"Billy Explores His World" chronicles the early life of the author, born just before the Great Depression in 1929. The story tells how, by renting other houses, his parents avoided mortgage foreclosure on the Sears home they had built in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Billy and his parents moved frequently, fished for food several times each week, wore "hand-me-downs," and lived in a house without electrical power for three years. "Minnie," a tiny, warm, quivering black puppy is given Billy. Their love and partnership is documented with accounts of their experiences, including how one of Billy's...