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NOTE: In later editions of Leo's Books was a section called THE CHATTERBOX where he published letters from fans ... and also promoted his upcoming books. Once I read an an article by someone that thought these were made-up letters .... they were not. Leo got a LOT of mail during his lifetime and it continued long after he had died. A letter addressed to "Leo Edwards, Cambridge, Wisconsin" always got delivered. Leo always liked new things (usually cars) ... but my guess is he would have thought this Internet stuff was cool! (Tom Lee)

Leo's books ARE the best of their kind -- the other series pale by comparison o the plotting, character care, imagination, and individuality that bubble and boil on every page of a Leo Edwards book -- you can imagine how pleased I was to find info on the web about him, and such a rich storehouse, confirming in so many ways the picture I'd formed of him through reading his books. Clifton J ("Jerry") Noble, Jr. (July 17, 1997)

What a pleasant shock to find a Leo Edwards web site. I am 31 years old and own all of his books as he was one of my favorite authors growing up. I don't know whether this would please you or not, but I play in a pop-rock band, based in Los Angeles, which has released two albums nationally through the Big Deal label in New York City. We've toured the country twice, appeared on national TV, and gotten rave reviews from scores of magazines. The name of my band? COCKEYED GHOST. Best regards, Adam Marsland Cockeyed Ghost (August 18, 1997)

I was very glad to see that there is still an interest in Leo Edwards books. I stumbled across them when I was in grade school in the early 1960's -- my dad had had a collection of them, which I ended up with and hopefully still have, after a series of basement floods -- and my daughter is now getting turned on to them. They were the most entertaining books I had ever read, and presented a time and sensibility which, while undoubtedly actually tougher than anything post-WW-II, looked pretty good in a time when presidents were being assassinated, parents were getting divorced, and small towns (in our area at least) had ceased to exist. (Virginia is still like that; you either live in a metro area or in total rural isolation.) Mr. Lee accomplished something excellent with his books and kids still manage to read them. Regards Patrick Sullivan Herndon VA (August 1997)

Hi Tom, A bookseller in Pennsylvania gave me your E-Mail address, saying that you're the grandson of Leo Edwards. I started collecting his books several years ago (I read several of them when I was quite a bit younger), and recently got more active about my collecting. I now have 28 of the titles, 18 of them with Dust Jackets. I also recently visited Cambridge, Wi and read through the folder that the Public Library has on your grandfather. The librarian mentioned that she thought you were somewhere in the area, but wasn't sure where. I understand from the bookseller (Henry Hain III) that you're working on a Leo Edwards website. I think that's a great idea, and would be willing to help any way that I can. If you did have the time and wanted to reply, I was curious to know if there are any convenient sources of information about your grandfather. I did get the last known mailing address of the individual who used to publish the Tutter Bugle, which I guess was a newsletter, but haven't written him yet. Also, I gathered from the library material at Cambridge that either Utica or Seneca, Illinois was the model for Tutter. If so, do you know which one? Since I live in Greendale, Wis ( a suburb of Milwaukee), I'd like to visit the appropriate location. I'll just close by expressing my admiration for your grandfather, and hope that your efforts are successful. Ed Patneaude (August 1997)

Subject: Jerry Todd, Poppy Ott, etc.

Seek more information on Leo Edwards, Jerry Todd, Poppy Ott. Also, way to
contact current members of FRECKLED GOLDFISH CLUB for correspondence exchange.
My father read the first editions as they came out in the 20's and 30's. When
I was seven (1953) he started reading them to me. It would be impossible to
describe the full impact they have had on my life in just a few lines. My
father(now 82), my brother and I would be thrilled with correspondence
exchange. My father was an original member of the Freckled Goldfish Club.

Please contact Frank Eberling. My e-mail address is EberlingSF@aol.com

Subject: Thanks for the Leo Edwards web site


I have been so delighted to find your Leo Edwards web site and have browsed it
several times, with great interest. I am one of the original Leo Edwards
readers (I turned 70 a few weeks ago) and devoured his Jerry Todd and Poppy
Ott books in the 1930s. I wanted for years to visit him in Cambridge and meet
him. Finally, in 1956 as an adult, I set out on a vacation drive to northern
Wisconsin and stopped en route in Cambridge. I visited the local newspaper
office and they directed me to Hi-Lee. There I met your mother. Your father
was away for the day, working in Beloit, I believe. Your mother was very kind
and answered my questions. She explained that my hero had died in 1944 and
pointed out the cottage in which he wrote many of the books. She told me
that, even at that late date, many former readers still stopped by Hi-Lee to
pay their respects. Are your parents still living? If so, please give them
my good wishes and express my thanks to your mother for her courtesy during
that long-ago visit to Cambridge.

Like many other readers, I long had wanted to know: where was the real Tutter,
Ill. It is interesting to read on your web site that Tutter was modeled after
the real-life Utica, Ill. As I remember your mother's answer to my question,
she told me that Mr. Edwards lived as a child in Streator and that his
grandparents lived nearby in Ottawa (which was on the old canal) and he spent
much time there. So, she told me, Tutter was a combination of Streator and
Ottawa. At least, that is the way I remember her explanation.

I still remember so well the characters of Jerry, Scoop, Peg, Poppy, and the
irrepressible Red, who served as the comic relief. They brightened the hours
of my boyhood and I waited eagerly for each new book to arrive at the lending
library, where I read them for 5 cents a week.

I'm an author of sorts, with two published books to my credit, and very much
enjoy the occasional letters and e-mails that I receive from my readers. One
of my books was a biography of another of my boyhood literary heroes, Albert
Payson Terhune, author of LAD: A DOG. So I certainly can understand the great
pleasure that your grandfather got from the many thousands of letters that
came to him from his readers.

Leo Edwards was a great writer for children and I only regret that he has not
received the credit that he deserves in various anthologies of children's
literature that fail to include his work.

Thanks again for the fascinating web site.

Irving Litvag (writerlit@aol.com)

Dear Mr. Lee,
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. First, let me thank you
profusely for the Freckled Goldfish card. I had heard of them but had never
seen one before. Is it an original or a facsimile? Next, I don't have any
other Trigger Bergs. They are hard to find. (Other than Mousetraps.) How
about Andy Blake Secret Service? Any interest?
I recently learned that your Grandfather's last book was stolen before
ever being printed. A "fan" supposedly took it. That was no fan or
admirerer. That was just a plain old rotten thief. Oops! You work in a
prison. I'd better be careful of what I say. Which book was it. Was it
Jerry Todd Detective?
I have a handful of Leo Edwards books with jackets in my collection. I
am not only a dealer, but I have my own small collection, too. And unlike
many collectors, I have actually read some of the books. Not only is it fun
reading, but I can then talk intelligently with others about the books. You
may be surprised how many "older folks" remember them and still collect
them. Maybe that's why I can't find any more jacketed copies for reasonable
prices. (What is "reasonable?" I guess what I would be willing to pay.)
Thanks, again, for the card. I will treasure it.
Bob Brindamour

>From: "Sean Donnelly" <seandonn@ij.net>
>To: <landmark@up.net>
>Subject: From a fan
>Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 00:28:07 -0400

>I really enjoy Leo Edward's work. To me it is reminscent of Mark Twain.
>It is fun to read the letters ro him in the Chatterbox. I notice he spent
>much time in St. Petersburg, FL where I live. I would really enjoy knowing
>where he lived when he visited and any favorite spots he had in the area.
>I would enjoy driving by these places.You have done a wonderful job on this
>web page. I have read many children's series books for boys and Leo's
>were the best=yes even better than Hardy Boys and Tom Swift and that's
>saying something. They were more realistic, the chardacters seem so alive
>and like your best friends. Are there any Leo Edward fans in this area?
>Thanks for your time. Jim

>From: "Fred Fagal" <ffagal@localnet.com>
>To: <landmark@up.net>
>Subject: for Tom Lee regarding Freckled Goldfish
>Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 21:39:10 -0400

> Dear Mr. Lee; A few months ago I found the Leo Edwards web site and
>was thrilled because I read about six of his books (Jerry Todd and Poppy
>Ott) as a kid (I was born in 1946 and read my dad's books [born 1918]) and
>I loved them. Without even reading through the whole web site [I did not
>even discover that "Leo" died in 1944] I sent an e-mail to Graham Lee
>asking the date of Leo's death and asked (really as a joke) whether I
>could get a Freckled Goldfish card. Your son Graham replied right away.
>He said I could e-mail ***you*** and that you might be able to send me
>one! Wow, that would be great. I would have sent you a message earlier
>but I only two days ago returned from working as the Boys' Waterfront
>Director at YMCA Camp Sloane in&nbsp; Lakeville, CT. A job I am sure your
>grandfather would think well worth doing! I am able to take on such a
>summer job because I teach economics at Marywood University in Scranton,
>PA. My wife found a used&nbsp; bookstore with some Jerry Todds and she
>bought them for me. I re-read Oak Island Treasure for the first time since
>I was a kid and I read Whispering Cave. Fun bedtime reading! As I told
>Graham Lee, I read some Jerry Todds and Poppy Otts to my son Andrew (now
>13 years old) when he was younger and he enjoyed them. Has anyone ever
>discussed modernizing (as little as possible) the Jerry Todds and
>re-issuing them? I would think that the book(s) could be scanned into the
>computer and with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software gotten
>into text form. Then someone could attempt an editing/updating job and
>see how it turns out.... I hope you are well. Sincerely, Fred Fagal 17
>East Lake Street Skaneateles, NY 13152

X-Sender: landmark@mail.up.net
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 14:17:02 -0400
To: 1 Tom Lee <tlee@northernway.net>

>From: "Jim Fox" <angelgif@nternet.net>
>To: <landmark@up.net>
>Subject: My family
>Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 00:08:27 -0400
>
> My father and his brother introduced me to Leo's books early i have
>been a fan and almost have a complete collection of both Poppy Ott's and
>Jerry Todd's. I enjoy checking in on your web site ... Jim Fox
>

>From: Writerlit@aol.com
>Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 15:00:00 EDT
>To: landmark@up.net
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Subject: Thanks for the Leo Edwards web site
>
>
>I have been so delighted to find your Leo Edwards web site and have browsed it
>several times, with great interest. I am one of the original Leo Edwards
>readers (I turned 70 a few weeks ago) and devoured his Jerry Todd and Poppy
>Ott books in the 1930s. I wanted for years to visit him in Cambridge and meet
>him. Finally, in 1956 as an adult, I set out on a vacation drive to northern
>Wisconsin and stopped en route in Cambridge. I visited the local newspaper
>office and they directed me to Hi-Lee. There I met your mother. Your father
>was away for the day, working in Beloit, I believe. Your mother was very kind
>and answered my questions. She explained that my hero had died in 1944 and
>pointed out the cottage in which he wrote many of the books. She told me
>that, even at that late date, many former readers still stopped by Hi-Lee to
>pay their respects. Are your parents still living? If so, please give them
>my good wishes and express my thanks to your mother for her courtesy during
>that long-ago visit to Cambridge.
>
>Like many other readers, I long had wanted to know: where was the real Tutter,
>Ill. It is interesting to read on your web site that Tutter was modeled after
>the real-life Utica, Ill. As I remember your mother's answer to my question,
>she told me that Mr. Edwards lived as a child in Streator and that his
>grandparents lived nearby in Ottawa (which was on the old canal) and he spent
>much time there. So, she told me, Tutter was a combination of Streator and
>Ottawa. At least, that is the way I remember her explanation.
>
>I still remember so well the characters of Jerry, Scoop, Peg, Poppy, and the
>irrepressible Red, who served as the comic relief. They brightened the hours
>of my boyhood and I waited eagerly for each new book to arrive at the lending
>library, where I read them for 5 cents a week.
>
>I'm an author of sorts, with two published books to my credit, and very much
>enjoy the occasional letters and e-mails that I receive from my readers. One
>of my books was a biography of another of my boyhood literary heroes, Albert
>Payson Terhune, author of LAD: A DOG. So I certainly can understand the great
>pleasure that your grandfather got from the many thousands of letters that
>came to him from his readers.
>
>Leo Edwards was a great writer for children and I only regret that he has not
>received the credit that he deserves in various anthologies of children's
>literature that fail to include his work.
>
>Thanks again for the fascinating web site.
>
>Irving Litvag (writerlit@aol.com0

>From: PBFILMGRP@aol.com
>Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 18:50:58 EST
>To: landmark@up.net
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Subject: Jerry Todd, Poppy Ott, etc.
>
>Seek more information on Leo Edwards, Jerry Todd, Poppy Ott. Also, way to
>contact current members of FRECKLED GOLDFISH CLUB for correspondence exchange.
>My father read the first editions as they came out in the 20's and 30's. When
>I was seven (1953) he started reading them to me. It would be impossible to
>describe the full impact they have had on my life in just a few lines. My
>father(now 82), my brother and I would be thrilled with correspondence
>exchange. My father was an original member of the Freckled Goldfish Club.
>
>Please contact Frank Eberling. My e-mail address is EberlingSF@aol.com
>
>Thanks.

>From: TOM60@aol.com
>Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 10:07:47 EST
>To: landmark@up.net
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Subject: jerry todd
>
>i am tom ellery son of little jimmy ellery and nephew of scoop ellery
>
>how did edward get to shelby ohio where the characters excluding jerry were
>all real people with real locations
>
>for the record there is one son and one daughter of scoop alive and in florida
>
>ellery's grocery store was my grandparents and the descriptions accurate
>
>you can e mail me at tom60@aol.com or my son steve at ellmer@ohiohills.com

From: PBFILMGRP@aol.com
Date: Sun, 23 May 1999 19:22:47 EDT
Subject: Re: Jerry Todd, Poppy Ott, etc.
To: tlee@northernway.net

Dear Tom Lee,
Thank you for your reply. I seem to recall one relative of Leo
Edwards lives in Florida. I live in Jupiter, Florida and my brother, Ray,
lives in St. Pete Beach. We have a thousand questions for you regarding your
grandfather and his books. Thanks to my father (now 82), we have had a
lifelong curiousity about the books and their genesis.
The illustrator, Bert Salg, we know, lived in Congers, New York, a
little town about 2 miles from where we grew up.
I know you must have lots of people contacting you, and it must be
very time consuming, but we would really be interested in speaking to you
more in depth, if you have time.
Also, if there is still a tremendous interest in the books and your
grandfather, maybe we could help you re-start the CHATTERBOX. We have the
resources.
Thank you for responding,
Frank Eberling

From: PBFILMGRP@aol.com
Date: Mon, 24 May 1999 20:24:27 EDT
Subject: Re: Jerry Todd, Poppy Ott, etc.
To: tlee@northernway.net

Dear Tom,
Thank you for your quick response. You have no idea how much this
means to my father, my brother and me. You might say we are a JERRY TODD
family.

As a young boy in the 1920's, my father received one of the books as a
gift. When I was seven, in 1952, my father introduced me and my brother to
his collection. We thought it was the complete works until we discovered the
other additions. I think we now have the complete JERRY TODD set, a complete
POPPY OTT set, several ANDY BLAKES, TRIGGER BERGS, and TUFFY BEANS.

As an aside, I was an English Teacher for five years, probably due to
my early interest in writing, developed because of those books. For the last
thirty years, I have been a television producer, working on a variety of
projects.

I mention this to you only to say that I have interviewed literally
hundreds of influential people, including four presidents, movie stars,
celebrities, sports stars, etc. The one common denominator that I have
discovered they all possess is this one: They have absolutely no
comprehension of the tremendous influence they have on the lives of others.

The same is certainly true of your grandfather's works. In my
immediate family alone the influence has been quite substantial. I can say
my life was literally changed for the better when I was introduced to the
world of reading through those books. I developed a life-long passion for
reading and writing that has sustained me over the years. I have written
four novels and over three thousand television scripts, largely due to the
early influence of Jerry and Poppy.

My younger brother, Ray, who I am sure you will be hearing from,
also developed this interest and is now establishing himself as a writer of
essays. (He also worked as a prison reading instructor when he first got out
of college.)

My father, now aged 83, still reads the two series on a regular
basis, although he tends to read the same favorite two or three more often.
As he ages, his memory is getting a little weak, but he can still remember
the characters by name and the specific incidents of all his favorites from
over seventy years ago. Recently widowed, he now lives with us, and we often
kid about walking up to "Mugger's All Night Restaurant" to get a ham sandwich
and talk with Officer Bill Hadley and Captain Tinkertop.

Over the years, the books and the stories contained within have
provided us with touchstones. And it's comforting to know that I was able to
walk the streets of Tutter and share in the same adventures that my father
did as a boy, an entire generation before.

Although it may sound unusual to you, my father's introduction of
his friends Jerry and Poppy, to me, was certainly one of the greatest gifts a
boy could ever receive. It was an act of love on his part that has touched
my life deeply. You might say he passed on a precious family heirloom when
he gave me the series of books.
The little town in upstate New York where we grew up had many similarities to
Tutter, and my brother and I would often plan our New City adventures, based
on events we read about in Tutter.

So, like so many of the others I have interviewed, I'm sure your
grandfather would find it difficult to understand the deep influence he has
had on so many lives.

It sounds like you are about ten years older than I am. I hope you
had the opportunity to meet your grandfather and spend some time with him.
He was a remarkable man.

Here are some questions:
1. At one time we had a Grosset & Dunlap anthology called CHUCKLES
& GRINS. I believe it had some of Leo Edwards' stories in it. Are there any
known copies around?

2. Does Grosset & Dunlap still exist?

3. During the 1970's I came across a children's mystery book called
(??Something- -something??) AND THE STUTTERING PARROT. I believe I still
have the book, but have never read it. Were some of the stories sold off and
"modernized," similar to what they have done with the HARDY BOYS?

