An innocent prank has serious consequences for twelve-year-old Ben who wants to show his cowboy father and the surly cow boss that he's ready to take more responsibility. Roping a ground squirrel was not the way to do it. Caught in the midst of their conflict, Ben comes to terms with his life. Ben is impatient to grow up and fill the footprints his father leaves on the Nevada cattle ranch where he works as the 'top hand.' Meeting the high expectations of his father is difficult enough, without the enmity expressed by Fred, the old cow boss, who seems to hate him. His Great Idea of roping a ground squirrel takes a disastrous turn that results in big trouble for him and good-natured teasing from all the cowboys in the bunkhouse. Hoping to help Ben get back into the good graces of both his father and Fred, these working 'buckaroos' teach him some old-time western skills that will help him take responsibility for the trouble he has caused. Ben grows up very quickly when he's put in a position where only he can save Fred's life, earning the respect he craves from everyone on the ranch. This book accurately portrays an American subculture: ranch life in the Great Basin of the United States. Here, cowboy culture and practices reflect the strong influence of the Spanish vaquero traditions of the Old West. Customs and terms specific to this area and still in use today are defined in a glossary in the back of the book. The Orange Slipknot was a finalist for Foreword Magazine's 2007 Book of the Year Award and Bronze Medal Winner of the MoonBeam Award in 2008. The Moonbeam Children's Book Awards from Independent Publishers Group are designed to bring increased recognition to exemplary children's books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. The Moonbeam Awards recognize and reward the best of these books and bring them to the attention of parents, booksellers, librarians - and to children themselves. Author Jan Young received a BA in Behavioral Science from Pacific University in Fresno, CA before going on to study writing with the Institute of Children's Literature. Experience and knowledge for this book came in part by living with her husband and two sons in the ranching community in Humboldt County, Nevada for many years. She has many publishing credits for both fiction and nonfiction articles and short stories. This is her first novel.