BIBLIOGRAPHY 1962-1963
Thank you to biographer Dennis Duffy for providing this bibliography (including all of the original covers) of Leonard's more than 100 works.
The Mouse on the Moon (1962)
The Mouse that Roared Series, Book 2
New York, William Morrow & Company, 1962 [Adult Fiction].
The Duchy of Grand Fenwick is at it again, this time beating America and Russia to the moon using a rocket powered by iron filings and Pinot Grand Fenwick wine.
"Wibberley for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff!"—The Los Angeles Times
"Wibberley is in a class by himself in satiric narrative, and this...is brilliant."—Richmond Times Dispatch
"Zany whimsy... A hilarious trip to the moon."—Life Magazine
"Fantastic, irreverent, cockeyed, funny and irresistible."—Library Journal
The Ballad of the Pilgrim Cat (1962)
New York: Ives, Washburn, 1962 [Youth Fiction, Poetry].
An endearing story of how a stowaway cat on the Mayflower saves the Pilgrims by protecting their grain seeds from rodents.
"Delightful story of English pilgrims sailing to America told rhyme... Now I want to read more books by Leonard Wibberley."—LibraryThing Review
"It is a family tradition to read this every Thanksgiving Day at our house. A treasure!" —Google Books Review
Click Here to Download the FREE Audio Book MP3 File.
Black Tiger at Indianapolis (1962)
The Black Tiger Series, Book 5
New York: Ives, Washburn, 1962 [Youth Fiction as Patrick O’Connor].
The fifth of six sports-car racing stories about Woody Hartford, a young racing enthusiast, and his car—the Black Tiger.
When Indy 500 champion Pete Elsworth wins a road race and declares that road race drivers are inferior to Indy drivers, Woody Hartford is forced to step up and defend his colleagues. But in order to compete, Woody needs to learn how to drive all over again—Indy style. It's Rocky on the racetrack.
Written by racing enthusiast Leonard Wibberley under the pen name Patrick O'Connor, The Black Tiger Series transports the reader back to a golden age of both racing and American life to tell timeless stories of courage, teamwork, glory, heartbreak, and the human condition.
"If your young reading addict loves fast cars, then they'll be intrigued by the tale of Woody Hartford and his adventures in the famed Indianapolis 500. Good inside stuff!"—New York Herald Tribune, Books for Boys and Girls
The River of Pee Dee Jack (1962)
New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1962 [Youth Historical Fiction as Christopher Webb].
This is an adventure tale set in the early days of fur trading in the Pacific Northwest filled with heroism and suspense. In its pages we learn about the privation and dangers faced by the early voyageurs sent out to trap beaver as well as the political intrigue between England, America and Russia for control of the fur trade.
Treegate's Raiders (1962)
The Treegate Series, Book 4
New York: Ariel Books (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), 1962 [Youth Historical Fiction].
The fourth and final book in the Peter Treegate series follows Peter through the final years of the Revolutionary War. Peter leads a band of Carolina mountain men in a series brutal engagements fought in the southern colonies from 1780 to the final surrender of the British at Yorktown in August 1781.
*** A William Allen White Children's Book Award Nominee ***
★★★★★ "A great introduction to the American Revolutionary War for both young readers and adults alike!"—Goodreads Reviewer
Ventures into the Deep (1962)
New York: Ives Washburn, 1962 Adult Non-fiction].
Leonard Wibberley sets out to become a scuba diver and shares his experience in detail with his readers. Reading the book is almost like being there enjoying the thrills and chills to be found in the underwater world.
The Shepherd's Reward: A Christmas Legend (1963)
New York: Ives, Washburn, 1963 [Adult Fiction, Poetry].
A moving retelling of the Christmas story through the eyes of the shepherds to whom the angels first declared the glad tidings.
Quest of the Otter (1963)
New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1963 [Youth Fiction as Christopher Webb].
