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Edison Janzen is five years old when he learns from his dog that if you pee on a tree, that tree, and all the surrounding area, becomes yours. That same year Skeeter Barth, mastermind of mayhem, moves in next door to Edison. Together they set out to conquer the world.
Charolais Fester is the prettiest girl in town, even if she is named for a breed of cows. Charolais’ father is an abusive drunk, and her brothers are worthless peckerweeds.
When Edison, Skeeter, and Charolais get together, nobody- from abusive dog owners to President Jimmy Carter- is safe.
Edison, Skeeter, and Charolais prove again and again that three smart-aleck, headstrong, and somewhat lazy adolescents can’t be stifled by a hard town, where unemployment, depression, drunken adults, and bad teachers are as common banjos at a bluegrass festival. Join them as they wrestle with grace, find love, accidentally kill the sheriff, save his life, find beer, flee abuse, cross the country, and make the transition to smart-aleck, headstrong, and somewhat lazy young adults.
Charolais Fester is the prettiest girl in town, even if she is named for a breed of cows. Charolais’ father is an abusive drunk, and her brothers are worthless peckerweeds.
When Edison, Skeeter, and Charolais get together, nobody- from abusive dog owners to President Jimmy Carter- is safe.
Edison, Skeeter, and Charolais prove again and again that three smart-aleck, headstrong, and somewhat lazy adolescents can’t be stifled by a hard town, where unemployment, depression, drunken adults, and bad teachers are as common banjos at a bluegrass festival. Join them as they wrestle with grace, find love, accidentally kill the sheriff, save his life, find beer, flee abuse, cross the country, and make the transition to smart-aleck, headstrong, and somewhat lazy young adults.
223 pages
First published December 29, 2012
About the author
Bil Lepp
17 books13 followersBil Lepp is an award-winning storyteller, author, recording artist, and contributing
columnist for the Charleston Gazette-
Mail. He has been a professional storyteller for more than twenty years, appearing regularly at The National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, as well as at festivals, schools, corporate events, and other venues around the country. In 2018, Lepp was presented West Virginia’s highest Folklife honor, The Vandalia Award. He hosted the television show Man vs History on the History Channel. For more information and for booking please visit leppstorytelling.com
Lepp's debut picture book, The King of Little Things, was published in September of 2013, by Peachtree Publishers. The King of Little Things won the PEN Steven Kroll Award, is a Bankstreet Irma Black Award Honoree, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner, and was a nominee for the Kansas Reading Assoc. Bill Martin, Jr. Award and the Delaware Diamonds Award. The book received a Kirkus Starred Review, as well as favorable reviews from The Wall Street Journal, The School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other sources.
columnist for the Charleston Gazette-
Mail. He has been a professional storyteller for more than twenty years, appearing regularly at The National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, as well as at festivals, schools, corporate events, and other venues around the country. In 2018, Lepp was presented West Virginia’s highest Folklife honor, The Vandalia Award. He hosted the television show Man vs History on the History Channel. For more information and for booking please visit leppstorytelling.com
Lepp's debut picture book, The King of Little Things, was published in September of 2013, by Peachtree Publishers. The King of Little Things won the PEN Steven Kroll Award, is a Bankstreet Irma Black Award Honoree, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner, and was a nominee for the Kansas Reading Assoc. Bill Martin, Jr. Award and the Delaware Diamonds Award. The book received a Kirkus Starred Review, as well as favorable reviews from The Wall Street Journal, The School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other sources.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 14, 2026
I am mildly biased here, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A lovely story with the silliness that I know of Bil. I think this kinda suffered from having two friends that are a bit too similar? There were several small details that all came full-circle, which was really cool. Ending was pitifully sad in the way that lives drifting apart always is.
"The moon was ... a sad but resigned aunt who could only watch as her sister, so near, so beautiful, had child after child. And so few ever cared to visit, but those who came were so excited to be there with her, that she would never forget, never erase the signs of their visits"
"It was in her eyes, or at least at the corners of her eyes. Edison rarely saw it, but it was present right then. It crept in like some visible glaucoma, and then Charolais could only see what was in front of her. Only ahead. It was just some sort of elemental emotion; she could build whatever feeling she wanted out of it."
"Forget the Hatch Back of Notable Dames. This car is Gray Jesus!"
"Of all the words in the world, Edison couldn't sling any combination of them together to say anything worthwhile to his friend, so he abandoned all words and left Skeeter standing in the settling dust with his hands deep in his pockets and his head sinking."
"I figure if I am going to feel this bad anyway, I might as well drink beer" "I think that is the American middle-class attitude in a nut shell."
"I'm still not sure you can get in anywhere but WVU. They pretty much have to take you."
4.5/5
"The moon was ... a sad but resigned aunt who could only watch as her sister, so near, so beautiful, had child after child. And so few ever cared to visit, but those who came were so excited to be there with her, that she would never forget, never erase the signs of their visits"
"It was in her eyes, or at least at the corners of her eyes. Edison rarely saw it, but it was present right then. It crept in like some visible glaucoma, and then Charolais could only see what was in front of her. Only ahead. It was just some sort of elemental emotion; she could build whatever feeling she wanted out of it."
"Forget the Hatch Back of Notable Dames. This car is Gray Jesus!"
"Of all the words in the world, Edison couldn't sling any combination of them together to say anything worthwhile to his friend, so he abandoned all words and left Skeeter standing in the settling dust with his hands deep in his pockets and his head sinking."
"I figure if I am going to feel this bad anyway, I might as well drink beer" "I think that is the American middle-class attitude in a nut shell."
"I'm still not sure you can get in anywhere but WVU. They pretty much have to take you."
4.5/5
October 17, 2010
This was probably a little better than okay, but the cheesy, predictable puns and jokes were annoying and I have never read any other book with so many typing and grammatical errors. I appreciate the guy is a story-teller by trade, and not a "writer," but still...editing is a beautiful thing!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews