Kelly Ray Masters facts for kids

Kelly Ray Masters, Sr. (born June 16, 1897 – died July 4, 1987) was an American writer. He used the pen name Zachary Ball. He is famous for his exciting adventure novels for boys. Some of his most well-known books are Joe Panther and Bristle Face.

Life and Career

Kelly Ray Masters was born in Mill Grove, Missouri in 1897. When he was a boy, he lived near Altoona. He spent a lot of time boating and camping along the Verdigris River. He once said, "I was still a boy when I first met Old Man River, and I got to know him well."

Masters left school at age 13 to help his family. He worked building walls along the Missouri River. He also had jobs in factories in Kansas City, Kansas and St. Joseph, Missouri. In 1914, he joined a small traveling theater show. For the next 25 years, he traveled across almost every state. He performed with different groups and with his younger brother in a musical act.

In 1931, Masters married Gladys Green. Their son, Kelly Ray Jr., was born in 1938. While living in Austin, Texas, Masters started writing stories. He sold them to different magazines to earn more money. He chose the pen name Zachary Ball by combining the names of two famous movie stars: Zachary Scott and Lucille Ball. He even wrote some stories with author Frankie-Lee Weed. They used Weed's pen name (Saliee O'Brien) for stories about women. They used Ball's name for stories about men.

Zachary Ball wrote two books for adults: Pull Down to New Orleans (1945) and Piney (1950). After that, he started writing books for children. These books were often sold to school libraries.

Books for Boys

The bond between a boy and his dog - a theme that Masters often explored in his books and short stories.

Masters grew up near rivers in Kansas and Missouri. These experiences inspired him to write adventure books for boys. His first seven books for young readers were set near rivers or the ocean. Two of his most popular books are Joe Panther and Bristle Face.

Joe Panther

Joe Panther (1950) was Masters' first book for young people. It is about a young Seminole boy named Joe Panther in south Florida. Joe tries to make a life for himself outside his traditional community. He works on a fishing boat and hunts alligators. He also has important adventures with people trying to bring others into Florida illegally on fishing boats.

In 1976, Joe Panther was made into a movie. Ray Tracey played Joe Panther. Other actors included Brian Keith and Ricardo Montalbán. Masters wrote several sequels to Joe Panther, including Swamp Chief (1952), Skin Diver (1956), and Salvage Diver (1961).

Bristle Face

Bristle Face (1962) is one of Ball's many stories about boys and their dogs. This book won two awards: the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (1964) and the William Allen White Children's Book Award (1965). The story is about a runaway teenager named Jase Landers. He becomes friends with a stray dog named Bristle Face. Then, a kind store owner named Lute Swank helps them both. The book follows their adventures as Jase, Lute, and their neighbor Emory Packer teach Bristle Face to hunt foxes.

This book is similar to Wilson Rawls's famous novel Where The Red Fern Grows. After the success of Bristle Face, Masters wrote a sequel called Sputters (1963). In this book, Jase raises a new foxhound named Sputters. Lute also becomes sheriff, gets married, and tries to give Jase a real home.

Bristle Face was also made into a two-part TV show. It aired on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color in 1964. Phillip Alford played Jase Landers, and Brian Keith played Lute Swank.

Later Life

The McCain Library on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi houses part of Master's literary collection.

In the mid-1960s, Masters and his son started Joe Panther Enterprises. This company sold audio recordings of Ball reading his stories. They wanted to help young children enjoy reading. The company also had a Joe Panther Fan Club. Members received cards and awards. The company was based in Miami, Florida, where Ball lived for several years.

In 1971, Masters and his wife moved to Roswell, New Mexico. Roswell celebrated his work by declaring November 2, 1976, "Zachary Ball Day."

Masters also donated many of his works and papers to universities. In 1978, the "Zachary Ball Children's Book Collection Room" was opened at the University of Central Missouri. Later, in the mid-1980s, he gave more of his writings, photos, and recordings to the University of Southern Mississippi. This collection is called "The Zachary Ball Papers."

Kelly Ray Masters died in 1987 in Roswell, New Mexico. His son passed away in 1995.

Selected Works

Mike Fink's youth was one of Ball's many subjects.

Books

Here are some of Zachary Ball's books with short descriptions:

• Pull Down to New Orleans (1945)
• Piney (1950) - A 15-year-old orphan boy works on a farm in Mississippi. He runs away to Louisiana with his cousin's help.
• Joe Panther (1950) - A hardworking Seminole boy becomes a deck hand on a tourist boat. He gets involved in a smuggling ring by accident.
• Swamp Chief (1952) - This book is a sequel to Joe Panther. It shows the life of a young Seminole Indian and how old traditions meet modern life.
• The Secret Forest (1953) - A young boy in Mississippi deals with his father's death. His beloved hound dog helps him.
• Bar Pilot (1955) - A young boy who has lost his memory joins a sailboat crew in the 1800s. They travel on the Mississippi River delta.
• Skin Diver (1956) - Two young skin divers are hired to help a scientist working off the coast of Florida.
• Keelboat Journey (1958) - This is an adventure story about the Tomahawk. It was the first keelboat to reach the Missouri River's source in 1831. The story is told by Garth Madden, the youngest crew member.
• Young Mike Fink (1958) - A fictional story about the youth of Mike Fink. He was a famous keelboatman, hunter, and fighter in the early 1800s.
• North to Abilene (1960) - An orphaned boy and his pet bull meet a rancher. The rancher teaches the boy to ride, rope, and become a Texas cattleman.
• Salvage Diver (1961) - Two Seminole youths and their boat are hired to search for sunken ships off the Florida Keys.
• Kep (1961) - After a family tragedy, a boy starts a new life with a couple who have their own problems.
• Bristle Face (1962) - Bristle Face looks like half-dog, half-porcupine. He becomes a great hunting dog and a good friend to the 14-year-old orphan boy who adopts him.
• Sputters (1963) - This book is a sequel to Bristle Face. A dog proves his worth in fights and helps the sheriff hunt for moonshiners.
• Tent Show (1964) - This story is based on the author's own experiences in a traveling tent show. It's about a young comedian and his performing dog. It shows what life was like for traveling entertainers in the early 1900s.
• Wilderness Teacher (1965) - This is one of Masters' few books with a girl as the main character.
• Sky Diver (1967) - A Seminole Indian uses old Indian ways and new science to save his home in the Everglades.

Short Stories

Zachary Ball wrote over 100 short stories. From 1944 to 1961, more than 70 of his stories were printed in many magazines. Some of these magazines include Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, Liberty Magazine, Collier's, and Boys' Life.

Collected Papers

• Zachary Ball Papers: Philip A. Sadler Research Collection of Literature for Children and Young Adults, James C. Kirkpatrick Library, University of Central Missouri