Woods Runner

Paulsen, Gary. 2010.  Woods Runner. New York: Wendy Lamb.

At only thirteen years old, Samuel is already a man in some ways.  Born on the frontier, he is at home in the woods; hunting, tracking and providing for his family.  His parents have taught him to read, to be curious, to enjoy the hard work and simplicity of the frontier, but at heart, they are city-born, content to live at the edge of the great woods. Samuel, though, is perhaps even more at home in the woods than in his family's modest home.

So it is that Samuel is away hunting bear when the war comes to Western Pennsylvania.  Carefully deciphering the tracks and signs near the scorched earth of what was once their settlement, Samuel knows that his parents have been taken captive by British Redcoats and their Native allies.  Others from the settlement were not so lucky.  After burying the dead, Samuel sets out to find his parents - traveling eastward to the Redcoats stronghold, New York.

Like a Cold Mountain for teens and young adults, Woods Runner doesn’t recount the battles of war , but rather, its impact on civilian life.  Samuel, his parents, and his traveling companions do not fight in the war, but neither can they escape it.

     "It is the way of it," Abner put in from the darkness, "of war.  Some get, some don't, some live, some ... don't.  It's the way of it.
     "It's bad."
     "Yes. It is.  But it is our lot now, and we must live it."  Abner sighed. "The best we know how.”

A historical tale of action, suspense, determination and survival.  Single page entries of historical facts (ammunition, orphans, communication, etc.) separate the chapters and add background and perspective to this short, gripping story. History repeats itself every day in some location in the world.  It's good to remind ourselves sometimes of war's less visible consequences.  Highly recommended for grades 6 and up.


Read an excerpt from Woods Runner.

Bookpage has a great interview with Gary Paulsen.

Woods Runner, Three Rivers Rising, One Crazy Summer, The Keening, Countdown ... this has been a great year for historical fiction. I can’t wait to see what wins the Scott O’Dell Award.  It’s hard for me to pick a favorite.

I nominated this book for the Cybils (Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards) in the Young Adult category.  Anyone can nominate books until October 15th.  Just be sure to read the nomination rules first.

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Elsie's Bird

Yolen, Jane. 2010. Elsie's Bird. Ill by David Small.  New York: Philomel.

An uplifting story of a young girl and her newly widowed father who leave Boston with the girl's beloved canary to make a new life on the Nebraska frontier. At first lonely and depressed, Elise learns to appreciate the beauty, vastness and music of the prairie. A wide book with double-spread watercolor and ink paintings is the perfect format for evoking the beauty and solitude of the prairie in contrast with the hustle and bustle of Boston. A hopeful story in which the small, loving, well-tended family blooms in the rich Nebraska soil.

More Elsie's Bird reviews @

Fuse #8

Richie's Picks

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DK Graphic Readers

I just finished reading two titles, Wagon Train Adventure and The Spy-Catcher Gang, both by John Kelly (2008) in the DK Graphic Readers series. The are classified by DK as Level 4 books for proficient readers.

I was disappointed in them both for several reasons. Graphic novels can be a great way to impart information in an engaging format. (see my earlier post on the 9/11 Commission Report)

A good graphic novel should rely on dialogue and illustrations. These titles are lacking in dialogue, and rely heavily on narration. In one scene of a near calamity on the wagon train trail to California, in two pages of illustrations, the dialogue consists only of "Arghh!" "This is Charles' fault!" and "Leave it, Max!" The illustrations are dreary and uninspired. Additionally, the stories themselves, do not contain crucial information necessary to truly comprehend the story of the pioneer wagon trains or the London Blitz. The most important information was not woven into the stories, rather it appears in a small print appendix or in barely visible (black letters on a blue, one-quarter inch footer) Did You Know? section at the bottom of each page.

Graphic novels certainly are a great tool for teaching or learning history. These DK Readers, however, are not up to the task.