D is for Dudley & Other Nature Tales

by Ron Chandler

Eleven short stories that celebrate nature are bundled together for your enjoyment. The title story is about the largest terrapin in Tilghman Cove, which is hated by local fishermen and hunted by the Simpson brothers. Valerie and her brother, Doug, must rely on their wits to try to save this elusive creature whose past is part of their family's history. Other stories deal with boys trying to find courage or understand the outdoors, a rebellious girl who adores a thunderstorm more than sunshine, a greyhound that loses a race and is banished from the track with dangerous consequences, and a six-year old girl who competes with a sixty year old farmer to raise and groom the best show rooster. These stories are recommended for middle grade children, ages 8-12, but older readers are welcomed.

Genres: Anthologies, Animals, Short Stories, Childrens, Nature, Fiction, Young Adult

80 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2015

About the author

I am a graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and a member of the Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland. I believe that fiction should be multicultural and family oriented. Most of the events depicted in my writing are based on real experiences or anecdotes told to me by friends and acquaintances. My short stories and poems have been published in over 30 literary magazines including The Aurorean, The Binnacle (University of Maine at Machias), Blueline (SUNY-Potsdam), Capper's, Creative With Words Publications, Pink Chameleon, The Poet's Pen, The Road Not Taken, Storyteller, Tale Spinners (Alberta, Canada), Timber Creek Review, and Toasted Cheese. I welcome your readership.

I also read 2 to 3 books per month. I find reading to be more satisfying than watching television or listening to the radio. 70% of the books I read are fiction and poetry; 30% nonfiction. My favorite book is usually the one I'm reading right now.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A collection of short stories about animals and the people they encounter. Some are better than others, but they all have something to offer.

[Carlton Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun short stories that have a moral with each story.
I won't spoil any of the stories, but all are interesting.
Thanks to Mr. Chandler and GoodReads for making this book available.

[Linda Galella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


According to the publisher, this book is written for 8-12 year olds. In that case, D is for DON’T. It’s also supposed to be “nature tales” and with a broad interpretation, that is marginally accurate.

Middle readers will get a few facts about terrapins, greyhounds, bears, chickens and other animals that are featured but the stories are mostly dark and feature humans behaving badly; sometimes very badly. I don’t want my kids to read a book full of short stories that show bullying, sexism, animal cruelty and abuse, even if there are occasional positive outcomes. The expression: “the juice ain’t worth the squeeze”, came to mind more than a few times while reading this collection.

If you’re looking for nature stories for middle readers, try NatGeo📚

Read and Reviewed from a GoodReads GiveAway, with thanks

[Today We Did · Rating 1 out of 5]

Today We Did
D is for Dudley & Other Nature Tales is a collection of short stories, mostly about animals and the environment.

The first couple of stories in the book were too short and lacked substance. This didn’t bode well for the rest of the book, but I continued hoping to find that the other stories were better. There wasn’t one I liked much until about half way through the book, with the title story, “D is for Dudley”. It was a little unbelievable, I would definitely be suspicious if my kids volunteered to do the washing!, but I liked the theme. Striving to protect the environment and animals it contains, is quite noble, and these kids do their best to save the extremely large terrapin from hunters within the bay.

The best story in this collection was by far “Chicken Feathers”. It is the story of a young girl who grooms a rooster for the county fair. She is competing against her much older and more experienced neighbour. Despite her young age, she believes in her ability to win, and even when her rooster is looking scraggly, she doesn’t lose heart, she tries even harder to get him in shape. This is a lovely lesson showing that determination and persistence are often rewarded. The only downside to this tale is a slight undertone of racism.

It states in the blurb on the back of the book that the stories “celebrate nature”, but these stories don’t so much do that as they do showcase humanity’s depravities. Throughout the book there were people behaving badly. There were alcoholic parents, bickering couples, dog fighters, hunters, and animal abusers. I found most of the stories to be very depressing and often distasteful. One story made an offhand comment about a twelve year old girl skipping meals to stay skinny. This is not only awful and inappropriate, it also had no relevance to the story. In another tale a boy looked a girl over from her toes to her shoulders in an appreciative way. Again, this was an unnecessary addition to the story, and it’s quite sexist, it’s as if she had no face. There are also girls being told that they will want to dress up and go to balls, instead of doing “tomboy” things. I found there to be a sexist vibe throughout the book, which was disappointing. I also felt that hunting for sport, which is something I’m opposed to, was condoned as a suitable activity for kids.

