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Living in underground lodging in 1960, the Brunes were a family of eight with another on the way. Fred and Flo Brune's oldest children, Mary and Judy, were teenage girls who did their best to entertain their four-year-old sister, Krissy, with books and paper dolls. But Krissy was highly energetic and willfully precocious. She much preferred traipsing through the woods with her older brothers, Mike, Rich, and Tommy. Despite their best intentions and earnest promises to be good, stay out of trouble, and take care of their younger sister, the Brune boys frequently found themselves embroiled in misguided mischief such as digging an army trench in the yard, ransacking their father's garage, and loading his wheelbarrow tire full of nails to construct an army jeep. No matter the adventure, Krissy tagged along with Mike, Rich, and Tommy as their pint-sized but determined fourth brother.
Ross opens with a prologue full of vivid imagery to draw young readers into a magical world where nature's beauty transforms woodlands into the perfect landscape for happy childhood adventure. Drawing on true stories from her youth, the author uses engaging storytelling interspersed with clever rhymes, witty sayings, and fun drawings to capture the innocent joy and imaginative play that children enjoyed before video games and the Internet. From swarms of attacking yellow jackets to cemetery shenanigans and wood tick-hunting rituals, these are funny, heartwarming stories of familial love. They demonstrate how older children should care for their younger siblings—even the stubborn, bratty ones. The book also explores the delicate balance parents must achieve between discipline and encouraging their children's creativity, imagination, and adventurous spirits.