The Beef Princess of Practical County Book

Twelve-year-old Libby, the daughter of an Indiana cattle farmer, raises two calves in hopes of winning the annual steer competition at the county fair, but fails to follow her father's warning about developing a bond with animals that are destined to be sold at auction.

Children's Literature

In this debut novel, twelve-year-old Libby Ryan is in pursuit of stardom at the Practical County Fair: steer stardom. Now that her brother Ronnie has gone away to college, Libby, who comes from a family of cattlemen, is determined to make her own mark at the annual fair in Nowhere, Indiana. She picks two calves to show and promptly names them Piggy and Mule despite her father's warning that fair calves do not need names. Houts delivers an often deadpan first-person narrative that conveys Libby's heartfelt desires, while turning her astute eye on others in this endearing oddball community of people. The Darlings stand out, with their daughters named Precious, Lil, and Ohma, but there are plenty of quirky others, including Libby's loyal friend Carol Ann, four-year-old Frannie, with her imaginary "grandchildren," and Granddad, with his home-grown wisdom. Houts does not spare her young protagonist, and plenty of obstacles arise in Libby's path to keep the pages turning. The setting features authentic locales like the fair itself, the Feed and Seed, and the eccentrically hybrid Jung Chow's Pizza. A charming story about growing up, letting go, and, in the process, finding the core of what matters in self, family, and community. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami