Halfdollar — Bil Lepp

Edison Janzen is five years old when he learns from his dog that if you pee on a tree, that tree, and all the surrounding area, becomes yours. That same year Skeeter Barth, mastermind of mayhem, moves in next door to Edison. Together they set out to conquer the world.
Charolais Fester is the prettiest girl in town, even if she is named for a breed of cows. Charolais' father is an abusive drunk, and her brothers are worthless peckerweeds.
When Edison, Skeeter, and Charolais get together, nobody- from abusive dog owners to President Jimmy Carter- is safe.
Edison, Skeeter, and Charolais prove again and again that three smart-aleck, headstrong, and somewhat lazy adolescents can't be stifled by a hard town, where unemployment, depression, drunken adults, and bad teachers are as common as banjos at a bluegrass festival. Join them as they wrestle with grace, find love, accidentally kill the sheriff, save his life, find beer, flee abuse, cross the country, and make the transition to smart-aleck, headstrong, and somewhat lazy young adults.