Woods Runner Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B0033ZP7P2 | Format: PDF
Woods Runner Description
Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston.
But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack. Samuels parents are taken away, prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British headquarters, New York City.
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 3 hours and 41 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Listening Library
- Audible.com Release Date: December 8, 2009
- Whispersync for Voice: Ready
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0033ZP7P2
After spending the past 30 years researching, writing and doing school presentations on the Revolutionary War, I always have mixed feelings when I learn about a newly published YA novel on this subject - I look forward to reading it, but am apprehensive it will be full of historical inaccuracies. I am also hard to please. I consider Johnny Tremain too slow, April Morning too philosophical, My Brother Sam is Dead too depressing, and Octavian Nothing much, much too difficult for young readers.
I recommend L.M. Elliott's Give Me Liberty for how it shows how political events on the eve of the war impact ordinary Virginians. Also, Ann Rinaldi's The Fifth of March for her excellent portrayal of life in 1770 British army occupied Boston, with a nice love story thrown in. As for stories showing how inexperienced teenage soldiers cope with their first battle, I have yet to see any book as good as my own two, Patriots and Gone to Meet the British.
Now I'm adding WOODS RUNNER to this short "recommended" list. It has all the elements I consider essential to a good children's novel: a main character the reader can identify with, and it's exciting, suspenseful, fast paced and easy to read. Gary Paulsen's description of how Samuel uses his woods skills is right on, as well as the boy's feelings and thoughts. The story is believable, and I read it straight through to see how the conflict was resolved.
However, nearly every chapter had an extra page or two after it where Paulsen provided historical context info that took me out of the moment; those pages would have been better placed in a lengthy Afterword. I suspect this book will be around for a few decades.
If Mr.
Woods Runner Preview
Link
Please Wait...