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Just Call Me Uncle Sam: Or How a Camel Born at Sea Found Himself in Texas Before he ever set a hoof on Texas soil, Uncle Sam had already crossed an ocean. Born aboard a rolling ship bound for America, Uncle Sam was no ordinary camel. He arrived in Texas in 1856 as part of the U.S. Army's bold-and bizarre-experiment known as the Camel Corps, a real-life attempt to use camels to tame the rugged Southwest frontier. But Uncle Sam quickly learns that surviving the Texas wilderness takes more than long legs and a stubborn streak. It takes courage, loyalty, and heart. Alongside Stormy, a hot-tempered mule with plenty of opinions, Uncle Sam journeys across dusty trails, lonely deserts, and rough military outposts. Together they face scorching heat, dangerous terrain, and the unpredictable humans who depend on them. Yet as their friendship is tested by ambition, pride, and changing frontier fortunes, Uncle Sam discovers that every adventure comes at a price-and every choice shapes his destiny. Told in Uncle Sam's own unforgettable voice, this thrilling and emotional tale brings readers inside one of the strangest chapters in American frontier history. Young readers will experience the wonder, danger, and excitement of the Old West through the eyes of an animal who truly lived it. From Spur Award-winning author Preston Lewis comes another remarkable true-to-history animal autobiography in the beloved Old West Critters Collection, where legendary animals tell the stories only they could tell. Perfect for middle-grade readers ages 8-14, animal lovers, and fans of frontier adventure, Just Call Me Uncle Sam blends humor, history, and heart into an unforgettable

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9781964830209

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Preston Lewis is the award-winning author of more than sixty western, historical, juvenile, and nonfiction works. In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary achievements. The Will Rogers Medallion Awards named him the 2025 recipient of the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the literature of the American West.Western Writers of America (WWA) has honored Lewis with three Spur Awards, one for best article, a second for best western novel and a third one for YA nonfiction in 2025. He has received eleven Will Rogers Medallion Awards (seven gold, two silver and two bronze) for written western humor, short stories, YA nonfiction, short nonfiction, and traditional Western novel.Lewis is a past president of WWA and the West Texas Historical Association, which has named him a fellow. He holds a bachelor's degree from Baylor University and a master's degree from Ohio State University, both in journalism. Additionally, he has a second master's degree in history from Angelo State University. He lives in San Angelo, Texas, with wife Harriet Kocher Lewis. In her capacity as publisher of Bariso Press, Harriet Kocher Lewis is an award-winning author and editor. Pintsized Pioneers: Taming the Frontier, One Chore at a Time, which she co-authored with her husband, earned her a Spur Award and a Will Rogers Gold Medallion for young adult nonfiction. Since establishing Bariso Press in 2021, she has edited and published a dozen fiction and nonfiction works. Those books have earned 18 awards from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Will Rogers Medallion Awards, Western Writers of America, the Independent Author Awards, the Literary Global Book Awards, and the Literary Global Children's Book Awards.A retired physical therapist and PT educator, she was an assistant clinical professor of physical therapy at Angelo State University where she taught documentation and scientific writing among other topics as the department's coordinator of clinical education.Kocher Lewis holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Baylor University, a physical therapy certificate from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, and a master's degree in exercise and sports science from Texas Tech University. She and her husband Preston Lewis live in San Angelo, Texas. They have a son, a daughter, four granddaughters and a grandson.

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