The White Fox Chronicles

Publishers Weekly

THE WHITE FOX CHRONICLES Gary Paulsen. DellLaurel-Leaf, $5.50 ISBN 0-440-41248-X. PW said, Plotted much like a shoot-'em-up computer game, this story set in 2057 hurtles through hairbreadth rescues and encounters with loyal American fighters and bloodcurdlingly evil Confederation of Consolidated Republics soldiers. The dialogue is pure B-movie. Ages 10-14. (May) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Plotted much like a shoot-'em-up computer game, this often violent adventure shows the Newbery Honor author at his least literary. It is 2057, and the Confederation of Consolidated Republics CCR has decimated the United States America's downfall, readers learn, has been precipitated by military cutbacks and the elimination of the CIA. The eponymous White Fox is Cody Pierce, a 14-year-old whose intelligence, ability to master military skills and sheer endurance would make him the envy of even a comic-book superhero a comparison underscored by the graphics-style cover treatment. Confined to a prison camp and supposedly being indoctrinated in CCR thinking, "in a cleansing experiment much like the one Hitler had tried with the youth of Germany," Cody has actually been hatching an escape plan. When a U.S. pilot from a well-organized resistance unit is captured and brought to the prison, Cody knows he must save her along with himself. The story line hurtles through hairbreadth rescues and encounters with loyal American fighters and bloodcurdlingly evil CCR soldiers as Cody shoots, punches and detonates his way out of the prison camp and back again, to even the score with his former captors. The dialogue is pure B-movie "What is this foolish patriotism you Americans possess? Why would you be willing to be tortured?" and, as in a B-movie, readers can cheer on the good guys without ever fearing that they might not triumph in the end. Ages 9-14. June Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

KLIATT

To quote KLIATT's May 2000 review of Escape: In the year 2057, much of the U.S. has been taken over by the repressive Confederation of Consolidated Republics (CCR). Except for some small rebel holdouts, most of the population has been virtually enslaved. Cody, age 14, is laboring in a prison camp, where he is known as the White Fox for his white-blond hair. Secretly, however, he plots to escape, using the lock-picking skills he has picked up. When the CCR capture a rebel pilot, Cody manages to break out of the prison camp with her, survive in the surrounding desert, and steal a plane so that they can get back to the rebel base. We leave Cody preparing to return to the prison camp to save the children he left behind, setting the stage for Book 2, Return. This thrilling adventure is a sure bet for action and war story fans as well as reluctant readers. Readers will be caught up in brave Cody's plight from the start, and will likely devour this fast-paced novel in one gulp. Paulsen, author of Hatchet and many other YA novels, excels at survival tales, and he doesn't waste a word in this gutsy, grimy, gory tale of a heroic teen who uses his wits as well as his wilderness skills to evade a nasty enemy. The comic-book-style cover art will help attract readers. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2000, Random House, Laurel-Leaf, 282p.,
— Paula Rohrlick

Children's Literature

The year is 2057 and the United States seems to be nothing more than military bases employing captured Americans for the nourishment of the CCR--Confederation of Consolidated Republics, a Hitler-esque type of operation. Cody Pierce, a.k.a. The White Fox, has learned the language and ways of the CCR enough to earn the trust of their leaders. They, in turn, allow him to be in situations usually reserved for the elite of this regime, enabling Cody to gather critical information. Cody uses his wit and wisdom to escape from his captors in a maneuver to free himself and a prominent American military figure, and he escorts her to safety. He subsequently realizes he must be loyal to his best friend and the children left back in the barracks, and embarks on a perilous return. The book is action-packed and fast paced, to the delight of readers who are easily bored with reading. However, the descriptive violence and gruesome details serve as unnecessary drama--especially in today's society. Gary Paulsen is a prolific author whose material is a staple among Young Adult collections. Unfortunately, this does not measure up to his previous quality works. 2000, Delacorte Press,

School Library Journal

Gr 7-9-By 2057, most of the war-torn United States has been taken over by the Confederation of Consolidated Republics. In "Escape," the first section of this novel in three parts, Cody Pierce, a 14-year-old inmate at a CCR prison camp, has learned to play along with the Nazi-like brainwashing while secretly plotting to get away. A favorite of the officers, he has been nicknamed the White Fox because of his pale blond hair. After a daring escape, he and a fellow inmate struggle through the desert to a secret U.S. base. In "Return," the protagonist assists a covert weapons operation in the theft of a shipment of CCR arms. After the base is discovered and destroyed, Cody returns to the brutal prison camp. In "Breakout," he exacts his vengeance and rescues the inmates. Paulsen has created a courageous hero who relies on his wits to survive, and whose take-charge approach and enviable skills will appeal to readers. Be aware, however, that the book contains many violent scenes: lots of shooting, explosions, and deaths. While the characters have little depth, the constant action will make this story popular with both avid and reluctant readers.-Trish Anderson, Pinkerton Elementary School, Coppell, TX Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.