Kid on the Go! : Memoir of My Childhood and Youth

by Neill McKee

Kid on the Go! is Neill McKee’s third work of creative nonfiction. It’s a standalone prequel to his award-winning Finding Myself in Borneo. In this new book, McKee takes readers on a journey through his childhood, adolescence, and teenage years from the mid-40s to the mid-60s, in the small, then industrially-polluted town of Elmira, Ontario, Canada—one of the centers of production for Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. McKee’s vivid descriptions, dialog, and self-drawn illustrations are a study of how a young boy learned to play and work, fish and hunt, avoid dangers, cope with death, deal with bullies, and to build or restore “escape” vehicles. You may laugh out loud as the author recalls his exploding hormones, attraction to girls, rebellion against authority, and survival of 1960s’ “rock & roll” culture and emerging on the other side as a youth leader. After leaving Elmira, McKee describes his intensely searching university years, trying to decide which career path to follow. Except for a revealing postscript, the story ends when he accepts a volunteer teaching position on the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia.

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 16, 2021

About the author

Neill McKee is a creative nonfiction writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His first travel memoir, Finding Myself in Borneo, won a bronze medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards, 2020, as well as other awards. McKee holds a Bachelor's Degree, from the University of Calgary and a Master's Degree in Communication from Florida State University. He worked internationally for 45 years, becoming an expert in the field of communication for social change. He directed and produced a number of award-winning documentary films/videos and multimedia initiatives, and has written numerous articles and books in the field of development communication. During his international career, McKee worked for Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO); Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC); UNICEF; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Academy for Educational Development and FHI 360, Washington, DC. He worked and lived in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, and Russia for a total of 18 years and traveled to over 80 countries on short-term assignments. In 2015, he settled in New Mexico, using his varied experiences, memories, and imagination in creative writing.

Reviews

[Angela Mackintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adventure! Kid on the Go Is chock-full of humorous and insightful tales from Neill McKee’s childhood growing up in Elmira, Ontario, Canada, next to a slaughter house and chemical factory that produced DDT. What impressed me right away was Neill’s personal storytelling style, which is down to earth and humorous, like listening to a good friend, and the wonderful sensory details he infuses throughout the memoir, especially the sense of smell. Writers don’t use it enough, and it’s through these details and intimate characterization of his siblings, family, and friends that Neill brings the reader into his world. There was a sense of freedom growing up in the mid-40s to 60s, and even though I grew up in the 70s and 80s, I felt nostalgic for the time when you could just hop on a bike and explore all day until it was time for dinner. Neill’s stories of fishing trips, shooting BB guns, dealing with bullies, building soap box racers, and more brought it all back for me. Later, the stories of school and French class, working for the family’s farm equipment business, parachute jumping, a period of working at a sanitarium, and Neill’s burgeoning interest in psychology, philosophy, and drama, all make for an in-depth exploration of the author’s coming-of-age story told through dynamic vignettes. The postscript provides reflection from a current perspective and is one of my favorites because he answers many of the questions I wondered throughout the book, so the journey feels complete and the read is satisfying.

The way the author captures the place where he grew up and the time period is among the best I’ve read, and I appreciated Neill’s unpretentious writing and sense of humor. It’s an entertaining journey, full of fantastic hand drawn illustrations and photos! At the book’s heart, I think it’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things, finding value in forming friendships, and remaining curious about life. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in reading (or writing) a bunch of humorous vignettes that relish life experiences, and perhaps grew up in a time where you could explore the great outdoors freely, because this book will spark many memories from your own childhood.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

This was such a moving and engaging story. The author did such an excellent job of regaling readers with personal memories and both hilarious and sentimental moments from his youth that many readers would be able to relate to, while also painting an image of life in the Canadian small-town lifestyle the author grew up in. Acting as the reader’s eyes and ears in the era and setting, the imagery and the descriptive way the author wrote really transported one to the childhood the author had lived through, and even the descriptive smells that defined the different parts of town felt like they could be easily conjured when reading.

