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Overview
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. Samuel’s 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.
Synopsis
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. Samuel's 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.
From the Hardcover edition.
The New York Times - Julie Just
Paulsen's talent for scene-setting, especially in an exciting wilderness drama, is paired here with a vivid story of the American Revolution…The story is instantly involving…
Editorials
Julie Just
Paulsen's talent for scene-setting, especially in an exciting wilderness drama, is paired here with a vivid story of the American Revolution…The story is instantly involving…—The New York Times
Publishers Weekly
Set during the American Revolution, Paulsen's (Hatchet) slim novel candidly and credibly exposes the underbelly of that war. Sam is a skilled hunter with an instinctive knowledge of the western Pennsylvania forest—a “woods runner.” When word of fighting between the British and the colonists reaches his family, the 13-year-old realizes that his life will change (“The loud outside world his parents had escaped by moving to the frontier had found them”). It is a brutal change: Sam returns from a hunting expedition to find houses in their settlement burned to the ground and the scalped bodies of neighbors. His harrowing quest to locate and rescue his parents—taken prisoner by the culprits, British soldiers aided by Iroquois—involves a nearly fatal run-in with a tomahawk-wielding native; a narrow escape from marauding Hessian mercenaries; and a fortuitous encounter with a Scottish tinker who's a spy for the patriots. Paulsen fortifies this illuminating and gripping story with interspersed historical sections that offer details about frontier life and the war (such as technology, alliances, and other period information), helping place Sam's struggles in context. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)School Library Journal
Gr 6–9—Samuel, 13, lives in the British colony of Pennsylvania. He spends his days exploring and hunting in the woods far from civilization. His father wants to live a quiet life learning to use tools and build a house, while his mother tries to get the garden to grow. There are rumors that American patriots have begun a bloody war against the English but news takes weeks to arrive and the fighting seems far away from the peaceful frontier. Suddenly, the war comes to Samuel. While he is hunting, British soldiers and Iroquois attack, taking Samuel's parents prisoner and killing many in the settlement. He follows their trail determined to rescue them. Paulsen takes readers inside the reality of this war, revealing the horrific conditions of the civilians who were taken prisoner. Between each chapter Paulsen includes information on various aspects of the war such as weapons, civilian deaths, orphans, and communication. Through Samuel's story, readers discover the brutality and cost of war. In the afterword, the author informs readers that he is not attempting to write the history of the Revolutionary War but instead to clarify some aspects of it. His story will leave readers with a new sense of admiration for those who lost their lives in the creation of the nation. This fast-paced novel will appeal to Paulsen fans and is a good choice for reluctant readers.—Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SDKirkus Reviews
Thirteen-year-old Samuel is a courier du bois, or woods runner, a wilderness expert who provides meat for his entire settlement in the British colony of Pennsylvania. When he returns from hunting one day to find all of the cabins in his settlement burned to the ground and everyone slaughtered or missing, he must rely on those skills and the help of good folk along the way to the British garrison in New York to find his parents. Not a war novel of "patriotism, all clean, pristine, antiseptic," as Paulsen explains in his afterword, this is a vivid and graphic tale of one boy caught up in a harsh war, a side of the American Revolution not often told. The author structures the narrative in an unusual fashion, alternating fictional scenes with nonfiction information related to the story line-brief segments on spy networks, weaponry, war orphans, Hessians and floating prisons. Though no sources are provided for the nonfiction elements, the effective pairing of fiction and nonfiction makes this a superb reflection on the nature of war. A good match for the author's Soldier's Heart (1998). (Historical fiction. 11 & up)Children's Literature
Samuel is thirteen years old and lives on the edge of a wilderness in colonial Pennsylvania. The Revolutionary War rages but for Samuel all that seems to matter is the life he leads in the woodlands that surround his family's cabin. Samuel feels at home in the woods. He loves to track game, hunt, and study all aspects of the world that exists within the forest. Samuel thinks of himself as a woods runner, a person so at home in the forest that they become a part of it. But then the soldiers and Iroquois come. Samuel's cabin and the nearby settlement are destroyed by the invading British forces. Samuel's parents are gone, taken captive by the enemy. Faced with this crisis Samuel decides to track his parents in a seemingly vain attempt to rescue them. This decision begins an epic journey for Samuel. On the journey he sees the face of war in all its grim aspects. In the end, Samuel discovers a great deal about the kindness and the cruelty that people are capable of. In this historical tale, the renowned author Gary Paulsen once again takes up the task of telling the story of a bygone era. In the past Gary Paulsen has consistently demonstrated his ability to capture the nuances of a time period while crafting believable characters. In Woods Runner Paulsen once again captures a moment in time and the people who lived it in a way that will educate and touch his readers. This is a fine historical novel and one that allows its readers to better appreciate all the costs that war exacts. Reviewer: Greg M. RomaneckVOYA
Reading this novel will show anyone who believes war is glorious that combat, in Paulsen's words, is "never, not ever, clean." Thirteen-year-old Samuel sees it firsthand as the British and their hired Iroquois savagely attack the few homes on the edge of a forest in western Pennsylvania in 1776. His gentle parents are taken captive; all others are scalped and killed. He escapes this fate because he was in his beloved woods hunting for food. Determined to follow and rescue his parents on their way to a prison in British-controlled New York City, he again sees another family slaughtered. The daughter, Annie, survives and travels with Samuel. On the way, many men and women working covertly for the Americans aid him in his journey. What he encounters on the way is harrowing, yet offers moments of goodness that save his life. With help from others in navigating the consequences of war, Samuel grows and matures. The skills he learned in the forest greatly aid in his survival. Paulsen intersperses the fictional chapters with short historical sections that contribute to the understanding of life during the Revolutionary War in general and as it relates to Samuel in particular. Paulsen does not attempt to sanitize the destruction war brings; death and casualties are ever present. This wonderful tool will spark discussion about history, ethics, and the realities of war. It is also a wonderfully written, fast-paced, coming-of-age story that forces the reader to think about the horrifying side of war. Reviewer: Jane Van WiemoklySchool Library Journal
Gr 5–8—When 13-year-old Samuel Smith returns from a hunt in the woods, he finds the Revolutionary War has reached his valley in Pennsylvania. His home has been burned, his neighbors have been killed, and his parents have been captured by the English. A skilled woodsman, Samuel sets out to find his parents. He encounters the harsh realities and often brutal sacrifices made in the name of war. During his journey, he stumbles upon Annie, an orphaned girl, who refuses to leave his side. She accompanies him on his quest despite the obstacles threatening their lives. When a patriot comes into Samuel's life, they head into enemy lines. Rich in emotion, the characters experience firsthand the heartbreaking tragedy of the war. The historical details are accurate and thorough. Listeners will learn many little known facts about the realities of life between American rebels and a powerful English military. Narrator Danny Campbell delivers Gary Paulesen's tale (Simon Pulse, 2008) in a steady and evenhanded style, drawing listeners into the narrative. The compelling story line, excellent narration, and intricate portrayal of history makes this audiobook a worthwhile listening experience.—Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FLBook Details
Published
January 11, 2011
Publisher
Random House Children's Books
Pages
176
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780375859083