Customer Reviews

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal (Exceptional Social Studies Titles for Intermediate Grades) (Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux)

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Reviewed by: Wayne Walker

Did you know that, in spite of what we've seen in the movies and on TV, there were African Americans in the Old West? Bass Reeves was born around 1838 as a slave in Texas but ran away from his master during the Civil War and lived with the Native Americans in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) until after the war was over, when he settled in nearby Arkansas. However, in 1875, the U. S. Government sent Judge Isaac C. Parker to bring law and order to Indian Territory. The judge hired 200 deputy marshals to track down outlaws, and Bass Reeves was one of the marshals. Author Vaunda Micheaux Nelson describes some of the truly amazing feats that Reeves accomplished during his 32 years of service. He even captured bandit queen Belle Starr. You might also be interested to know that Gary Paulsen wrote a fictionalized account of Reeves called The Legend of Bass Reeves.

Anyone, young or old, who is interested in the Old West should really like Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves! However, beyond its connection to the wild frontier, this book, with great illustrations by R. Gregory Christie, is a good one for children generally because it describes the life of a man who exhibited admirable character in his life through his dedication to duty and his courage, honesty, and strong sense of right and wrong. While it would be excellent for Black History Month, it should not be relegated to that month alone and could be used at any time that late-nineteenth-century American history is studied. Features at the end include a glossary of Western terms, a timeline of Reeves's life, further reading and websites, and more information on Judge Parker and the Indian Territory, along with a note from the author on how she came to learn about Reeves. It is a fascinating story that I highly recommend.

Bass Reeves was born a slave, but even when he was a boy there was something special about him. He was the type of boy that stood out from the crowd. He had a lot of "pluck" and he "had a special way with animals, especially horses." All the positive qualities he possessed as a boy would come together and make him one of the most feared and respected U.S. Deputy marshals in history. When he was young, his mother thought no good would ever come of him because he was overly fascinated with weapons, but he would prove her wrong and grow up to be an upstanding citizen. Unfortunately, his chance to move into the state that would later accept him as a deputy came when he stuck his owner. He had to either run or die!

And so Bass ran. He ran to Indian Territory. After the Civil War he bought some land in Arkansas and raised a family until Judge Isaac C. Parker hired him and many other deputy marshals to "track down outlaws in an area covering 74,000 square miles." It was a tall order, but Bass was up to it and soon became Parker's right-hand man. He was a crack shot, honest and would bring in hundreds of outlaws in thirty-two years. This book has some marvelous tales of some of his more unusual captures. For example, one time he "pretended to be a farmer" and deliberately ran over a stump and caught up a wheel. Four outlaws didn't want him near their hideout and went to help him. They helped him and he then helped them right off to jail.

This was a wonderful story to honor the memory of a deputy marshal who, although the best in his day, has all been but forgotten. I loved the setup of the story because it almost reads like a chapter book in that every two or three pages seemed to have an interesting stand-alone story. It's no easy task to bring someone's personality to life when there is so little information about him, but the author did an outstanding job. The full page, full color artwork brought out the feeling of the old West and some of the pages were framed to look as if they came out of an old stained book. In the back of the book is a photograph of Bass, "Western Words," a timeline, brief blurbs on Judge Parker and the Indian Territory and additional recommended book and website resources. This is a Junior Library Guild Selection.

An outstanding U.S. Deputy Marshal, Bass Reeves, makes his mark as "a true champion of the American West." Deputy Marshal in Indian Territory, Bass Reeves brought law and order to the post Civil War West. Big and tall, Bass was a square shot, one who rounded up outlaws with surprising ease. Bass was one of the most respected and feared marshals in the land. Best suited for children ages 7-10, this picture book is full of stark illustrations and graphic accounts of violence. For these older children, however, this story tells the life and achievements of one heroic man.

I'll admit up front that I'm not a fan of the "Wild West" and I didn't grow up watching westerns. Perhaps that's why this book didn't appeal to me as much as other reviewers. I've gone back and forth whether to give it three stars or four. In the end, I decided on four stars for the illustrations, the quality of the production and the importance of the subject matter.

I am gratified to find more books these days on the history of blacks in America, especially out West. From the history I learned in school you'd think that America was settled and built exclusively by whites (after those inconvenient Indians were conveniently "relocated", that is). I'm glad that my daughters (who are biracial) will have the opportunity to learn about the true diversity of our country. For that reason alone, I recommend "Bad News for Outlaw".

