John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years." Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults, and when Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks. When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans. Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."
Series
Books
The Case of the Red Rubber Ball
2020
The Case of the Burrowing Robot
2003
The Case of the Hooking Bull
1992
Story Craft
Reflections on Faith, Culture, and Writing
1912
The Case of the Fiddle Playing Fox
1989
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
1988
The Quest for the Great White Quail
2008
The Frozen Rodeo
2020
Cowboys and Horses
2017
Hank the Cowdog Pack 2
2008
The Case of the Wandering Goats
2017
The Case of the Measled Cowboy
1999
The Case of the Blazing Sky
2008
The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse
1987
The Case of the Troublesome Lady
2017
The Case of the Vampire Vacuum Sweeper
1997
The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies
2006
The Case of the Twisted Kitty
2004
Ranching and Livestock
2017
The Case of the Night-Stalking Bone Monster
1996
The Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve
1989
Drover's Secret Life
2009
Hank the Cowdog
A condensed version
1986
Finding Hank
The Most-Often Asked Questions about Hank the Cowdog
2019
The Case of the Saddlehouse Robbery
2000
The Case of the Garbage Monster from Outer Space
1999
Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business
1990
The Mopwater Files
1997
Slim's Good-bye
2000
The Case of the Vanishing Fishhook
1998
The Case of the Prowling Bear
2013
The Case of the Falling Sky
2005
The Case of the Monster Fire
2018
The Case of the Tricky Trap
2012
Murder in the Middle Pasture
1985
The Case of the Three Rings
2014
It's a Dog's Life
1984
The Big Question
2012
Wagons West
2016
The Kitty Cheater
2006
The Dancing Cowboy
2009
The Case of the Deadly Ha-Ha Game
2013
The Case of the Raging Rottweiler
2000
The Homeless Pooch
2004
The Case of the Coyote Invasion
2010
The Case of the Car-Barkaholic Dog
1991
The Case of the Mysterious Voice
2012
Faded Love
1985
The Return of the Charlie Monsters
2014
The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado
2013
The Christmas Turkey Disaster
2015
The Case of the Shipwrecked Tree
2003
The Cookie Moon
2008
The Almost Last Roundup
2015
Lost in the Blinded Blizzard
1991
The Case of the Black-hooded Hangmans
1995
The Case of the Three-Toed Sloth
2018
The Curse of the Incredible Priceless Corncob
1986
The Case of the Missing Bird Dog
2002
The Valentine's Day Robbery
2010
The Case of the Dinosaur Birds
2009
The Case of the Buried Deer
2019
Bad Smoke, Good Smoke
A Texas Rancher's View of Wildfire
2021
The Case of the Halloween Ghost
1987
Lost in the Dark Unchanted Forest
1988
The Case of the Monkey Burglar
2006
The Secret Laundry Monster Files
2013
The Case of the Lost Camp
2022
The Phantom in the Mirror
1993
The Dungeon of Doom
2004
Tales and Tunes from Hank the Cowdog (Hank the Cowdog
2003
The Runaway Windmill
2007
The Case of the Booby-Trapped Pickup
2012
The Case of the Midnight Rustler
1992
The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
1983
The Watermelon Patch Mystery
2005
The Ghost of Rabbits Past
2013
The Case of the Perfect Dog
2012
The Modern Cowboy
1981
Ranch Wildlife
122
The Case of the Vampire Cat
1993
The Disappearance of Drover
2012
Every Dog Has His Day
1987
The Case of the Most Ancient Bone
2012
The Case of the Kidnapped Collie
1996
Moonlight Madness
1994
The Fling
2001
The Case of the Missing Cat
1990
The Case of the Secret Weapon
2010
The Case of the Missing Teeth
2021
The Case of the Haystack Kitties
1998
The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
1980
The Secret Pledge
2016
The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting
2013
The Incredible Ice Event
2022