4. Since you are in publishing, has there ever been any talk about
re-publishing the books for distribution? (Without modernizing them, of
course).

5. Was your grandfather ever approached about licensing the series
or characters for film rights or any other subsidiary rights?

6. Has their ever been any serious scholarship on the books or your
grandfather? I have read the Web site, and enjoyed the articles. Is there
anything more available?

Again, thank you for getting back to me so soon. You should be
hearing from my brother, Ray Eberling. He's a Lt. Col. in the Air National
Guard and will be retiring in five months. I know for a fact he'll be
spending some of his time re-reading the JERRY and POPPY series. I'm sure he
will have his own questions, as well.

Thanks again. I am truly honored.

Frank Eberling

>X-From_: tlee@northernway.net Sat May 22 21:50 EDT 1999
>X-Sender: tlee@northernway.net
>Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 21:47:16 -0400
>To: Landmark Publishing Company <landmark@up.net>
>From: "Thomas G. Lee" <tlee@northernway.net>
>Subject: Re: Thanks for the Leo Edwards web site
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>
>
>Sorry for the SLOW reply. I have finally found some time to work on
><www.leoedwards.com>
>
>I have put your letter in the NEW CHATTER BOX SECTION
>
>Enjoyed your letter.
>
>Leo has certainly found a new life on the Web.
>
>His books sell constantly on ebay.com and on used databases such as
>bibliofind.com, abebooks.com, etc...
>
>Tom Lee
>Grandson of Leo Edwards
>
>
>
>
>
>
>At 11:47 AM 10/26/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>>From: Writerlit@aol.com
>>>Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 15:00:00 EDT
>>>To: landmark@up.net
>>>Mime-Version: 1.0
>>>Subject: Thanks for the Leo Edwards web site
>>>
>>>
>>>I have been so delighted to find your Leo Edwards web site and have
>browsed it
>>>several times, with great interest. I am one of the original Leo Edwards
>>>readers (I turned 70 a few weeks ago) and devoured his Jerry Todd and Poppy
>>>Ott books in the 1930s. I wanted for years to visit him in Cambridge and
>meet
>>>him. Finally, in 1956 as an adult, I set out on a vacation drive to
>northern
>>>Wisconsin and stopped en route in Cambridge. I visited the local newspaper
>>>office and they directed me to Hi-Lee. There I met your mother. Your
>father
>>>was away for the day, working in Beloit, I believe. Your mother was very
>kind
>>>and answered my questions. She explained that my hero had died in 1944 and
>>>pointed out the cottage in which he wrote many of the books. She told me
>>>that, even at that late date, many former readers still stopped by Hi-Lee to
>>>pay their respects. Are your parents still living? If so, please give them
>>>my good wishes and express my thanks to your mother for her courtesy during
>>>that long-ago visit to Cambridge.
>>>
>>>Like many other readers, I long had wanted to know: where was the real
>Tutter,
>>>Ill. It is interesting to read on your web site that Tutter was modeled
>after
>>>the real-life Utica, Ill. As I remember your mother's answer to my
>question,
>>>she told me that Mr. Edwards lived as a child in Streator and that his
>>>grandparents lived nearby in Ottawa (which was on the old canal) and he
>spent
>>>much time there. So, she told me, Tutter was a combination of Streator and
>>>Ottawa. At least, that is the way I remember her explanation.
>>>
>>>I still remember so well the characters of Jerry, Scoop, Peg, Poppy, and the
>>>irrepressible Red, who served as the comic relief. They brightened the
>hours
>>>of my boyhood and I waited eagerly for each new book to arrive at the
>lending
>>>library, where I read them for 5 cents a week.
>>>
>>>I'm an author of sorts, with two published books to my credit, and very much
>>>enjoy the occasional letters and e-mails that I receive from my readers.
>One
>>>of my books was a biography of another of my boyhood literary heroes, Albert
>>>Payson Terhune, author of LAD: A DOG. So I certainly can understand the
>great
>>>pleasure that your grandfather got from the many thousands of letters that
>>>came to him from his readers.
>>>
>>>Leo Edwards was a great writer for children and I only regret that he has
>not
>>>received the credit that he deserves in various anthologies of children's
>>>literature that fail to include his work.
>>>
>>>Thanks again for the fascinating web site.
>>>
>>>Irving Litvag (writerlit@aol.com0

HOME | LEO EDWARDS | THE BOOKS | DUST JACKETS | PHOTOS | ARTICLES | FRECKLED GOLDFISH | MUSIC | FAMILY | FAN MAIL