Title: Stories for You – “A Wish for You” – A First Grader’s Story from 1957
Author: Ricky Kennison
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-5246-1461-4
Pages: 22
Genre: Juvenile Non Fiction, non-fiction, Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
Reviewed by: Barbara Miller
Pacific Book Review
Author Ricky Kennison has assembled a handful of short stories from his childhood days in the 1950’s and comprised his book titled Stories for You. In it, his story “A Wish for You” is included with other stories about his school days, a wasp in his house, a magic dry-cleaning machine and other events indelibly imprinted in his memory.
This is a collection of simple stories, each with the subject being brought to the forefront of the tale by being of importance at that time, yet in hindsight these little “Grandpa stories” have little importance to significant moments. Each does, however, they tell of a time where things went more slowly. A hobo would stop by a farmhouse and politely ask for food, receiving a bologna sandwich – even getting seconds if he was still hungry. A wasp, trapped inside the house, trying to get back to his nest by the barn was caught and released rather than being crushed and killed, resulting in a form of spiritual thankfulness. A little girl in elementary school could not whistle, so when a contest was conducted by the teacher having each child eat a cracker then whistle, the girl was at a disadvantage. So another young boy whistled for her rather than the young author; causing his regrets to follow as not being chivalrous but selfish at that moment.
These are the themes of some of the stories within this simple book. Stories which would be very enjoyable to be read to a toddler at bedtime, formulating a “Norman Rockwell” image of society and life back some 60 years ago from this current Internet and technology driving daily lifestyle. Days when kindness prevailed and modesty instilled a social playing field of uniformity and acceptance to all. No bullying, nor competitiveness with worldly possessions, nor even perverted actions. Life the way it was at a time the world was healing from World War II and celebrating on a daily level the peace within society and the foundation of values of the American way of life. All set in a town on the shores of the Missouri River, where people would not lock their front doors at night and children would be safe to go to the park or school or the library by themselves.
This is a unique collection of stories written simply and to be enjoyed because of its simplicity. Stories for You achieves what it sets out to accomplish. It portrays a comforting tone just like a cool glass of milk with warm, fresh chocolate chip cookies. The magic formula of treats for the mind, along with those treats for the tummy, are guaranteed to cast off youngsters into a dreamland much like how life used to be for many of us growing up in middle America during the mid-Twentieth Century.
