Amazon Resale
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Millions of titles. Learn more
OR
£2.32

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

You've subscribed to ! We will pre-order your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships and Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

PURE TRASH (Historical Fiction) Short story prequel to DOG BONE SOUP Kindle Edition

4.5 out of 5 stars 60 ratings

It's PURE TRASH (Historical Fiction/short story), a Compelling Prequel to the novel DOG BONE SOUP. The year is 1955. Remember the Good Old Days? You know, the 1950s and ‘60s, when America was flying high. The All American Family lived a life filled with hopes and dreams and life’s necessities too. Shawn Daniels isn’t your typical American Boomer Boy. No, Shawn is a poor boy. He can’t join Boy Scouts or sports teams. There’s not even enough money for necessities. Besides, Shawn doesn’t have time for that. But when chores are done, there’s always fishing!
In this short story, Shawn and Willie Daniels are off on a Saturday adventure in search of trash to turn into treasure. It is going to be a great day. Shawn is sure of it. No school and no bullies to remind him that he’s not one of the crowd. This is a story about bullies and what it’s like to be bullied (and not just by kids). It may redefine your definition of bullying. If you were a child who was thought of as “different” in some way, you know what bullying is about: torment, persecution, intimidation, to name a few of its synonyms. For Shawn and Willie, their difference was based upon the social status of a dysfunctional family and the alcoholism and abject poverty in which they grew up.

Product description

About the Author

Bette A. Stevens is a retired teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and childhood literacy and for monarch butterflies, a threatened species. Stevens’s children’s activity book, THE TANGRAM ZOO and WORD PUZZLES TOO! was first published in 1997 by Windswept House Publishing, Mt. Desert, ME; a second edition was self-published by the author in 2012. AMAZING MATILDA , Stevens's second children's book, self-published in 2012, won a 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Children's Literature - Ages 6 and older category) and placed #9 on The 2013 Gittle List TOP 10for Self-published Children’s Picture Books. Stevens has written articles for ECHOES, The Northern Maine Journal of Rural Culture based in Caribou, Maine. In 2013, the author published her first book for the YA/Adult audience: PURE TRASH, a short story of a boy growing up in rural New England in a family whose poverty and alcoholism mark him as a target for bullying by young and old alike. This short story is a prequel to Stevens's debut novel planned for release in the summer of 2014. Find out more about the author and her books at http://www.Amazon.com/author/betteastevens

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00EH0RV6K
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 11 Aug. 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 529 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 26 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 6 - 12
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 18 years
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 60 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Bette A. Stevens
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of eight. Stevens lives in central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys reading, writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies (milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat). The author is currently (2019) working on two poetry collections. MY MAINE: Haiku through the Seasons (Poetry & Photography Collection (2019).

Stevens’s children’s book, THE TANGRAM ZOO and WORD PUZZLES TOO! was first published in 1997 by Windswept House Publishing, Mt. Desert, ME; a second edition was self-published by the author in 2012. AMAZING MATILDA, Stevens's second children's book, self-published in 2012 won a 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Children's Literature - Ages 6 and older category) and also placed #9 on The 2013 Gittle List for Self-published Children’s Picture Books. Stevens has written articles for ECHOES, The Northern Maine Journal of Rural Culture based in Caribou, Maine. In 2013, the author published her first book for the YA/Adult audience: PURE TRASH, a short story of a boy growing up in rural New England in a family whose poverty and alcoholism mark him as a target for bullying by young and old alike. This short story is a prequel to Stevens's début novel DOG BONE SOUP (KCT International Literary Award Top Finalist 2017). Stevens is currently working on two poetry collections. MY MAINE, Haiku through the Seasons (Poetry & Photography Collection/JUNE 2019).

