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Bud & Me: The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys
Bud & Me is one of the 20th Century's most exciting true stories of courage and adventure. The year is 1905. The new century is still in its infancy. Automobiles are little more than rich men's toys and many short-sighted people feel that everything that can be invented has been invented! In the early 1900's there are only 150 miles of paved road in the entire country. Fifty percent of Americans live and work on farms. Radios and refrigerators are still years away. Women are not allowed to vote yet and Teddy Roosevelt is in office. Against this background come two adverturesome boys, Temple and Bud Abernathy. Raised by their widowed father, "Catch-'em-Alive" Jack Abernathy, known as the man from Oklahoma who catches wolves with his hands . . . the boys, ages 5 and 9, set out on a series of daring rides across America. First, alone on horseback from Frederick, Oklahoma to Sante Fe, New Mexico and back. Then to New York City, alone on horseback to meet the! ir friend "Teddy" and back to Oklahoma driving their own "Brush" automobile. Their longest ride and again alone and on horseback, takes place in 1911, when two New York promoters challenge the boys to ride from Coney Island to San Francisco in 60 days time. The boys are allowed only one change of horses and they cannot sleep or eat under roof during the entire trip or they forfeit the $10,0000 prize money! It is hard to comprehend how diferent the country is today from just 90 years ago! The story is captivating and an important piece of Americana and rare that it can be shared by an entire family!
162 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
December 31, 2022
As a native Oklahoman, I question the veracity of some of the Abernathy boys' escapades since they state that El Reno is north of Oklahoma City. However, there's no question that these two young boys lived an incredibly exciting adventure!
In an age when most parents don't allow their five-year-old to play alone in the front yard, it's nearly inconceivable that a parent would allow a child that age to travel unaccompanied two states away. And yet, that first adventure was probably the tamest one of all!
I can't wait to read this with my kids as part of our Oklahoma History studies!
In an age when most parents don't allow their five-year-old to play alone in the front yard, it's nearly inconceivable that a parent would allow a child that age to travel unaccompanied two states away. And yet, that first adventure was probably the tamest one of all!
I can't wait to read this with my kids as part of our Oklahoma History studies!
July 3, 2023
My kids voted this a 5 star read aloud!
October 12, 2024
If your nine-year-old and five-year-old asked to go on a several hundred-mile trip alone, would you let them? That is just what Jack Abernathy agreed to back in 1902. His sons, Bud and Temple embarked on horseback, riding from Oklahoma to Sante Fe, New Mexico. Even though they had someone who would welcome them at the end of the trip they still had to travel all the way by themselves. And this was just the first of six trips they took in the course of about 4 years. Some were on horseback, one was by car (yes, they were driving!!!) and one was on a motorcycle. There was also a short trip by donkey and elephant.
As absolutely astounding as it seems, this was really true and the book includes photos taken on their journeys and some newspaper clippings.
My sister told me about this book, and I had to get it through ILL at my library. It was definitely worth it.
As absolutely astounding as it seems, this was really true and the book includes photos taken on their journeys and some newspaper clippings.
My sister told me about this book, and I had to get it through ILL at my library. It was definitely worth it.
January 11, 2021
This was a wonderful read aloud with my 13-year-old son. My how notions of parenting and childhood have changed in the last 100 years! For the 192021 challenge at theliterary.life, this fit the category "A Travel Book."
February 8, 2019
What a wonderful little book! As detailed on the back cover - "In 1909, 5-year-old Temple and his 9-year-old brother, Bud, rode from Frederick, Oklahoma to Santa Fe, New Mexico... ALONE. And that was only the beginning." This is really an unbelievable true story of the 2 brothers' adventures traveling across the country by themselves, with their father's approval, in the early 20th century. I'd heard about the brothers when visiting an auto museum in Fairbanks, Alaska, last year, and was happy to get the chance to read the complete story. Trust me, you won't be disappointed in reading about their amazing trips. This book isn't readily available everywhere, but it's worth seeking out. The writing itself (transcribed from interviews of the youngest brother by his wife, many, many years later) isn't always perfect, but the story is incredible (great pictures, too). Give it a try!
July 6, 2025
Where is the mother?
She died; that explains most of it. While my heart acted the part of the suffocating woman who clasped Temple to her chest and chastised his father, my children were certain they could do all the same journeys themselves.
Bud & Me is an antidote to helicopter parenting everyone should read.
She died; that explains most of it. While my heart acted the part of the suffocating woman who clasped Temple to her chest and chastised his father, my children were certain they could do all the same journeys themselves.
Bud & Me is an antidote to helicopter parenting everyone should read.
September 1, 2023
Incredible story of two young brothers (age 6 & 9 at the start of the book) who adventure cross country on horseback, by car, and then motorcycle, completely on their own! The writing isn't fancy or as eloquent as it could be, but it was fun to read this TRUE story!
February 4, 2022
Unbelievable adventures! It's like listening to an old relative reminisce, except better.
January 27, 2023
Such a fun read aloud! We all enjoyed it!
February 4, 2023
Incredible tales! The true story of two mostly unsupervised boys as they travel around the country in the early 1900's.
February 23, 2026
loved this amazing true adventure of young boys and their travels!
January 20, 2026
The type of book I wish I’d read when I was 5
January 12, 2017
I came across this book when searching for something to read with my son that coincided with our study of American history and the period before WWI. I was having a hard time finding something that I thought would hold the interest of an eleven-year-old boy. When I read the synopsis for Bud & Me, I knew I'd found the perfect book. I couldn't believe I'd never heard of their story myself, and I was excited to read their story, as well. After a bit of searching, I was able to order a copy and we weren't disappointed. The story of Bud and Temp Abernathy was astonishing. Two young boys who were allowed to cross the country alone on their horses?? And there was the added bonus of so much history: they were up close and personal with Teddy Roosevelt, they visited the Wright brothers factory and met Wilbur Wright, their descriptions of seeing trains, planes, and automobiles for the first time, and the family photographs included that helped bring it all to life. Finally, the descriptions of America, so raw and untouched, helped paint a picture of life in the early 1900s. This little book should be in every American library and available to all children.
February 9, 2018
This is the telling of several adventures on horse, car, and motorcycle by the Abernathy boys from Oklahoma. At the time of their first adventure the boys were 9 & 5 and rode their horses alone from Oklahoma to Santa Fe. Times were different then because it seemed okay to their Federal Marshall dad to let them go on such a trip.
The story reads more like an older gentleman telling his tales to his grandchildren than great prose. He hits the highlights of the trips but does not give any rich details of how they managed such feats at their young ages. While interesting, I'm not sure I would recommend it if you're looking for a book to get lost in on a cold winter's evening.
The story reads more like an older gentleman telling his tales to his grandchildren than great prose. He hits the highlights of the trips but does not give any rich details of how they managed such feats at their young ages. While interesting, I'm not sure I would recommend it if you're looking for a book to get lost in on a cold winter's evening.
March 23, 2017
These two young boys set off on some incredible journeys - ALONE! It's is almost unbelievable traveling across the country on horseback, meeting Teddy Roosevelt, discovering America at it's best.
February 18, 2026
“Bud & Me”, an excellent book, a must read. Imagine it’s 1909 and you and your sibling are about to make a horseback trip from Frederick, OK to Santa Fe, NM, quite a task, right? Now imagine doing this when you and your sibling are 9 and 5 years old, alone, just the two of you. That is exactly what Bud (9) and Temple (5) Abernathy did. But their adventures don’t stop there. Over the next four years, the Abernathy boys made the Sante Fe trip, then rode their horses, from Oklahoma to New York City to meet Teddy Roosevelt, returned from NYC to Oklahoma driving a car, yes, the two boys drove the car themselves back to Oklahoma. Then they traveled on horseback from the Atlantic Ocean (NY), across the country, to the Pacific Ocean (San Francisco) in 62 days. Then in 1913, to finish their adventures, at ages 9 and 13, rode an Indian motorcycle, accompanied by their cousin, from Oklahoma to New York City. If you find this hard to imagine you doing this at that age, try imagining being the father of the boys and allowing them to attempt these trips.
The book is written by Alta Abernathy, Temple’s wife. When I first began reading this book, I was thinking the book was not written that well, leaving out many details of the trips. Then I realized that Alta wrote the book just as if the reader was sitting there and Temple was telling them the stories. She was able to capture the feeling of the reader being told the story, instead of reading about the boys. I subsequently discovered Alta was a well-known writer and storyteller to children and this book was written like a storyteller.
The Abernathy boys achieved quite the notoriety and were able to meet some fascinating people because of their adventures.
