have a really fun connection. We both went to the same college, studied writing there, and here we are many years later as authors. I’m so excited to connect with Glenn and hear about the books he is writing for kids, especially those that appeal to boys.
Glenn, tell us briefly about yourself and your family, and then we’ll dive into your books.
Glenn McCarty:
It is exciting to be here and talk about books for young people. I am a writer and a middle school English teacher living in Western New York. I’m also a father of two boys who are now teenagers, heading into high school. My wife is a teacher as well, and we live in a rural part of New York State.
Most people think of New York and picture the city, but we are fortunate to live in an area that is gorgeous from May through October. There’s a lot of green space, creeks, and places where our boys, when they were younger and even now, can enjoy adventures outside. Many of those adventures have found their way into my books because family is such an important part of my life, and they’ve been a huge inspiration for my stories.
Laurie Christine:
That’s great. I love talking to authors who write for boys and also have sons. There’s a strong connection with the audience that way. The book we’re talking about today is The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson. It makes sense that summers in New York with your boys would inspire those kinds of stories. Tell us a little about the book.
Glenn McCarty:
The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson is the first in a series of adventure novels inspired by books I loved as a kid—stories like The Hardy Boys, the Homer Price books, The Great Brain, and even Anne of Green Gables. These stories aren’t about saving the world, but about adventures closer to home that challenge characters to think about right and wrong, courage, and friendship.
It’s a buddy story. The narrator, Eugene Appleton, is twelve years old. At the start of summer, he expects life to be ordinary, with his mom keeping him in line. The story is set in the 1870s American frontier in a small Colorado town called Rattlesnake Junction.
Then a red-haired boy named Tumbleweed Thompson shows up with wild stories about his adventures. Their relationship starts as a rivalry but grows into a friendship. Soon, they suspect a gang of outlaws has secretly taken up residence in their town, and they set out to expose them. The story has suspense and twists, but also a strong thread of humor throughout.
Laurie Christine:
That sounds like a lot of fun. When I listened to the audiobook, it reminded me of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but with more modern language. My son recently read Tom Sawyer and loved it because of the adventure and mischief. I see that same appeal in your story.
What inspired you to choose an old Western setting rather than a modern one?
Glenn McCarty:
The adventure books I loved as a kid often took place in different times or places. They offered an escape into another world. The name “Tumbleweed Thompson” felt like it belonged to a kid who roams freely, which naturally fit a bygone era.
In that time period, not everything was mapped out. There was no GPS, so exploration felt more open and unknown. That sense of discovery is exciting. I also wanted to take readers out of their current context and immerse them in a new world.
The small-town setting was important too. I grew up loving The Andy Griffith Show, so I wanted Rattlesnake Junction to have that kind of feel—a place where you know the barber, the people on the street, and the rhythms of daily life.
Laurie Christine:
There’s definitely something about the Wild West that appeals to boys—the sense of adventure and freedom. It also allows for situations where kids have to figure things out on their own.
Can you share one of your favorite scenes from the book?
Glenn McCarty:
Early in the book, Eugene is in awe of Tumbleweed and believes everything he says. Tumbleweed tells him about smugglers stopping at a dock at night and suggests they sneak aboard to steal gunpowder.
Eugene sneaks out, and everything goes wrong. They end up on a boat with some shady characters, trying to play cards while figuring out how to escape. Eventually, chaos breaks out, and they jump off the boat and swim to shore.
What I love is what happens after. They’re wet, sitting by a campfire in the woods, and instead of being angry, they start laughing at the absurdity of it all. That shared experience becomes the beginning of their friendship. It’s a moment of bonding through chaos, which feels very real.
Laurie Christine:
I loved that scene too. It’s not spoiling anything to say they weren’t actually chasing gunpowder—it turned out to be black pepper, which made me laugh. And there’s a raccoon involved as well.
That theme of friendship is powerful. Even reading a book together can be a shared adventure for families.
I ask every guest this question: how will your book help boys become strong, courageous warriors for the kingdom of God?
Glenn McCarty:
That’s a great question. One of the most important elements of the story involves a barber named Wendell, who becomes a suspect in the outlaw activity. Eugene has gotten to know him and sees that he’s a good man.
As suspicion grows, Eugene has to decide whether to do what’s easy or what’s right. Standing up for Wendell means going against public opinion, a town marshal, and his own fears. He’s just a twelve-year-old boy, but he chooses courage.
I hope readers see that courage isn’t always dramatic—it’s often about doing the right thing when it’s hard. I also hope it encourages them to look more closely at people around them and recognize that everyone has a story.
Laurie Christine:
That’s powerful. Stories can show truth in a way that simple instruction cannot. When kids see courage modeled in a story they’re invested in, it reaches them on a deeper level.
Before we wrap up, tell us about your other recent book.
Glenn McCarty:
The Song of the Stone Tiger is a middle-grade fantasy set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. It follows a boy named Thomas who discovers magical woods behind his family’s summer home.
At the same time, his mother, who had been in remission from cancer, begins showing signs of relapse. In the woods, Thomas finds a stone tiger statue, sings to it, and it comes to life. They have adventures together, but the tiger is not well.
The story blends wonder and imagination with deeper themes of illness, hope, and truth. It celebrates stories, songs, and the ways we encounter truth beyond formal teaching.
Laurie Christine:
That sounds wonderful. Where can listeners find more about you and your books?
Glenn McCarty:
They can visit my website, which is my name. Both Tumbleweed Thompson books are available through major retailers and at the Story Warren store. The Song of the Stone Tiger is published by Bandersnatch Books. My website also has links and a newsletter for updates.
Laurie Christine:
Thank you so much for joining us on the Sword and Story podcast.
Glenn McCarty:
Thank you. It was great to talk with you.
Laurie Christine:
I’ll go back and add some additional details later, but thank you again.
Glenn McCarty:
Of course.
Laurie Christine:
I’m also connecting with others in the author community. If you know of authors who write for boys, feel free to send them my way.
Glenn McCarty:
I will. That’s something I’m passionate about—helping boys find books they love.
Laurie Christine:
I have four boys myself, ages nine to fifteen, so this is close to my heart. Middle grade is such a great space—kids are still innocent but ready for adventure and deeper themes.
Glenn McCarty:
I agree. It’s a special stage of life.
Laurie Christine:
Thank you so much for joining us today, Glenn. This has been a great conversation.
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