The Oakvale Troop of Boy Scouts expects a ordinary summer, but when the County Fair comes to town, the boys find themselves entrusted with real responsibility. Hugh, Alec, Tom, Arthur, and Billy are asked to serve as guides and first aid attendants for the fair's visitors, a role that transforms their final weeks of vacation into an adventure far more consequential than the fishing trips and camp-outs that have defined their summers. The fair itself promises wonders: an aëroplane show, the kind of spectacle that still dazzles audiences in 1915, when flight itself seems like magic. As the boys navigate crowds, assist travelers, and grapple with the unexpected challenges that arise when hundreds of strangers descend on their small town, they discover that being a scout means more than earning badges. Robert Shaler populates his story with boys who have already built a reputation for courage and camaraderie, and this opening volume establishes the earned trust that makes their new duties possible. For readers who miss the warmth of small-town America and the quiet heroism of youth, this is a period piece that understands how much a boy can accomplish when given the chance to prove himself.