From The Author:

"I love to walk and enjoy nature's beauty, whether at home or on the go. I'm passionate about the beauty in the world around me and enjoy jotting down notes and composing short poems. The coast is one of my favorite places to relax. I'm a nature collector: everything from seashells to birds' nests. When I was teaching, these treasures filled my classroom and provided inspiration for reading, writing and research. It was hands-on fun and excitement and I enjoyed every moment spent learning with, from and about my students. One thing I learned is that many children don't have an adult to read to them or listen to them read and talk about those books. Many of my blog and facebook posts will focus on how we can improve childhood literacy by reading to the children in our families and communities. My own childhood was filled with books and adults who shared and encouraged a love of reading. I've written some poetry and several short stories. I plan to write some adult fiction, including a coming of age story, and write reviews on some of my favorite books. I'll be sharing some of your stories, poems and tips on reading and writing, too. Let's have fun learning, living, sharing and loving language together." Bette A. Stevens

9/24/12 LINDA LOEGEL INTERVIEW excerpts:

Q: What prompted you to write "AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch's Tale"?

Bette: As a prolific reader, and with some creative writing experiences in my new 'teacher toolbox,' I was hooked right from the start. Meld that love of literature with a desire to inspire students to be all they can be and you've got a brand new children's book writer: me, the author of AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch's Tale, my second children's book. The teacher me wanted to integrate a story with core curriculum elements. A Monarch would be the perfect main character: as an indicator species and with Monarch habitat (milkweed) rapidly disappearing, it would be a great way for children to learn life science and environmental science concepts, all while enjoying an inspiring story. Monarch research was my first step. I thought the fit would be perfect because the challenges to be met in the natural world parallel the challenges to be met in the lives of the children. And so, I started to write and rewrite and rewrite... All of the tweaking was on the literary side of the story. I wanted it to be used to teach (model) the use of repetition, alliteration, metaphor and simile in writing stories. It was lots of fun and the first year I placed Matilda's story in a storybook format in a binder (no illustrations yet). I read it aloud and my fourth graders wanted to read it during their free time and make their own illustrations. We were raising silkworms in the classroom at the time. I continued to read the story aloud to my students (4th, 5th and 6th graders) over the years. During that time, I continued to make revisions and used those models as a teaching tool as well. As a retired teacher, I've had time this year to create the illustrations (pencil sketches and watercolor). My background in desktop publishing gave me the incentive to check the internet to find out about self-publishing. Voila! After more than a decade: AMAZING MATILDA, is now written, illustrated and published.

Q: What is your advice to would be writers?

Bette: NEVER GIVE UP: You can do anything you really want to do if you try long enough and hard enough, especially with help and encouragement from your friends. (The theme of AMAZING MATILDA) The internet is such a great resource for connecting with other writers, readers, marketers, publishers. Join groups that fit into your niche. Then, connect with other writers and find out what they're doing. Read them, follow them, leave comments and ask questions. There is a wonderful world of encouragers on the Web.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
60 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one noting how it captures the era perfectly. They thoroughly enjoy the short story, with one customer highlighting its evocative portrayal of life in the 1950s.

7 customers mention ‘Writing quality’7 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it beautifully crafted and evocative, with one customer noting how it brings readers into the world of Shawn and captures the era perfectly.

"...Bette writes beautifully and brings the reader into the world of Shawn and his family in 1950's New England...." Read more

"...There’s lovely description of the pleasure in the bike ride itself, with Shawn keeping a protective eye on Willie, but they’re also looking out for..." Read more

"...was immediately engrossed in Shawn's and Willie's world, the era was perfectly captured and the dialogue authentic...." Read more

"...Bette Stevens' writing is nostalgic in the very best sense, giving the full flavour, sense-surround feel of wrong side of the tracks 1950's middle..." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Short story quality’4 positive0 negative

Customers thoroughly enjoyed this short story, with one noting its evocative portrayal of life in the 1950s.

"...A great read, carried me too quickly away to the finish. Look forward to reading the whole book now, highly recommended." Read more

"This charming short story, tells the tale about two brothers on a Saturday afternoon...." Read more

"A powerfully portrayed short story of a boy, Shawn Daniels ,and his younger brother.from a poor family, subjected to subtle and not so subtle..." Read more

"Evocative short story of life in the fifties!..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 June 2017
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    I read Bette's book "Dog Bone Soup" prior to "Pure Trash" and loved it. Bette writes beautifully and brings the reader into the world of Shawn and his family in 1950's New England. This prequel takes us on a journey with Shawn and his brother on their bicycles, collecting bottles on the roadside, exchanging them for cash and buying pop and other sweets. Unfortunately, his brother falls off his bike and the boys seek solace from a lady who reluctantly cleans his wounds, while calling the boys "pure trash."
    I would highly recommend Bette's books.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 January 2024
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    This short story is a prequel to Dog Bone Soup and tells of a day in the lives of Shawn aged nine and his six-year-old brother Willie.
    We quickly form a picture of the family circumstances. Their father is an alcoholic which leaves the family in poverty and means that the boys have plenty of chores to do to support their mother.
    The day in question is a Saturday. There’s no school and as soon as they can, they take their bikes and set off for the town. There’s lovely description of the pleasure in the bike ride itself, with Shawn keeping a protective eye on Willie, but they’re also looking out for discarded bottles and cans. They know they can hand these bottles in for two cents each and earn themselves some rare treats as a consequence.
    When they arrive, we come across the unpleasantness directed at them by a man who makes fun of them and their father in front of his friends. Shawn describes how ‘Folks like the Wentworths made me feel like a nobody. The minute I’d spot them I could feel my breath stop. My hands, my teeth and my stomach all got sucked in together. I wanted to throw up.’ I love the way we hear Shawn’s voice in this.
    There is kindness in the town as well which restores your faith in human nature.
    The rest of the day is perfect until the ride home. A calamity leads them to the door of one of the women they know from church. I’ll leave you to experience Mrs Prendergast for yourselves…
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2016
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. I was immediately engrossed in Shawn's and Willie's world, the era was perfectly captured and the dialogue authentic. A great read, carried me too quickly away to the finish. Look forward to reading the whole book now, highly recommended.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 December 2014
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    I've stopped buying short story stand alones and skimpy novellas, but for this author I suspended my usual bias and, I'm glad I did, as I would have missed a little gem of a tale. Bette Stevens' writing is nostalgic in the very best sense, giving the full flavour, sense-surround feel of wrong side of the tracks 1950's middle America.

    Shawn and his brother are brimful of youthful energy and, for anyone who's a baby boomer, or lived with one, this brings back memories of a pre-24/7 telly world where you 'made your own fun' and often had to go scavenging for the treasure trove of returned soft drinks bottles to fund visits to the shop for sweets and other necessities of childhood... It also highlights the insidious and institutional prejudice of western society towards what used to be called the 'undeserving' poor - children whose parents frittered their meagre earnings away on more intoxicating liquors or other social vices that made life on the trash heap a little more muted and bearable.

    Without being derivative in the slightest, the writing takes you back to the worlds of Harper Lee and even more intolerant times in the days of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, where the magic of childhood still dared to poke it's oblivious way out of the weeds and muck heaps and paints a faithful picture for us that shows the guts as well as the many bright and brutal colours of human nature. I look forward to reading a longer and more realised account of Shawn's family's travails with much anticipation after this all too brief ground-breaker.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 April 2015
    Format: Kindle Edition
    How can so much imagery fit in such a small space? A host of human emotions and an entire era are crammed within a handful of pages. What's even more impressive, this is all accomplished from the point of view of a a simple boy.

    This short story speaks volumes about Stevens' writing skills and her ability to pick the seemingly insignificant details that make all the difference - such as the self-made metal basket on the hero's bike, or the casual measuring of his father's drunkenness level, in order to ascertain whether the old man is ready to take the boys fishing.

    The hero's voice is all the more poignant for his innocence. He knows what he loves and hates, but is content to describe; not judge. This makes Pure Trash all the more compelling, as any judging is left to the reader.

    All in all, a powerful short story, and a great introduction to the novel.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 April 2014
    Format: Kindle Edition
    I borrowed this story from the Amazon Prime lending library. It is a prequel to a full-length, upcoming debut novel. Bette Stevens' writing reminds me so much of Tillie Olsen's (the enigmatic writer of 1930's fragments and novels) that were so perfect in their prose, making each sentence a poem. She, too, was a champion of the poor and that is what Pure Trash depicts: a gem of a main character, unaware but learning that he is poor. It is up to him--and Ms. Stevens--to help determine the definition of poor. Is it economical or will it be moral, intellectual? A fine, beautifully crafted introduction to Shawn Daniels and poverty in 1950's America.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 April 2015
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    This is a short story about two young brothers in the fifties and is a well written and evocative example of how those of us of a certain age used to spend our days outdoors on bicycles, not staring at screens! It would probably all be a bit foreign for the majority of today's kids!
    I think the author has teased us by writing this short story as it suggests she could write a great novel about their adventures, which I would like to read!

Top reviews from other countries

  • Ms Fiza Pathan
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent prequel to Dog Bone Soul
    Reviewed in India on 9 March 2020
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    I really loved this short story. 'Pure Trash' by talented author Bette Stevens is a story of two brothers living in New England in the 1950's. It's a story about poverty & simple living & falls into the genre of literary fiction. The book's cover is enticing & the interior formatting of the book is eye catching. The plot & concept of the short story is excellent. It is beautifully written & now I am very keen on reading the novel for which this short story was a prequel. All readers will be captivated by the elegant prose of Stevens & her clear & easy to follow style of narrating the story of Shawn & Willie. The scenes flow together very well & the historical references made by the author are accurate & well placed in the story. The reason for the title 'Pure Trash' is revealed at the end of the short story which will make your heart bleed as a reader. The pacing of the story is excellent & the scenes flow beautifully together. You feel one with the story & its characters. I especially was touched by the way the brothers Shawn & Willie collected their hard earned money to buy sweets, soda pops & other confectioneries which they would otherwise would not have been able to purchase. It reminded me of the kids back here in modern day Mumbai, living literally on the streets or in ramshackle slums. They too, like Shawn & Willie, often collect their daily earnings & spend them recklessly on sweets - kids will be kids! I have analyzed this short story on the basis of outer appearance, inner formatting, plot, concept, language, development, historical references, grammar, character descriptions & genre. 'Pure Trash' the short story gets 5 stars from me. I now hope to read the novel & more books by Bette Stevens in the near future.
  • James Osborne
    5.0 out of 5 stars From A Gifted Writer!
    Reviewed in Canada on 9 March 2016
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Bette has a gift for writing wonderfully sensitive novels, often about challenging experiences. If that's your thing, you will love "Pure Trash: The Story"!
  • MarilynArms
    5.0 out of 5 stars NOT-SO-HALCYON DAYS OF YORE - PURE TRASH
    Reviewed in the United States on 16 December 2013
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    There are so many television shows and movies, not to mention sappy posts on Facebook and other social media sites about "the good old days" ... kind of makes me a trifle queasy. As someone who grew up in those good old days, I can attest to their not being all that great. There were good things about them, but it was by no means all roses.

    Good is a relative term, after all. If you were white, Christian and middle class ... preferably male and not (for example) a woman with professional ambitions ... the world was something resembling your oyster. A family could live on one salary. If you were "regular folk" and didn't stand out in any particular way, life could be gentle and sweet.

    The thing is, an awful lot of people aren't and weren't people who could blend in. If you were poor, anything but white or Christian, or a woman who wanted to be more than a mother and homemaker, the world was a far rougher place.

    Pure Trash: The Story: Shawn Daniels in a Poor Boy's Adventure: 1950s Rural New England is set in rural New England in the mid 1950s. It's a sharp reminder how brutal our society could be to those deemed different or inferior. Not only was bullying common, it wasn't considered wrong. I remember how badly the poor kids in my class were treated when I was going through elementary school. How the teachers took every opportunity to humiliate kids whose clothing was tattered and whose shoes were worn. I remember feeling awful for those little girls and boys. Not merely bullied by their classmates (who oddly, didn't much notice the differences until the teachers pointed them out), but tormented by those who were supposed to care for and protect them. Bad enough for me and the handful of Jewish kids as Christmas rolled around. For them, it was the wrong time of year all year round.