The author did a fantastic job with the storytelling, and I found it difficult to put the book down. It’s relatively short and easy to read. This book may be in my Top 10 books that I have read and I’m not sure if that is because of the boys’ adventures, their age when they made the trips, or the way the book is written, or all three. You should read this book. If I could give it six stars I would.
The book is written by Alta Abernathy, Temple’s wife. When I first began reading this book, I was thinking the book was not written that well, leaving out many details of the trips. Then I realized that Alta wrote the book just as if the reader was sitting there and Temple was telling them the stories. She was able to capture the feeling of the reader being told the story, instead of reading about the boys. I subsequently discovered Alta was a well-known writer and storyteller to children and this book was written like a storyteller.
The Abernathy boys achieved quite the notoriety and were able to meet some fascinating people because of their adventures.
The author did a fantastic job with the storytelling, and I found it difficult to put the book down. It’s relatively short and easy to read. This book may be in my Top 10 books that I have read and I’m not sure if that is because of the boys’ adventures, their age when they made the trips, or the way the book is written, or all three. You should read this book. If I could give it six stars I would.
October 22, 2024
The book is in the title of this one! ;) This book is nonfiction that reads like fiction, as Bud and his brother take off on multiple multi-week trips across large swaths of America at the turn of last century. They do a few trips by horseback, camping along the way, and then do one trip by car and one by motorcycle. Starting "small" they travel across the state of Oklahoma by horseback, taking just a few weeks to reach their destination. But they quickly expand their ambitions, traveling to and from California and then New York, from their home in Oklahoma.
What makes this book read more like fiction is the fact that Bud and Temple Abernathy are 5 and 9 years old when they make the first trip, and only a couple of years older when they drive a car across the country. Yes, you read that right. Five and nine years old. Don't worry: their dad gave Bud a small gun to use if necessary on the coyotes or criminals.
This is a fairly quick read that packs a punch. It was just astounding to read about the boys' adventures!
What makes this book read more like fiction is the fact that Bud and Temple Abernathy are 5 and 9 years old when they make the first trip, and only a couple of years older when they drive a car across the country. Yes, you read that right. Five and nine years old. Don't worry: their dad gave Bud a small gun to use if necessary on the coyotes or criminals.
This is a fairly quick read that packs a punch. It was just astounding to read about the boys' adventures!
July 17, 2026
This is a remarkable story of how two little boys traveled alone back and forth across America, riding horses or early automobiles and motorcycles. It is shocking that they were allowed to do this, considering now you hear of parents arrested for letting their children walk down the street. People were certainly surprised in those days, but they could actually get away with it!
They had some perilous moments - fording a raging river, almost dying in the desert, and spending the night with outlaws, and some memorable ones - the time spent with Theodore Roosevelt, and being introduced to brand-new inventions. Other sections did drag on a bit.....
I read this aloud to the kids, and I think we all enjoyed it.
They had some perilous moments - fording a raging river, almost dying in the desert, and spending the night with outlaws, and some memorable ones - the time spent with Theodore Roosevelt, and being introduced to brand-new inventions. Other sections did drag on a bit.....
I read this aloud to the kids, and I think we all enjoyed it.
January 21, 2018
This is a great story of two brothers that ride their horses from Oklahoma to Santa Fe and back by themselves and then to New York and later from New York to San Francisco. What is remarkable is that the story is true and the boys were very young. It is hard to imagine a time when a parent would allow his kids to have these adventures by themselves. It is too bad that we no longer have that kind of world but even back then, not just any parent would have allowed it. I would recommend this book to anyone but especially to kids-it is a good story of hard work, determination and overcoming obstacles.
January 9, 2019
An amazing true tale of the cross country trips (by horseback and Indian "motocycle" (not a typo!) of Louis (Bud) and Temple Abernathy in the early 1900's. What makes this all the more amazing is that their first trip is at 5 and 9 and the last at 9 and 13!
I read this as a bedtime read-aloud with my boys and my husband. We had read The Abernathy Boys by L.J. Hunt a couple of years ago and it became a family favorite, so when I ran across this book by Temple's wife, I was excited.
It reads like an old man telling the stories about his childhood - I pictured my Grandpa in my head.
Our family gave it a big thumbs up and the boys were disappointed when we were done reading.
I read this as a bedtime read-aloud with my boys and my husband. We had read The Abernathy Boys by L.J. Hunt a couple of years ago and it became a family favorite, so when I ran across this book by Temple's wife, I was excited.
