The Boys Start the War

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The Boys Start the War is the first of many novels in a series of children's books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. [1] The series is centered on two families, the Hatfords, who have four sons, Jake, Josh, Wally, and Peter, and the Malloys, who have three daughters, [2] Eddie, Beth, and Caroline. The names Hatford and Malloy are probably a reference to the Hatfields and McCoys, actual West Virginia families who famously feuded for many years. The Malloys are temporarily staying in a house across the street to the Hatfords, which was once owned by a family of boys (the Bensons) who were best friends of the Hatford boys. [3] [2]

The Hatford boys resent the girls for taking their place, and the children of both families begin playing pranks on each other, without letting their parents know. Subplots in the series include the children trying to capture a loose cougar that has been frightening people in the town, Caroline's overdramatic behavior and aspirations to become an actress, Josh and Beth's brief love affair, and Jake and Eddie's rivalry. The books take place in the fictional town of Buckman, West Virginia, which is based on the actual town of Buckhannon; the author has acknowledged the town in a book dedication. [4] The Hartford boys call the Malloys "The Whomper, the Weirdo, and the Crazy" due to Eddie's abilities in baseball, Beth's odd love of books, and Caroline's willingness to do any stunt.

Books in the series

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Urio, Ananda (May 28, 1996). "It's the war of the sexes in this fun book". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved January 5, 2022– via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 Eyerer, Judy (December 14, 1993). "A list of Christmas books worth checking twice". Bangor Daily News . p. 4Z. Retrieved January 6, 2022– via Google Books.
  3. ↑ "The Boys Start the War By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor". ReadBrightly.com. Penguin Random House. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  4. ↑ Appalachian Heritage. Vol. 21. Appalachian Heritage, Incorporated. Winter 1993. p. 78.
  5. ↑ "This Week at Your Library". The Sundance Times . November 7, 1996. p. 9. Retrieved January 5, 2022– via Google Books.
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