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Coon Holler
Juvenile fiction about a special one-room school.
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 1958
About the author
Olive Rambo Cook
8 booksAuthoress Olive Rambo Cook used Livingston County, Missouri as the backdrop for her six published juvenile books and for many of her inumerable short stories. Real names, places, legends, folk lore and true stories from this county appear throughout her written work.
Mrs. Cook was born August 26, 1892, on a farm west of Avalon. She was the only surviving child of George and Effie Rambo. Her mother died when Mrs. Cook was a small child and she and her father moved to Chillicothe, MO where she was reared by her father and her paternal grandmother.
She was graduated from Chillicothe High School, Chillicothe Business College and in 1920 married Frank Cook. In 1923 her only child, George, was born. After her husband's death in 1943, she and her son left Chillicothe.
Her books were published between 1957 and 1986, the last book, Trails to Poosey, having been published after her death, December 24, 1981, in Mountain View, California. Her other published books include Coon Holler, Serelda's Star, Locket, The Sign at Six Corners, and Golden Gourd.
In addition to writing, Mrs. Cook was an accomplished painter and had her first art exhibit at the age of 80 in the Mountain View Library. In her youth, one of her favorite painting views was from the hill overlooking the Graham's Mill covered bridge which was located northwest of Chillicothe, MO, just east of the present bridge over the Grand River on Highway 190.
Mrs. Cook was born August 26, 1892, on a farm west of Avalon. She was the only surviving child of George and Effie Rambo. Her mother died when Mrs. Cook was a small child and she and her father moved to Chillicothe, MO where she was reared by her father and her paternal grandmother.
She was graduated from Chillicothe High School, Chillicothe Business College and in 1920 married Frank Cook. In 1923 her only child, George, was born. After her husband's death in 1943, she and her son left Chillicothe.
Her books were published between 1957 and 1986, the last book, Trails to Poosey, having been published after her death, December 24, 1981, in Mountain View, California. Her other published books include Coon Holler, Serelda's Star, Locket, The Sign at Six Corners, and Golden Gourd.
In addition to writing, Mrs. Cook was an accomplished painter and had her first art exhibit at the age of 80 in the Mountain View Library. In her youth, one of her favorite painting views was from the hill overlooking the Graham's Mill covered bridge which was located northwest of Chillicothe, MO, just east of the present bridge over the Grand River on Highway 190.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 24, 2024
Back in elementary school in the 60s I loved this book and read it several times. When I saw it on the Internet Archive I read it again yesterday. Apparently there's another book about the school but it's nowhere to be found. An enjoyable re-read, though today I find the persistent flag-waving a bit cringe. It's hardly surprising for a book of this type, published 1958 with a definite audience and agenda in mind, but I don't have to enjoy it.
This time around I did wonder how the whole "old time show" could be got together in just a week. No mention of rehearsals or even having to wash those dusty clothes pulled out of attics and alter them to fit. But hey it's fiction, and the fact that putting together a similar "old time show" (sans costumes) for the 1976 bicentennial took more like a couple of months in my own school days is neither here nor there. I can't really shelve this as "social realism" as it's all a bit too ideal, even for the fifties. I read it in a couple of hours and enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
This time around I did wonder how the whole "old time show" could be got together in just a week. No mention of rehearsals or even having to wash those dusty clothes pulled out of attics and alter them to fit. But hey it's fiction, and the fact that putting together a similar "old time show" (sans costumes) for the 1976 bicentennial took more like a couple of months in my own school days is neither here nor there. I can't really shelve this as "social realism" as it's all a bit too ideal, even for the fifties. I read it in a couple of hours and enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
July 30, 2025
One of my all-time favorite books! I love every bit of this book. I read this to my own 6 children a few times and also read it to my students when I taught. A feel good book!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews