Miller, Basil

Ken Rides the Range – a Boy’s Story of the Painted Desert

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1941, 76 pp.

Patty Lou of the Golden West, a Girl’s Adventure Story

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1942, 67 pp

15 year old Patty Lou is the extremely privileged daughter of a famous explorer. She lives on a huge estate, and has a horse, a Palomino named Goldie. After a near-fatal accident, Patty Lou decides to become a Christian. She turns away from the party crowd she hung out with, and helps others become Christians. She also ropes and rides, helps to save a handicapped girl and her mother from a raging forest fire, and while riding Goldie rescues a baby from being run
down in the street.

Patty Lou and the White Gold Ranch

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1943, 74 pp.

After a shipwreck presumably leaves Patty Lou’s famous explorer father dead, she and her guardian/companion Rene have nowhere to call home. They decide to go to Cap’s ranch in Arizona, near the Mexican border. But when they get there, someone else has taken over the ranch, the cattle and palominos are missing, and there is a $25,000 mortgage due soon.

Ken Saddles Up

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1945, 68 pp.

Ken tries to help his friend, Kay Corday, of the Circle-O Ranch. Her father, paralysed after
being thrown from a bronc, is about to lose his ranch. Rustlers have stolen his cattle, and
there is no money to pay the mortgage. With plenty of excitement, the story follows Ken as
he searches the gorges, canyons, and deserts for the rustlers and the missing herd.

Kay and Kim in Wild Horse Canyon

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1946, 80 pp.

As Silver Star in Wild Horse Canyon
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1953, 88 pp.
Oliphants, Edinburgh, 1957, 64 pp.

Kim grew up hearing about “El Capitan”, the wild paint stallion. He searches for the stallion. Alone in the desert, he’s found by Kay, whose ranch needs saving. They find
El Capitan together.

Ken on the Argentine Pampas

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1947, 57 pp.

Silver Star in Rainbow Valley

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1948, 89 pp.

Silver Star’s dam is an Arabian mare stolen from the Diamond D Ranch. The mare returned to the ranch, and her golden palomino colt was born there, but ran off. Cowboys and Indians alike tried to catch the stallion, but failed. Ken’s determination to catch him leads him, his partner, Kay, and their friend, Natachee, into exciting adventures as they try to catch the stallion before the herd is rounded up to be slaughtered.

Patty Lou Under Western Skies

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1950, 57 pp.

After visiting the wilds of Central America, Patty Lou dreams of helping the Indians of her own country, and then seems to get the answer to her prayer. She has been left a ranch in the high Indian country of New Mexico. Patty Lou, and her long-time companion Rene arrive at the ranch, ready to turn it into “The Golden West Indian Academy”. They accomplish great things for the welfare of the Indians, but not without difficulties and obstacles which they have to overcome.

Silver Star and the Black Raider

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1950, 88 pp.

The Black Raider is a wild stallion who is stealing prized Arabian horses from the Diamond D Partners Kim and Kay, along with the palomino stallion, Silver Star, try to stop the Black Raider before his rampage brings an end to the Diamond D. 

Ken Hits the Cowboy Trail

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1951, 58 pp.

Patty Lou Home on the Range

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1951, 57 pp.

Silver Star and the Mustang Roundup

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1951, 73 pp.

A drought endangers the lives of the mustang herd that Silver Star used to lead. Kim and Kay have already rounded up their cattle, and have brought them to the irrigated home pasture, but there is only enough pasture for the cattle. If Ken turns Silver Star loose, he could lead the herd
to the Colorado River. Ken is afraid of losing the stallion for good, but then Silver Star breaks out of his corral during the night. He finds the herd, and leads them towards water, but many obstacles are in the way, including cougars and horse thieves.

Ken Range Detective

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1952, 58 pp.

Patty Lou at Sunset Pass

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1952, 57 pp.

Patty Lou buys some land in Arizona to build a Christian camp for young people from the East, especially those that could benefit from the Arizona climate. While scouting out the area, Patty Lou becomes involved with the local people and their problems. Most urgent is to try to save the flocks of sheep, who are forced to eat a poisonous weed, due to dwindling pastures. The people’s lives depend on keeping the sheep alive to get a good wool crop.

Ken and the Cattle Thieves

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1953, 88 pp.

Silver Star and the Navajos

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1953, 89 pp.

Golden Boy

Van Kampen Press, 1954, 95 pp.

Skip Bailey and his friend come upon the Lazy W’s mare, Lady Slipper, fighting off wolves to
protect her newborn colt. Although the mare has to be put down, they are able to save the colt. Mr Winslow gives the colt to Skip to train and care for until he is old enough to be sold to a polo team. Skip names the palomino colt Golden Boy and he soon becomes one of the best trained horses on the ranch. Skip is heartbroken thinking that the time to sell his beloved horse is soon
approaching.

Outlaw

Van Kampen Press, 1954, 75 pp.

Golden Boy had developed into a prize stallion and champion polo pony, but as he further matures he suddenly makes it evident that he is going to live up to the reputation of his outlaw sire, Firebrand. A difficult decision is made to put the beautiful but dangerous horse down, but after much praying, his young owner, Skip Bailey, is able to win the horse more time. Meanwhile
he searches for an answer to why the horse has suddenly started to act the way he does.

Ken, Range Hero

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1954, 88 pp.

Ken on the Anchor D Ranch

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1956, 57 pp.

Silver Star on the Painted Desert

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1956, 57 pp.

Tippie is a city girl turned ranch owner, who has come west to do missionary work among
the Navajo Indians. She is kidnapped by outlaws who want to know the whereabouts of uranium on the land. Her friends come to her aid, and also come up with a solution for raising money for an Indian school. With Silver Star’s help, they will round up the mustangs and sell them to help Tippie with her dream.

Patty Lou, Western Nurse

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich, 1957, 58 pp.

Excitement, adventure, and danger as Patty Lou and Rene come to the wild Golden Spur
Valley. As head of the Range Nurses Association, Patty Lou is determined to bring the Gospel to its people, along with the advantages of modern medical equipment.