The Books of Stephen Meader

When my father, Jerry Atchley, was about nine or ten years old, a teacher in his little school in Dermott, Arkansas, suggested that he read a book written by Stephen W. Meader. He devoured it and went back to the school library for more. He found five or six and read them all.

Stephen Meader's books formed the basis of his early passion for literature. When his first grandson turned ten, it prompted him to begin looking for Meader's books to share. He went online and discovered a huge cult following of Meader’s work and additionally discovered that a good copy would cost several hundred dollars while a copy in excellent condition could run as high as $l,000.

His search for Meader books brought him into contact with people who eventually led to meeting with John Meader, the author's son. My father spent time with John and his wife, Joan, in their home in New Jersey learning some of Stephen's life and the influence his books had had on the lives of so many young people. An idea began to form that eventually led to discussions and negotiations with the Meader family to acquire the rights to the forty-four published Meader books and to the two unpublished manuscripts Meader left at his death in 1977.

Because of its rarity, he selected T-Model Tommy as the first book to publish. This was done by actually photographing each page to retain its authenticity. The reaction was immediate and overwhelming. E-mails and letters poured in requesting favorite books. Unfortunately, this method of reproduction was very expensive and required warehousing of thousands of copies. Technology came to the rescue in 2004 and we were able to add ten new titles to our collection before the end of the year. Our library of Meader books now totals forty-four, all of the original titles that Meader published in his lifetime.

My father dedicated the first republished book, T-Model Tommy, to his grandson, who was the catalyst for it all. Upon my father’s passing in 2010, I now continue the company to share these inspiring and adventuresome tales with a new generation of grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Jennifer Atchley Jones
Southern Skies Publishing