The highs and lows the author describes in this narrative paint a very special yet relatable picture of childhood in those times, and even some things that readers could be able to relate to now. From gaining one’s first pet as a child to the tragic loss of that pet years later, and everything in-between, the author covers a lot of memories and topics that explore his childhood, and the inclusion of original photographs from the author’s life and original drawings as well made the author’s life really pop in the reader’s minds.

The Verdict

A memorable, insightful, and entertaining memoir, author Neill McKee’s “Kid on the Go!: Memoir of My Childhood and Youth” is a must-read nonfiction book. The way the author was able to cover his childhood and youth and present it in a way that gave voice to those who have experiences worth noting without having to have had a particular tragedy occur gave this book a unique voice, and personal experiences of my own life that the author touched upon showed how readers would be able to find instances and moments in the author’s life to relate to, which is the perfect way to bring readers into the nonfiction genre.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Please note: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.)

My Review:

Neill McKee details his early life in Elmira, Ontario, from childhood through to his high school years. Then he focuses on his university years, first at Western in London and then at the University of Calgary in Alberta.

I have lived in Ontario most of my life and know the Kitchener-Waterloo fairly well. But McKee brought to life Elmira, which I have only been to a few times. He really makes us aware of the strong odors and the toxic stew in the rivers around the chemical factories there. I was not aware of that.

As each chapter presents the stories and memories from his past, I found myself chuckling often at some of his hijinks. As he said “We all experienced a childhood of freedom.”. There is no way parents of today would allow their children to wander as much as he did with his brother and friends. As a child in the 50s and 60s myself, I can remember exploring ponds and old barns around our house. Even my children had some freedom to explore around our rural home.

Throughout the book, we se his growth and his changing directions in his life, as he matured, met people, especially those from other countries, read and discusses politics, philosophy and even religion.

I recommend Neill’s memoir. It drew me in from the beginning and as a baby boomer, I could relate to much of his earlier years. A fun read indeed.

[Cindy Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born shortly after World War II ended, Neill McKee grew up during the 1950s and 60s in Elmira, a small town in Ontario where his father and uncle owned a farm equipment business. Given lots of freedom to roam, Neill and his siblings, cousins, and friends had many adventures, some that would certainly make a protective parent cringe. In Kid on the Go! Memoir of My Childhood and Youth, McKee tells gives an interesting, often humorous, account of those days.

The story also offers a glimpse of what life in general was like in his hometown, which melded Mennonite farms, a slaughterhouse, and a chemical factory that manufactured DDT. His first chapter gives a tongue-in-cheek account of all the interesting odors that emanated from each of the key industries and how town residents could tell which direction the wind was blowing.

Throughout the story we see McKee's world through the lens of the child who lived it, with some commentary on how his perspective changed over the years. Readers will also note how society in general has changed since the middle of the last century.

With illustrations and photos by the author, Kid on the Go! makes for an interesting read for those aged 16 and up.

[Brenda Luscott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who grew up in the 1950's and 1960's will especially appreciate this delightful, funny memoir. For me, it was a nostalgic look back to a much more innocent time in history, when many kids had the freedom to play and explore without fear, in ways pretty much unheard of today.

Neill McKee's story reflects how his relatively unrestrained childhood experiences allowed him to dream his dreams and to learn and grow through his everyday encounters with the outside world. Through these encounters, a clear path forward gradually opened up to him as he continued along his life journey. To have achieved such clarity at such a young age is not afforded to all that many of us. As Neill has shown, taking time to journey back to our childhood days may be the key to understanding how we ended up where we are today. "Kid on the Go" certainly made me think about taking that journey, and I have no doubt that it will do the same for others reading this delightful book. An easy and fun read, yet filled with kernels of wisdom throughout!

