PURE TRASH (Ages 11-adult) In this short story adventure set in New England in the 1950s, two young boys set out on a Saturday adventure you won't want to miss! Experience the joy of a carefree Saturday and the blistering pain of feeling not quite good enough as you hop on a bike and ride into town with two delightful young boys who find adventure at every turn. Shawn and Willie Daniels live in the woods with no indoor water or plumbing. Dad spends most of his hard earned money on beer. Prejudice, class division, alcoholism, poverty, injustice, and bullying are cleverly woven into this 1950s adventure short. PURE TRASH is the short story prequel to DOG BONE SOUP, Stevens's debut novel DOG BONE SOUP. ( )

TRASH- noun, something worthless, rubbish. Got that from my dictionary. Can a human being ever be considered trash? A question for the ages. A child however, is never trash....no way, no how and it doesn't matter what day and age it is. So ok, in Stevens book it is 1955 and yes, times were slower and simpler. And the same issues that we have now were present then.
How deeply lodged does name calling become? Is inbred insecurity a reason to bully, physically OR verbally? Nah....

Two young brothers with not much going on for them at home, yet in there eyes the whole world is their oyster. And their oyster is new england country.. rural..dirt roads. They have their bikes and 24cents each to spend. Saturday and they're going exploring and searching for treasure. A thrilling day for Shawn and Willie. It starts out that way anyway....

SO. Does money or the lack of money HAVE to relegate us to where we belong in the social stratus? I think this book should be a quickie must read, with a required essay to be written for every graduating senior. Eighth grader whatever. Required reading that leads to required thinking.