This book is aimed at kids aged 8 to 12, but I really can’t recommend it to anyone. Even aside from the sexism throughout the book, most of the stories weren’t particularly good. They all lacked description and depth, and sometimes even a clear direction. Since I was expecting a book full of the gloriousness that is nature, I found this to be very disappointing indeed.


*I received this book from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this collection of short stories sounded fun and would be a good read for my nephews. In fact, my nephew read the first story, Stealth Deer. While, there were a few words that he had trouble pronouncing for the most part he was able to read the whole story on his own. The rest of the stories had a few words that would be harder for the younger children to say but the older ones might need minor help. There was a lesson to be learned from the story but it was not really made prominent in the story or at the end.

I went on to read the rest of the stories. Sadly, I have to tell you that most of them did not intrigue me. Additionally, I found that while these stories are geared towards the younger readers that there were aspects of the stories that I found unnecessary like the bickering in Ain't No Fence High Enough, killing of rats in Delirious With Rain, a rabid dog in In the Footsteps of Robert Running Bear. There were a few stories I did like: Springtime Shenanigans, The Blooper, D is for Dudley, and Bark is a 4 Letter Word.

[Reading For Funs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received D is for Dudley & Other Nature Tales through a Goodreads Giveaway.

D is for Dudley & Other Nature Tales has to be one of the sweetest books I've read in a while. To be put simply, it's adorable. The stories are simple yet offer moral lessons, and the book itself is written beautifully. Of course, the book has a bit of a children's vibe, but that's to be expected.

At first, I was a bit worried about reading this book as I expected it to be meant for young children, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the pages could be enjoyed by all ages. I found myself absolutely in love with the two stories featuring Freebie the racing greyhound, and the story about Peanut Butter the show rooster.

All in all its a great book and a fun read. Definitely going to keep this one around.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collections of different stories. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful Nature-Based Stories for Young Readers

This is a charming collection of short stories with a strong foundation in nature, aimed at upper elementary-aged children (8–12 years old, in my opinion). Each story carries a moral, though I’m not sure all young readers will fully grasp them without some discussion. That said, these stories could serve as excellent springboards for deeper conversations or unit studies.

I especially enjoyed D is for Dudley and Chicken Feathers. D is for Dudley could easily lead into a science-focused exploration of terrapins, their habitats, and conservation efforts. The two stories featuring Freebie, a retired racing greyhound, provide a gentle but eye-opening way to introduce kids to the realities of greyhound racing and animal welfare. Chicken Feathers is another standout, potentially sparking interest in poultry care, showmanship, and backyard farming.

Overall, this book is a creative and thoughtful blend of storytelling and environmental awareness. A great resource for educators, parents, or homeschoolers looking to weave literature into cross-curricular learning.

I received a Kindle copy through a Goodreads Giveaway.

[M Weir · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son is 12 and admittedly a very advanced reader. This book did not hold his interest. I read a couple of stories and perhaps should try another reviewer’s favorites. After a few stories I was bored. It is written for a young middle grade reader, but I’m not sure it would necessarily be interesting to most. The first story would be to many, but it ends abruptly and could come to a more satisfying close. The second story is from a father’s point of view. The whole time I felt like it was written for an adult to understand but at a much too simple level. My son’s comment was that he felt like he was reading a collection of stories that he and his classmates had had to right for a project about nature and that they had missed the mark on the nature part.

I think this will appeal to some 8 and 9 year olds.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has 11 stories in it: Stealth Deer, Springtime Shenanigan, Ain't No Fence High Enough, Delirious with Rain, The Blooper, D is for Dudley, Bulls, Bugs and Burglars, Legend of Big Red, In the Footsteps of Robert Running Bear, Chicken Feathers and Bark is a 4-Letter Word --a couple of them were really good. The others were just not anything I expected and/or liked! Some of them seemed kind of scattered and I wasn't always sure what was going on where we were but, did read them all. Not sure young children would enjoy. They did all have a lesson, of sorts, or moral to be learned though.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book really disappointing. The only connection between the short stories was 'nature'. Most were about animals, some in nature, some 'kept' by humans, but no theme really develops. A few of the stories would stand better on their own, with a little more development. Some of them just come to an abrupt end, leaving you wondering what the point was.

This book is recommended for middle grade students, though I doubt they would finish the book at all. I don't think it would hold their interest.