It reads like an old man telling the stories about his childhood - I pictured my Grandpa in my head.
Our family gave it a big thumbs up and the boys were disappointed when we were done reading.
March 7, 2023
This is not high art. The prose is simple, but effective. It is endearing that the author is the wife of one of the brothers, and she took great care to tell the story in an engaging way. But what the book lacks in elegance, it makes up in substance. That's my clumsy say of saying: W O W! What a story! When I heard the description of it during a podcast, I knew I HAD to get this book. There are no copies in the library system, so I ordered jt from the publisher. And I was not disappointed! This is Free-Range Parenting on Steroids! 😂 Glad they survived their adventures, and it also shows how good stories can inspire kids!
November 22, 2023
A charming little book! At ages 10 and 6, these brothers rode horseback and alone in 1910 from Oklahoma to Washington D.C. After a week of VIP treatment there, they rode north to NYC and participated in a parade with Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. Then they talked their father into buying them a Brush automobile; and they drove it back home, setting a new record, over 2,500 miles in 23 days. The following year, they rode horseback from NYC to San Francisco. This is one of those books that makes us proud to be American.
June 27, 2017
A surprising but true tale of the cross-country adventures of two young lads of about 9 and 5, barely old enough to leave their own yard unaccompanied yet whose Dad allows them cross-country adventures entirely unaccompanied. Their mother was not still alive - otherwise one suspects these trips would not have happened and this book would not have been taken.
The events take place in the years 1905-1913. The book is an interesting read.
The events take place in the years 1905-1913. The book is an interesting read.
December 31, 2018
Superb book. Terrible digitizing.
This book had an incredible impact on me and as I read it with my 9 year old son, I know it has a huge impact on him as well. However, this is one of the worst Kindle adaptations ever. The page cuts are sloppy and there are words missing or garbled. It was disappointing to have to try to figure out what the original text said. I wish Amazon cared as much as the boys in this story did!
This book had an incredible impact on me and as I read it with my 9 year old son, I know it has a huge impact on him as well. However, this is one of the worst Kindle adaptations ever. The page cuts are sloppy and there are words missing or garbled. It was disappointing to have to try to figure out what the original text said. I wish Amazon cared as much as the boys in this story did!
February 5, 2025
A cute and true story about a pair of young brothers and their multiple horseback, car, and motorcycle trips all over the U.S. It was fun to read about their good and bad experiences and how the brothers grew to become good people because of them.
A quote from the book that I think is as apt today as it was in the early 20th century: “….we’d always faced the question of whether it was worthwhile to go on. I’m glad we always pressed ahead. That’s where the future is.”
A quote from the book that I think is as apt today as it was in the early 20th century: “….we’d always faced the question of whether it was worthwhile to go on. I’m glad we always pressed ahead. That’s where the future is.”
October 5, 2018
The adventures of a nine year old boy and his five year old brother in the early 1900's as they ride horseback from their home in Frederick, Oklahoma first to Santa Fe, NM, then New York City, by themselves. It's pretty much a journal account of their adventures, some dramatic run-ins but generally a dull read. It's crazy to think it could actually be a true account, which it is.
March 19, 2019
Fun, quick read for an adult, nice little adventure book for kids. The trips happened, but I had to wonder how much detail was "tall tale," especially considering this was recalled many decades later by someone who was five years old for the first trip, and less than 10 years old for the final adventure. Without considering how accurate it may or may not have been, I enjoyed reading it.
July 15, 2020
This was such an interesting read! Both my son and I were enthralled by this unique and fascinating story of the Abernathy brothers who in the early 1900's rode across portions of the nation (as well as coast-to-coast) alone while still young boys. Their adventures were astounding and definitely inspired my eleven-year-old son.
March 18, 2025
I had never heard of the Abernathy Boys. It is a shame their story is mostly lost. I enjoyed hearing about their adventures. Kids of the early 1900’s were obviously made of stronger stuff. Also, no one in this day and age would let their children walk to the corner alone much less traverse the countryside from coast to coast! Bully to them!
October 18, 2025
It's a remarkable story and fun to imagine how different the country was at the time it occurred. The writing does a good job conveying the spirit, sincerity and earnestness of the brothers and what life was like back then.
It feels a bit mean-spirited to say it wasn't as interesting as I had hoped.
It feels a bit mean-spirited to say it wasn't as interesting as I had hoped.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews