Woods Runner

Paulsen, G. (2010). Woods Runner. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Plot Summary:
Samuel lives in a settlement in the woods with his parents. The woods are all that Samuel has ever known and are as much his home as the cabin where his family resides. Briefly after hearing news of fighting between the settlers and the British, Samuel returns from hunting to find his parents missing and his cabin home burned down as well as those of his neighbors. Samuel, an excellent hunter, tracks his parent's captors until he is injured by a tomahawk. Samuel is nursed back to health by rebels who inform him that his parent's were taken captive by British soldiers. Samuel continues on his way gaining an eight year-old companion, named Annie, orphaned after British soldiers killed her parents. On their journey to find Samuel's parents, they meet Abner, a Scottish trader, who works to help the Patriot's cause. It is with the help of Abner and his friend Matthew that Samuel is able to locate his parents in New York and free them.

Review:
Gary Paulsen does such a great job with showing the strength, determination, and complexities of his male protagonists. Samuel is a wonderful example of the many young boys forced to grow up quickly during the Revolutionary War. Paulsen includes historical information at the beginning of each chapter detailing certain events or explanations of certain practices that took place during the Revolutionary War. These were interesting and helpful in providing background for the story. This is an excellent story that will be very interesting to young readers, which also provides a great deal of historical details.

Genre:
historical fiction

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Subjects/Themes:
Revolutionary War, self-identity, loss

Character Names/Descriptions:
Samuel Lehi Smith: 10 years-old;
Abigail Smith: Samuel's mother; captured by the British
Olin Smith: Samuel's father; captured by the British
Annie Clark: 8 year-old girl; her parents were killed by Hessians (German soldiers assisting the British); adopted by Samuel and his family
John Cooper (Coop): rebel looking to join up with the Patriots; nurses Samuel back to health after he is wounded by a tomahawk
Abner McDougal: Scottish tinker; assists the Patriots; helps Samuel find and save his parents
Matthew: friend of Abner's who helps Samuel's parents escape

Annotation:
Ten year-old Samuel is forced to grow up fast as he seeks out his parents who were captured by British soldiers.

And Then What Happened Paul Revere?

Fritz, J. (1973). And Then What Happened Paul Revere? New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Summary:
Most people are aware of Paul Revere's famous ride to announce the arrival of the British troops to the colonies during the Revolutionary War. But, do they also know that he took part in the Boston Tea Party or that he made false teeth? This book tells about Revere's historic ride and discusses other aspects of his life as well, including his family, military life, and the many different occupations he held. It seems that Paul Revere did not like to be idle, he kept several jobs, many at the same time. His role with the Sons of Liberty in the Boston Tea Party and his ride to spread news of the event to Philadelphia and New York won him the respect of the Patriots, who made him an express rider and secret agent. The book also provides little known facts as told by his great-grandchildren of his famous ride and details events that took place after his death.

Review:
This is a quick little biography. It is written like a fictional account, helping to keep young readers interested in Paul Revere's eventful life. The author adds in funny little anecdotes about Revere's life, such as his dog returning to his home to fetch the spurs he had forgotten on the night of his great ride, as later told by his granddaughter. Or that he sold false teeth he had whittled out of hippopotamus tusks. Another great addition to the book is the inclusion of actual quotes taken from Revere's own writings and images of the engravings from his metalworking. The illustrations add a humorous quality to the book through the cartoon drawings of his life. They also help to keep the biography interesting and entertaining for the young reader.

Genre:
biography, history

Reading Level:
Ages 8 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Paul Revere, Revolutionary War, American history

Annotation:
Paul Revere is well known for his historic ride to alert the colonies of the invasion of the British troops during the Revolutionary War, but not much else is known about him. This book provides additional information about Revere's life before and after his famous ride.