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A review by wrentheblurry
Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen
3.0
GENRE: Fiction, adventure, western, historical fiction elements.
SUMMARY: It's 1848, and Francis just celebrated his fourteenth birthday. He was part of a wagon train headed to Oregon, and thought he would spend some time shooting his new rifle. Next thing Francis knows, he's been kidnapped by some Pawnee Indians, and one of the elderly Indian women acts like he is her son. He sees his chance to escape weeks later, when a one-armed beaver trapper (Mr. Grimes) rides into camp to trade some supplies with the Pawnee. Mr. Grimes helps Francis, whom he calls Mr. Tucket, to escape, and they meet up shortly thereafter. From then on, Mr. Tucket gets a hands-on education in how to live in the wild, as he and Mr. Grimes go on numerous adventures, some of them life-threatening.
EVALUATION: This is a fast-paced tale of how a tween boy had to grow up quickly in order to survive. The history with the Indians feels and seems accurate, though I do not know for certain if that is how the various tribes really were.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: Tons of action and adventure will strongly appeal to tween boys. Francis gets into a number of fights, sometimes he is wrestling, and sometimes he is shooting. For students studying this time in history, it could provide a fun way to learn more about the era.
READER'S ANNOTATION: Francis' fourteenth birthday didn't turn out like he expected: he got the nicest rifle he's ever seen and he was kidnapped by Indians.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Doubtful Canon by Johnny D. Boggs.
• Rodzina by Karen Cushman.
• Beyond the Divide by Kathryn Lasky.
• Walking Up a Rainbow by Theodore Taylor.
• Black Storm Comin' by Diane L. Wilson.
SUMMARY: It's 1848, and Francis just celebrated his fourteenth birthday. He was part of a wagon train headed to Oregon, and thought he would spend some time shooting his new rifle. Next thing Francis knows, he's been kidnapped by some Pawnee Indians, and one of the elderly Indian women acts like he is her son. He sees his chance to escape weeks later, when a one-armed beaver trapper (Mr. Grimes) rides into camp to trade some supplies with the Pawnee. Mr. Grimes helps Francis, whom he calls Mr. Tucket, to escape, and they meet up shortly thereafter. From then on, Mr. Tucket gets a hands-on education in how to live in the wild, as he and Mr. Grimes go on numerous adventures, some of them life-threatening.
EVALUATION: This is a fast-paced tale of how a tween boy had to grow up quickly in order to survive. The history with the Indians feels and seems accurate, though I do not know for certain if that is how the various tribes really were.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: Tons of action and adventure will strongly appeal to tween boys. Francis gets into a number of fights, sometimes he is wrestling, and sometimes he is shooting. For students studying this time in history, it could provide a fun way to learn more about the era.
READER'S ANNOTATION: Francis' fourteenth birthday didn't turn out like he expected: he got the nicest rifle he's ever seen and he was kidnapped by Indians.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Doubtful Canon by Johnny D. Boggs.
• Rodzina by Karen Cushman.
• Beyond the Divide by Kathryn Lasky.
• Walking Up a Rainbow by Theodore Taylor.
• Black Storm Comin' by Diane L. Wilson.