By CHRISTIE

MASTRIC

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — “The SideRoad Kids: Tales of Chippewa County” definitely has an Upper Peninsula feel, so it fits in with the purpose of the U.P. Notable Book Club: promoting regional writers.

The Crystal Falls Community District Library, in partnership with the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association, sets up author events with winners of the U.P. Notable Book List as part of the club’s mission. The 25th event is with Sharon M. Kennedy, “SideRoad Kids’ author.

The Kennedy question-and-answer session will betin at 7 p.m. Jan. 12 via Zoom. Contact Evelyn Gathu in advance at egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org, or 906-875-3344. It is recommended that participants borrow a copy of the book from a local library or buy it from a local bookseller in advance to get the most out of these event.

All club events are open to all U.P. residents free of charge.

“The SideRoad Kids: Tales of Chippewa County” presents stories of grade-school kids growing up in the rural U.P. of the 1950s.

Kennedy would know about this era. She lives in the land of her youth near the country town of Brimley and, according to the UPPAA, surrounded by childhood memories and a way of life that is no more.

“Instead of relying on intricate plots and schemes, her stories are driven by the characters and their interactions with each other, their teachers and their parents,” the UPPAA said in a news release. “The authenticity and innocence of the kids will remind adults of days gone by.”

“The SideRoad Kids” has a “To Kill A Mockingbird”-esque quality about it, and anyone who has childhood memories probably can relate to it.

“There are many books that detail the history of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,” reads the review by Brad Gischia in the U.P. Book Review. “These are often rigorously researched and documented (some may be less so) and they represent an important aspect of the way we understand this strange little corner of the world. “The SideRoad Kids: Tales from Chippewa County” is not that kind of book.

“It is a fictional retelling of the life of Sharon M. Kennedy, the stories of the time she spent growing up on the east end of the U.P., and the myriad characters that she grew up with.”

Each chapter is a story about Yooper life, a mixture of back-country living and 1950s nostalgia that is reminiscent of Jean Shepherd’s “A Christmas Story,” Gischia writes.

“And Kennedy does indeed include a Christmas story in her book, one that takes the kids on a trip that is a little more like ‘Gift of the Magi’ than they bargain for,” it says. “The kids in the book, with names like Flint, Candy, and Squeaky, could easily be any of the kids we all grew up with, familiar in their idiosyncrasies, lovable in their innocence.

“‘The SideRoad Kids: Tales from Chippewa County’ is a great little slice of the Upper Peninsula. Even though it’s set in the ’50s, I can see similarities to the people that I grew up around in the ’80s, so I expect that those would be familiar to anyone from the area. This book is great for readers of all ages, a short story collection that is part non-fiction, part fiction and all enjoyable.” Kennedy is no author newbie. She writes a weekly newspaper column for The Sault News and the Cheboygan Tribune. She authored “Life in a Tin Can,” a random collection of previously published columns. Her most recent book, “View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories,” was just released. Her work also appears in all seven issues of the U.P. Reader.

“Writing the ‘Kids’ was like stepping back in time and recalling memories,” Kennedy said in an email. “In many ways the book is historical fiction because most of the stories have a drop of truth in them. For instance, myself and other kids who lived on a farm learned to drive by practicing on the car that was hauled to a field and left there.”

Kennedy mentioned a class trip to Castle Rock as well as other tails.

“I was paddled in sixth grade, and I hated the clarinet,” she said. “One of our bus drivers loved to floor the gas pedal before we found a seat. Belle, our gray cow (don’t know what breed), always had deformed calves except for one time I clearly remember. I was about 10 when I found the dead kittens in the manger. Dad hadn’t buried them deep enough.

“One of my uncles shot his brother’s cat during hunting season. We did get a piglet from a neighbor and the little fellow ran home. His squeals stayed with me for a long time. We played Statue Maker, Red Rover and Old Maid. Our mothers always dressed up for Halloween and we always stopped at the Cozy Inn bar in Brimley.”

Kennedy said she could continue with more examples, but these provide an accurate picture of what it was like to write the stories.

“I’m Shirley and lived in that old house,” Kennedy said. “Katie is who I wanted to be but didn’t have the courage.” 

Kennedy is writing a sequel that covers the summer months, with “The SideRoad Kids: A Summer of Discovery” as the working title. Readers, she said, will discover a lot about the main characters and their parents.

More information about the U.P. Notable Book list, U.P. Book Review and UPPAA can be found on www.UPNotable.com.

The UPPAA was established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about the U.P. The UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit association with more than 100 members, many of whose books are featured at www.uppaa.org.

UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a U.P. connection and an interest in writing.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.