    In this short story, Shawn and Willie Daniels set off one Saturday in search of whatever they can find that they can turn into money. One man's trash can be a poor child's treasure. Bottles that people throw away could be collected and turned into ice cream and soda pop. Shawn is excited. It's going to be a terrific day. Until the real world intrudes and Shawn is sharply and painfully reminded that he's different ... and not in a good way.

    The story is about bullying, but more important, it's about being different and being judged without compassion, without understanding or love.

    It's a very fast read. Only 21 pages, the story flies by. I was left wanting more. I want to know how the boys grow up. I want them to become CEOs of big corporations so they can thumb their noses at their whole miserable society. An excellent short story leaving plenty of room for thought.

    Though set in 1955, the story is entirely relevant today. Despite much-touted progress, we still judge each other harshly based on appearance and assumptions. Everything changes ... but maybe not so much.

    For lots more information about the book and its author, stop by the authors' website: 4 Writers and Readers. Pure Trash is available on Kindle and as a paperback from Amazon.
  • Maura Beth Brennan
    4.0 out of 5 stars A bittersweet and evocative tale of boyhood in the 1950's
    Reviewed in the United States on 14 June 2021
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Pure Trash is a charming, nostalgic, and bitter-sweet look at life in the 1950’s from a child’s perspective. Nine-year-old Shawn sets out on a day of carefree fun and adventure with his six-year-old brother, Willie, leaving his alcoholic father at home, and forgetting his judgmental and bullying classmates. We follow Shawn along on what should be a blissful time in the countryside, complete with a visit to the country store and luscious ice cream, when suddenly the day is complicated by young Willie’s bike accident. Shawn has no choice but to enlist the help of a neighbor. It is then he is reminded of his “place” in the local hierarchy, one he and his family can’t seem to escape. The story is beautifully written in clear but evocative prose. This short story is a prequel to the author’s full-length novel, Dog Bone Soup, and if the writing is any example, the book will be well-worth reading.
  • RoxB
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fall in Love With America
    Reviewed in the United States on 23 May 2021
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Author Bette A. Stevens brings small-town America to life with delightful home-spun words and visuals. Readers can see, feel, hear, and taste every morsel of this prequel. I find it amazing that relating a poor boy's adventure is rich with activity, imagination, and learning.

    This historical fiction is a delightful rendition of life and times in the 1950s. Kids rode their bicycles, played outdoors, had few modern conveniences, and yet they survived and thrived.

    I like the brotherly interaction between Shawn and Willie immediately. Their closeness shows in all their activities. You can easily imagine the other fun these two boys enjoy.

    "Hey, Willie," I finally asked, "did ya bring the slingshot?"
    "Sure did, Shawn. Whatcha wanna shoot today?"
    Willie's brown eyes looked as big as Mum's pan-fried donuts, and his smile pretty nearly filled his round face as he jumped up from his leafy bed and hovered over me like a bear.
    I helped Willie make that slingshot out of rubber bands I'd sliced from one of the old inner tubes piled out by Dad's rusty Ford Roadster. That Ford had headlights on top of the fenders and the "old jalopy," as Mum called it, was just rottin' away out back of the two-holer. We broke a crotched limb out of the choke cherry bush to use for the handle. I tied the rubber band and the handle together with string from one of the flowered chicken feed sacks that Mum used to make her house dresses. That string was real strong and I was good at tying knots. Willie was proud as a peacock when it came to showing off that slingshot.

    I recommend this story to those who like historical fiction based on small rural communities. The story is a fun short read that you'll likely want your children to read when they complain the internet is down. I love this author and her way with words. Check out all her stories.

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?