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Fourteenth in the 21-volume series. Bucking-bronco cover art incorporating unusual, contrasting colors by the wonderful J. Clemens Gretta, who here (as he did, from time to time) signs as "J. Clemens Gretter." Lists through "Branding the Wild Herd" (1934) to front flap, to this title on copyright page, and lists13 Hardy Boys through "Mark on the Door" (1934) to jacket rear panel, so it seems reasonable to assume thia is a 1935 first printing. Jacket spine faded but still legible. Glossy B&W frontispiece by "Gretter." There's something endearing (charmingly goofy?) about the tireless ebullience and high spirits of these central volumes in the 21 (almost 22) volume juvenile series -- almost as though they were penned by a writer of children's books. And in fact, it appears they were. David Baumann, citing the research of James Keeline and Geoff Lapin, who had access to the Stratemeyer Syndicate files at the New York Public Library, reported in 1999 that Roger Carroll Garis (1901-1967) son of Howard Roger Garis (of "Uncle Wiggily" fame, 1873-1962) wrote the first six X Bar X volumes (1926-28), with Frank Dorrance Hopley taking over for Volumes 7-12 (1929 through his death in 1933.) Volumes 10 and 11 are generally acknowledged to really suck; it may be no coincidence that the outlines for those numbers were sent out to Hopley immediately following Edward Stratemeyer's death, and are of uncertain authorship, possibly borrowed from an earlier Stratemeyer series, "The Buffalo Hunters," dating back 40 years to the 1880s. (See John M. Enright, in The Mystery and Adventure Series Review issue 21, Summer 1989.) Anyway, evidence is that U.S. Navy Captain Walter Karig (who also wrote Nancy Drews 8 through 10) authored X Bar X Boys Volume 13 ("Branding the Wild Herd," 1934) and that strangely enough Grace May North Monfort penned Volumes 14, 16, and 17, to include "The Strange Rodeo," 1935. Grace May North Monfort (1876-1960) of Utica, N.Y., between the years 1919 and 1931 wrote a number of books under her own name as well as her personal pseudonym, "Carol Norton." Not previously known to have been a contributor to the Stratemeyer Syndicate, it appears that in addition to the three volumes of X Bar X Boys, she also wrote a short series of unpublished western stories for youngsters, called the "Southwest Stories for Children." (Mr. Baumann fills out his list by reporting John W. Duffield wrote Volume 15 ("The X Bar X Boys With the Secret Rangers," 1936), Dr. John Conyers Button Jr. (who also wrote five Hardy Boys, volumes 17 through 21) contributed X Bar X Boys 18-21 (1939-1942), and that Leslie McFarlane, of course, famously wrote Volume 22, "The X Bar X Boys With the Border Patrol," which was never published (though we'd be happy to acquire the typescript, should it turn up.) 212 pp. followed by 6 pp. publisher's ads. Here reduced from $240. Seller Inventory # 007576
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Bibliographic Details
Title: The X Bar X Boys At The Strange Rodeo (FIRST...
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap, New York
Publication Date: 1935
Binding: Hardcover
Illustrator: "Illustrated by J. Clemens Gretter"
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
Edition: 1st Edition
