Additional information
by Carol Matthews (Author)
Full of whip-crackin' cow-huntin' fun. Iris Wall was anything but an average girl. Average girls in 1948 were learning how to embroider and crochet. However, Iris was having the time of her life riding in rodeos, taming horses, and hunting cows with her daddy. The ultimate outdoor heroine, she was part of the Old Florida heritage that is synonymous with endurance, pride, and strength. A glossary of terms about cracker cowhunters is included in this biography.
Front Jacket
"Iris Wall, Cracker Cowgirl is a gem and will [be] of interest to children of all ages, young adults, and seniors, and anyone interested in reading about a Florida way of life that has all but vanished today. Iris Wall is a true part of Florida history. This book belongs in anyone's collection of Florida books. Excellent!"
-Patrick Smith, author of A Land Remembered, winner of the Florida Historical Society's Tebeau Award for the Most Outstanding Florida Historical Novel
Iris Wall grew up in the 1930s with no television and no radio, but there was no shortage of entertainment in her old Florida family home. She was raised breaking horses, riding in rodeos, and cowhunting with her daddy.
Even after marrying her childhood sweetheart, Iris didn't settle into a traditional role. She continued to cowhunt in the scrub and swamps of South Florida while raising three cracker cowgirls of her own. In 2006, she was named Florida's Woman of the Year in Agriculture. As a true "cracker" embodied with endurance, pride, and strength, Iris has spent eighty years of her life doing what she loves most in the world-hunting cattle.
Carol Matthews Rey, a second-grade teacher, was named Martin County Teacher of the Year in 2006. She has taught elementary school for more than thirty-five years and had two history projects displayed at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, Florida. A member of the Florida Reading Association and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Rey has completed advanced courses at the Institute of Children's Literature. She lives in Vero Beach, Florida.
Eldon Lux has thirty years experience as an artist. His artwork is displayed in private collections nationally and internationally. He worked for Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney California Adventure, and Tokyo DisneySea. Also a saddle maker and blacksmith, Lux was raised on a ranch and has a BS in animal science from the University of Nebraska. He lives in Kenansville, Florida.
