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A review by knitter22
Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen
4.0
My youngest son was a reluctant reader during his elementary school years, and this caused a problem for both of us when he was assigned a book report. I was lucky enough to be working in an elementary school library at the time, so I would search the library's databases looking carefully for just the right book that would capture his attention. Once I found Gary Paulsen, my search became much easier.
The Tucket Adventures were some of my son's favorites, but I only ever read the first one myself. At a loss for something to read recently, I decided to try the whole series. Now I understand why my son enjoyed these so much! There is plenty of action, adventure, danger, and resourcefulness in the first one, and each book ends on a cliffhanger so you can hardly help but read the next one immediately. Fourteen-year-old Francis Alphonse Tucket is kidnapped by Pawnee Indians as he is traveling westward on the Oregon Trail with his family, and the stories revolve around his adventures in trying to reunite with his family. Francis grows as a character over the series, learning how to survive and how to make responsible and mature decisions. While there are some episodes of violence in the books, this would make an excellent series to read with your child/grandchild and discuss why the violence between Indians and settlers might have occurred, along with right and wrong, good and evil when your very survival might depend upon your decisions.
I highly recommend The Tucket Adventures as "boy books", especially for picky reluctant readers, but it also made a satisfying series to read for an adult. I look forward to reading Paulsen's Hatchet series some day!
The Tucket Adventures were some of my son's favorites, but I only ever read the first one myself. At a loss for something to read recently, I decided to try the whole series. Now I understand why my son enjoyed these so much! There is plenty of action, adventure, danger, and resourcefulness in the first one, and each book ends on a cliffhanger so you can hardly help but read the next one immediately. Fourteen-year-old Francis Alphonse Tucket is kidnapped by Pawnee Indians as he is traveling westward on the Oregon Trail with his family, and the stories revolve around his adventures in trying to reunite with his family. Francis grows as a character over the series, learning how to survive and how to make responsible and mature decisions. While there are some episodes of violence in the books, this would make an excellent series to read with your child/grandchild and discuss why the violence between Indians and settlers might have occurred, along with right and wrong, good and evil when your very survival might depend upon your decisions.
I highly recommend The Tucket Adventures as "boy books", especially for picky reluctant readers, but it also made a satisfying series to read for an adult. I look forward to reading Paulsen's Hatchet series some day!