It is the 1930’s in the mountain area east of a small town called Granite Falls in Washington. Fred Ballard is an amiable, witty teenager whose daring nature and ingenuity often land him in the midst of legendary adventures. Fit and energetic, Fred hikes in the majestic Cascade Mountains, fishes in the mill pond, picks blackberries (and has an unexpected guest), experiences the posh Big Four Resort, picnics next to nature’s phenomenal ice cave creation, and sleds down the face of a glacier on roofing tin. These stories have been passed through his family over the years, melded with the author’s imagination and re-created in this humorous and unforgettable children’s series entitled The Boy from Granite Falls. Find yourself captivated as you step into a much simpler time, when creativity (and a little courage) was all it took for amusement…
Brenda Ballard was raised in the Granite Falls area. While helping her eldest stepson do research for a cultural fair project on his late grandfather, Fred Ballard, she became intrigued with the adventures and life of this young teenager in the 1930´s. A chance meeting with Fred´s childhood buddy, Rudy, proved these stories true. It took ten years and her imagination to piece it all together. The result is this children´s series entitled The Boy From Granite Falls, a nickname given to Fred while serving overseas in WWII. Brenda is married to Fred´s youngest son, Brad. They met a few miles down river from where the cover photo was taken. This is significant as Fred spent alot of time near the photo site, swimming, fishing and being adventurous.