Young Paul Joplin’s father, a whaling captain, did not return to his home in Mystic, Connecticut from his last voyage. When he comes of age Paul sails aboard another whaling ship, the Otter, bound for the South Seas in search of his father.
Ah, Julian! A Memoir of Julian Brodetsky (1963)
New York: William Morrow & Company, 1963 [Adult Biography].
This book is a loving tribute to Leonard Wibberley’s violin teacher and long-time friend, Julian Brodetsky. The Russian-born musician was an accomplished concert violinist and conductor in Europe before immigrating to America in the 1920s. Shortly after arriving he settled in Los Angeles where he devoted the rest of his life to teaching violin and organizing concert groups and ensembles.
★★★★★ “How is it that this book is so unknown that it might as well be nonexistent? I know only one other person—the music teacher who recommended this to me—that has read this book. Maybe Wibberley should have named it The Most Awesome and Amazing and Bestest Violin Teacher Ever or something. That's a way more eye-catching, and more accurate, title in my opinion.”—Goodreads Reviewer
Young Man from the Piedmont: The Youth of Thomas Jefferson (1963)
New York: Ariel Books (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), 1963 [Youth Biography].
This is the first book in a four-part series about the life of Thomas Jefferson written for youth. This book presents Jefferson’s life from his birth on 13 April 1743 to his participation as a delegate to the Third Continental Congress in Philadelphia in June and July 1776 at which he writes a document beginning with the words “When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another….”
Wibberley presents many interesting details about young Tom’s childhood, education, marriage, the establishment of his plantation at Monticello, and his early career as a lawyer and politician.
Deliver Us from Wolves (1963)
A Father Bredder Mystery, Book 4
New York: Dodd, Mead, 1963 [Father Bredder Mystery as Leonard Holton].
Not even a vacation to a remote village in Portugal can keep Father Bredder away from mysteries. The priest finds himself caught in the middle of a murder case involving werewolves, ancient legends, and heroin smuggling priests and nuns.
"Supernatural suspense and murder lead Father Bredder into the most tantalizing case of his career...the best!"—New York Herald Tribune
"...this was a lot of fun, a very well told and surprisingly suspenseful 'werewolf' tale, set in the usual, overly superstitious, isolated mountain village, home to a handful of shady characters / red herrings, as well as a cunning Countess high up on the hill in her creepy castle (complete with torture chamber dungeon.) It's not an exceptionally complicated mystery, but it still kept me guessing up to the end, and now I'm looking forward to more adventures with Father Bredder..."—Goodreads Review
The Mouse That Roared (1963)
The Mouse That Roared. Chicago: Dramatic Publishing Co., 1963
[Two-act Play Adapted with Christopher Sergel from the novel of the same name].
A 22-year-old girl happens to be Duchess Gloriana, sovereign of a microscopic country in the Alps founded centuries ago by a roving band of English bowmen. Gloriana’s unique solution to the near bankruptcy of her tiny domain is to declare war on the Unites States of America.
There’s a method to her madness, however, for her study of recent history suggests that the surest way to wealth today is to lose a war with the United States, for that country’s odd reaction is to pour aid, relief, and rehabilitation on the vanquished.
But then, the last thing she expects to happen happens—they win the war!
“Mouse is a very accessible comedy for high schools. The theme is political and timely to current events and concerns.”—Review by Jan Adair, Chopticon High School, Morganza, MD
“The Mouse that Roared is a fun vehicle for developing comic skills while presenting the audience with a hilarious, whimsical tale that evokes thoughts about global issues today.”—Review by Richard Bellamy, Cape Cod Academy, Osterville, MA
“This production is great for a high school. It is funny. It is flexible in terms of casting and it is wholesome.”—Review by Peter DeAngelis, Ross Corners Christian Academy, Owego, N.Y.
“This was one of our school’s most successful productions. With a cast of 40+ people, we were able to give many students their first experience on stage… Enjoyable for all audiences!”—Review by John Kochensparger, Beavercreek High School, Beavercreek, OH