A very old book, possibly from the 50s Hardback/cloth cover Story concerned a cave boy who is separated from his family (I think in a storm) and must survive on his own. He discovers fire from lightning and makes a spear hardened in fire. He starts a family of his own and has a son named Strongarm,
There’s a website dedicated to prehistoric fiction that has an impressive listing of titles spanning the past 100 years or so. Many of the listings include cover art and descriptions of the books, and it can be sorted by title, author, or year of publication. You can access it here: http://www.trussel.com/f_prehis.htm
Strongarm? I think that’s a character in The Cave Twins, by Lucy Fitch Perkins.
OK, sorry, I checked and it’s not The Cave Twins. But I’m sure I read that one, way back.
I think this is Margaret McIntyre: The Cave Boy of the Age of Stone (published in the early 20th century; recently made available on Project Gutenberg)
No, That isn’t it.
Strongarm was the son of the main character, not the main character himself, whose name I don’t recall anymore. Strongarm also had a younger brother (whose name I also can’t recall), who was the mart one but also lame in his legs. The smarter brother invented a dugout canoe, among other things during the story. I also recall at the end of the book, the family rediscovered the main character’s old family, and were reunited with his father, now very, very old.
Thanks for the search resources… After five years and this website https://www.librarything.com/work/8481821
I’ve discovered that the book is most likely Fleetfoot the Cave Boy by William Lewis Nida, published 1929. The boy’s name, of course, was Fleetfoot, his father was Old One-Eye, and his sons were Strongarm and Wise Owl.
A copy in TERRIBLE condition is listed on Amazon for $198.. so its unlikely I’ll get a chance to own a copy again.
It’s my first reading textbook in the early 1950s. I bought it online last month for $18. It’s in perfect condition. I was amazed that I got it for that price. I’ve never seen it less than about 198 in good condition. But my book is in mint condition. It’s called Fleetfoot the Cave Boy: The Story of Man. The illustrations are gorgeous.