But, unfortunately, I didn't feel that the writing in this book was fully up to the subject matter. Ms. Nelson's portrayal of Bass Reeves was flat and, to me, anyway, not terribly interesting. We are told over and over how brave, honest, and true Bass Reeves was. He always got his man. He was a crack shot. He was kind and gentle, hated killing, but didn't hesitate when he had to do so in the line of duty. In other words, he was some kind of saint.

What's missing from this portrayal is Bass's humanity. As a human, he wasn't perfect - none of us are. I realize that this is a book for children, but that doesn't mean it needs to be overly simplistic. It's demeaning to children - and to Bass himself - to reduce him to some white-washed hero. It makes him just as much of a caricature as any other one-dimensional portrayals of African Americans. We know, for instance, that Bass escaped from slavery when he and his owner quarreled over a card game and Bass struck his owner. A deeper exploration of this incident could be presented in a way that children could understand, and would serve to enrich Bass Reeves as a living human being.

I attended a showing of the play "The Good Negro" this past summer and I remember reading in the playbill some comments from the author. To paraphrase, it said something like, "These guys [Civil Rights leaders] weren't heroes because they were saints. They were heroes precisely because they weren't saints. They had skeletons in their closets that their opposition used against them, but every day they still got up and fought for what they believed in." I think the same probably applies to Bass Reeves.

Also, in my first reading, the constant use of Western jargon and turns of phrase really annoyed me. It sounded forced and phony. It didn't bother me as much in my second reading, however. Not sure why.

The book is beautifully presented. It is a nice, large-size, hardcover book with thick glossy pages designed to look like old parchment and a nice glossy dust jacket. Mr. Christie's illustrations are very well done. They are a striking combination of realism and impressionism which makes them compelling, even riveting. The end of the book contains some additional helpful reference information and suggestions for further reading.

I don't regret this purchase - I'm happy to have it as part of my daughters' library, and there's plenty of good information for them in it. But I don't think that it's a book we'll return to very often (although I'm open to the possibility of my daughters proving me wrong on that). Recommended, but with qualifications

Bass Reeves is an amazing hero who did good work in bad times. I'm giving this book to my nieces for Christmas because I think it's important for all Americans to have images and information about him. I hope it'll help crowd out some racist myths. I do wish the story managed to be as exciting as his life must have been. I guess it's not that easy to plot a long life of doing the right thing into a short book. But in the right hands it could be a great movie. Maybe with Dave Eggers writing the script and Clint Eastwood directing Morgan Freeman.

This exciting biography of Bass Reeves is just as "remarkable" as the title promises. Bass Reeves was honored and feared for his righteousness and strength--both of body and of character. The test is well-paced and the illustrations, eye-catching. A fabulous read for boys and girls of all ethnicities.

This is not only a terrific story for young readers, the artwork and typography are excellent as well. The book has a visual style that's distinctive and effective, conveying atmosphere without being the least bit difficult to read. The text is quite short, and flows easily between action episodes and background information. I, as an adult, found it so riveting that I literally read it standing up -- I didn't want to stop turning the pages even long enough to sit down.

It certainly would NOT be "bad news" if every grade-schooler in America could get acquainted with Bass Reeves: not only as a black man who earned respect, but as an resolute lawman who couldn't be bribed, who shot only when necessary, and who relied as much on cleverness and ingenuity as on force to bring criminals to justice. Come to think of it, for this book to inspire a movie wouldn't be bad news either...

What a triumph! This book captures a larger-than-life personality with dynamite illustrations and interesting text, broken into chunks so that younger readers can manage it. As a mom of boys, I am on constant lookout for books with male heroes that show positive values and use good, challenging vocabulary. This book captures the Old West and the John-Wayne-cowboy code: men are honorable and trustworthy.

Get this one.

Parent note: A lot of idioms and old-west style of talking. Guns. Hangings. Fun to read as a family. Very fun to act out. (Not the hangings, obviously)

Bad News for Outlaws tells the story of the remarkable life of Bass Reeves, an African American Deputy U. S. marshal that lived during the late ninth century and the early twentieth century. I had never heard of Bass Reeves before I read the book. Yet, his life provides a shiny example of a person of virtue for children Readers will enjoy the illustrations by Gregory Chistie. Finally, although a good read for older children, young kids lose interest because of the lack of a plot.

Bad News for Outlaws is educational and a great learning tool. Youth, and older folk like me, had no idea that this man existed.What a remarkable story. It should be required reading for American History of the Old West classes.