Brenda Luscott, Hon. BA, MSW
St. Jacobs, Ontario
Canada

[Gwenda McCurdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neill McKeetakes readers on a tour of how he began experiencing thre world. People who grew up I small town North America in the 40s, 50s, and early 60s, where kids had freedom to roam the countryside, exploring it's sideroads, creeks, rivers and woods, will find themselves snickering and laughing out loud, as memories of their own youth pour forth. This freedom to explore his individual environment without regulations and structure created by adults leads Neill to exp,ore physically and intellectually, the wider world as he matures and takes the reader through his university days with whimsical humour, and finally off to teach in Sabah, Malaysia, a job that eventually leads him to an international career. It's a great story by itself and a prequel to his first memoir 'Finding Myself in Borneo.' A good read and a great job!

[Bruce Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neill McKee's new book, Kid on the Go!, reminds us of the importance of storytelling, for as author Brian McLaren says, "It is through storytelling that we are given direction, values, vision and inspiration." The description of McKee's childhood could be ours, and that is why this book is important. He has sought to understand what made him the adult who would eventually visit and work in over 80 countries. But I think this memoir is more than about venturing out in a geographical sense. It is about seeking new experiences, venturing out in a social sense, forming and valuing relationships with the stranger and those who think differently. It is all told with a gentle sense of humour and delightful drawings.

[Ken Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this saga is an amusing trip down memory lane, it is also an intense drama of an unfolding life. On the amusing side we are entertained with 'tongue-in-cheek' humor as Neill McKee learns the ways of the world from "older and wiser" cousins and friends. But on a more serious side, the author invites us on a journey that will cause us to reflect on the building blocks of our own adult lives. McKee's formative years were spent in a society that knew little diversity and where tolerance was limited to tolerating different interpretations of Christianity. In the last chapters and a postscript, we learn about the factors that led him to an international career, traveling to Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and living in seven diverse countries.

[Lois Choksy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Kid on the Go! Neill McKee describes his adventures and misadventures while growing up in a small town in southern Ontario, Canada, where the smells of a chemical factory, mixed with the scent of manure from nearby farms, permeate the community. With interesting and humorous stories, interspersed with drawings and photos, McKee takes the reader through the challenges and disappointments of his life, from early years to a difficult adolescence and finally finding his grounding in his late teens, ultimately leading him to an international career in communication for social change. Kid on the Go! is an infinitely readable story

[Crystal Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kid on the Go! is an honest and sometimes humorous story to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The story is engaging and contains just the right amount of detail. This is a thought-provoking coming of age story that drew me right in. McKee is an expert story-teller with a great sense of humor. This is a work of creative nonfiction and a stand-alone prequel to McKee's award-winning
"Finding Myself in Borneo" which tells of his days in Malaysia as
a volunteer teacher (1968-70) and field staff (1973-74).

[Katherine Itacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the book summary notes, Kid on the Go! focuses on Mr. McKee’s childhood, adolescence, and college years in Canada. He is the third-born of seven children and is born in Elmira, Ontario just a few months after World War II ends.

The book details McKee’s life growing up in a small town, surrounded by the smells of factories, farms, a chemical plant, and a slaughterhouse. He tells of childhood adventures exploring, hunting, fishing, camping, and vacationing in various locations throughout Canada.

As he matures, he starts to take school more seriously and works hard at his father’s farm equipment factory and the company’s farm after school and during the summer.

I found the book to be an easy read and the author quite charming. At the risk of sounding condescending, I found his stories almost quaint in the book’s retelling. Kid on the Go! is reminiscent of a time in which children were allowed and relatively safe to explore their surroundings and spend countless unsupervised hours outdoors.

While I typically look for more depth and introspection in the memoirs I read, I certainly found McKee’s third work of creative nonfiction to be enjoyable and entertaining. It is well written and perfectly lovely.

[Marion Roes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and thoroughly enjoyed Kid on the Go! Although I'm familiar with the area and time, my childhood was very different -- partly, I'm sure, because I'm a girl. Neill McKee's "travels" fit my favourite reads, that of local and people history.