I received D is for Dudley & Other Nature Tales through a Goodreads Giveaway

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book could have been a five if sime pictures were included. These cute stories are great for younger children around ten years old as without pictures get bored and disinterested unless read to. They need pictures to stay engaged. The stories are interesting, cute and heartwarming. Sad though some just unexpectedly stop. There is a lot of wisdom in this book. I enjoyed reading it to my neighbors daughter. She listened enthusiastically throughout without boredom. Great book for a little older child.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

D is for Dudley & Other Nature Tales is a very cute book. I rather enjoyed the multiple short stories and was surprised at how the last story tied back into the first one. The stories center around the outdoors and involve animals (not magical ones). There are a great deal of lessons that can be learned from each of these short stories. These stories can be used for multiple lessons such as descriptive language or theme. I believe it would be a great book for children who don't like to read much or have problems sitting still to read long chapters.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank Ron Chandler, author and Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for the eBook Kindle copy of D is for Dudley & Other Nature Tales that I won in the Giveaway.

The anthology has eleven short stories, each with a moral. Some are humouous, some from the pointof view of the animal and all are geared to young readers. I enjoyed the stories that were from the point of view of the animals where the animal told what they thought of humans. I alos liked the one about the little girl that raised a rooster and taught it to cakewalk.

[David Lastinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great enjoyable read. The stories either took place from the eyes of the human and sometimes from the eyes of the animal. My favorite was the stories about "Freebie". Ron does a good job of painting the picture for you in such a short time. If you have kids in middle school, or just want a fun relaxing book for yourself, you can't go wrong with this.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received from a Goodreads Giveaway

Cute stories. I enjoyed reading these to my grandchildren. My favorite was the one about a greyhound that has to escape his cage after being sold after losing to many races. Followed by a follow up story about his new life. I did enjoy the story called D is for Dudleuy also

[Doreena Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book of 11 short stories about nature and animals. I wanted to read this because of the turtle on the cover. Entered the Goodreads contest and won it. The book is geared for grade children ages 8-12 but I think that is a little too young for this book, better suited for older readers.
Thank you to Goodreads and the Author for this book.

[Ashleigh Pressy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book through a Good Reads giveaway and I thought the stories were cute. But if I remember correctly I think it was marketed for children not too sure on age ranges... I can see some children enjoying the stories but also I can see them losing interest. overall I think this book is great for the right audience.

[SANDYE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eclectic

A group of short stories, some heartwarming, some stop abruptly seeming unfinished, some I struggled to get through. Subjects covered include; hunting, raising animals, Native Americans sharing wisdom, stories from the animal's point of view.

[Karen Wrobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads giveaway. It’s a series of short stories written for kids 8-12. Some of them were sweet, but others contain material I’m not sure is really appropriate for that age (dog fighting, alcoholism, a young girl skipping meals to ‘stay skinny’). Recommended with caution.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun reads

Nice stories about all different kinds of animals. See the world through their eyes, know how they feel and listen to their stories. A good read for young and old
I received this book free from Goodreads.

[Spudliloquy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Giveaway Win

This book seems to be a book written for children but includes heavy topics not suitable for children. The stories didn't have impactful endings and the writing was bland. The stories seem like what you would come up with on the spot for a middle school writing prompt.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome stories about animals

This is a collection of short stories about various animals. Geared towards young adults or adults as some of the stories might be difficult for kids. Easy to read with great lessons mixed in.

#GoodreadsGiveaway

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this on a goodreads giveaway. I love nature and animals and was looking forward to reading it . I was a little disappointed. Just okay. Some stories better that others. The turtle on the cover sold me.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book won on a Goodreads Giveaway. Stories are basic morality tales told in a succinct manner. Recommended for an overall quick and easy read. In my opinion the title story was the most enjoyable.

[Mary Ann Kapacs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the stories in this book. Some of them connected in different chapters which added to the story's finish. Whether told by the animal or by a person each story had a pleasing finish. If I had to choose the one about Peanut Butter was my favorite.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well done book of short stories about the enviorment and animals.. I found the storyies to be interesting and well thought out with a moral slant to them. Well worth reading

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars - Not sure kids are going to really enjoy these stories. I had hoped it would be something I could read to my grandchild but it's pretty boring so maybe only at bedtime.

[Linda Klager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three of the stories I really liked - the one about the greyhound dog, the one about the terrapin, and the one about the chicken.

Thank you, Goodreads, for the giveaway!

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute book my kids and I enjoyed it very much my son loves nature and he absolutely loved this book