Safe and Secure in a Tippy Canoe is a nostalgic remembrance of a world without present-day safety restrictions or tight parental reins—a time and place where kids were free to be kids. It was the small, close-knit community of Tippecanoe, Ohio, in the early 1960s. CW Spencer humorously recounts tales of riding his bike through a pile of burning leaves, secretly playing with carbide, and participating in other escapades that may cause you to wonder how he even survived his preadolescent years. You will meet the unconventional grownups who loved him enough to occasionally let him learn life lessons the hard way. And you will discover how he was able to feel safe and secure despite the tippy canoe of childhood.

In case you choose to travel with a group through the pages of this book to visit Tippecanoe, book discussion questions have been included.

Safe and Secure in a Tippy Canoe was released March 11, 2019

It is available at Amazon.com.

If you have read Safe and Secure in a Tippy Canoe, please consider leaving a review at Amazon.com.

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Reviews

 
In a day where memoir can be dark revelations buried under the veneer of happiness and success, [this] is a refreshing feel-good look at the ups and downs of a pre-teen baby boomer growing up in a small town in Eastern Ohio in the 1960s . . . The book narrates the experiences of the author as young “Butch,” his childhood nickname. It is an easy read of 19 short chapters . . . [It] has an element of timelessness. There’s a feeling of belonging and trust, a sense of community. It’s a place where neighbors watch out for neighbors, where everyone plays some part in the care and nurture of its young people.

Spencer’s writing style is informal, lighthearted, and fun. The reader will laugh out loud at the way the author describes adult behavior from the viewpoint of a child or frames a scene with just the right metaphor. One of my favorite chapters is entitled “Petrified Gum and Shoddy Business Practices” . . . In one episode, Butch tries his hand at selling “personalized” Christmas cards. When he loses several customer order forms, he decides to rely on his memory and spelling skills to solve his dilemma. The result is disastrous for young Butch and hilarious for the reader.

. . . In Safe and Secure in a Tippy Canoe, we are reminded of what it’s like to be a kid . . . [the author’s] personal journey is a reminder that growing up is a process of learning how to fix mistakes, negotiating life’s ups and downs, treating others with respect, and finding satisfaction in doing the right thing.

—Karen Power, Ph.D., Assistant Editor, the Antioch Review

I’ve just finished reading Safe and Secure in a Tippy Canoe and my heart is happy, my memories of my own childhood are returning, and I’ve got the warm-fuzzies all over. I must admit that I’m glad I didn’t have to raise the author of this book, he was a handful, and yet I’ve fallen in love with this kid. I found him endearing, and he charmed me with his adventures and his big heart. This book will fill you with a sense that at one time all was right with the world. I believe that no matter what your childhood was like, anyone will enjoy this walk down memory lane with a boy learning about his world. I enjoyed CW’s writing style, it’s both poignant and humorous, and he has a great turn of phrase, for example, “The memory of the snowbelt of northern Ohio was already melting away,” and when describing his friend Jerry, “He could play grown-ups like violins.”

Through his descriptions I was there, living it myself in his shoes. For example, in the cookie lady’s house, “the carpet was somewhat faded and worn, and it had designs of castles and knights with swords.”

The chapter title, “The Flyswatter and Other Corporal Punishments” made me laugh out loud because I know all about spankings and switches (mine came off the Gardenia bush).

I suggest you curl up in a comfortable chair, pull the throw over your legs, sip your favorite drink, and relive your childhood “Spencer” style. You’re in for a treat.

—Brenda Cobb Murphy, author, The Wild Romancer