THE COONSKIN KIDS: Davy Crockett, Rock n’ Roll and the Devil’s Disease
"The Coonskin Kids" is a fictional tale based on the true stories of many thousands of children in a long-ago time when the reality of paralytic poliomyelitis terrified much of America. Greasers, poodle skirts and flat tops with wings, fast bikes, early rock n’ roll and backyard bomb shelters - it was a time of simple pleasures, devotion to God and country, and following the rules. While most of the characters are fictional, a few are actual people, such as Mrs. Appleton, the Principal of Beachy Avenue Elementary School, and Joe Connelly, the author’s third-grade teacher who played Ike, the storekeeper, in the TV series The Waltons in the 1970s.
About the Author
Dave was born in Santa Monica, California in 1947 – a true Baby Boomer - and raised in the nearby San Fernando Valley. After graduating from high school, he attended U.C.L.A., earning a B.A. Degree in History and some years later an M.A. Degree in the same. His wife, Sherrie, and Dave have ten children – five birth and five adopted. His adoptive children all have Down Syndrome. Having taught multiple grades and subjects in public schools for 43 years, he finally retired from teaching in 2013.
Fifteen years ago, he was fortunate to receive the “gift of life” – a heart transplant – at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington. His donor was a young man named Dominic Castaneda. Thanks to Dominic, God, and the amazing staff at Sacred Heart, Dave has been given extra time on this earth to revisit some of his experiences from long ago. The Coonskin Kids: Davy Crockett, Rock n’ Roll and the Devil’s Disease is one consequence of that endeavor.
Dave's good friend Mike Patrick helped him edit this book and Rann Haight helped him with the artwork on the cover.
About The Book
This book will take you back to the mid-1950s, to the halcyon days of orange grove forts, fast bikes, white T-shirts and blue jeans with turned-up cuffs, and the electrifying sounds of early rock-n-roll blasting through the windows of the enlightened. It will bring you face to face with individuals and circumstances you might have known, and some you’ll be glad you never experienced.
The main characters, three boys calling themselves the Coonskin Kids in honor of their hero Davy Crockett, soldiered through school, battles with bullies and the ever-present threat of nuclear war with the Russians. Their greatest foe, however, was a disease called polio. At its worst it was intensely ugly, excruciatingly painful, and absolutely deadly.
The story is told mostly through the eyes of a child. An easy read, the chapters are brief and simple to follow. And while it may bring a few tears to your eyes at times, it will also warm your soul. Then too, there will be plenty of times when you’ll find yourself laughing out loud.
To read this amazing book, get your copy. The book is available on Amazon.
