Bigger [Hardcover]

Patricia Calvert (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

After the Civil War, twelve-year-old Tyler Bohannon embarks on a journey through the perils of the American West, accompanied only by a stray dog named Bigger, in search of his father, who refuses to return home to Missouri to live in defeat.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Calvert's ( The Snowbird ; Yesterday's Daughter ) sweeping, deeply moving historical novel may well bring tears to the reader's eyes. The Civil War has ended, yet 12-year-old Tyler still awaits tidings of his father, Black Jack Bohannon, who left four years earlier, in 1861, with General Jo Shelby's Iron Cavalry Brigade of Missouri. Learning that Shelby and his men are on their way to Mexico to keep the Confederacy alive, Tyler sets out to find his father and bring him home. He undertakes the 800-mile journey on foot, with only a few dollars in his pocket (incidentally, he returns with change), and is joined by the title character, an ornery "devil dog" that becomes his inseparable friend and protector. An encounter with Isaac, an African American youth bearing the still-fresh scars of slavery, causes Tyler to doubt for the first time his father's judgment in fighting for the South. Black Jack, no fairy tale father, turns out not to be the homesick hero of his son's imaginings. Thought-provoking, imbued with powerful emotion and conveying a timeless theme, this is historical fiction at its best. Ages 9-11.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-The Civil War is over and Tyler Bohannon, 12, begins a trek that will take him from his secure home in Sweet Creek, Missouri, to Eagle Pass, Texas. His goal is to find and bring back his father, who joined General Jo Shelby and the Confederates four years earlier. Soon after setting out, Bigger, a fierce, apparently abused dog, becomes Tyler's companion. Their odyssey is one of body, mind, and spirit. They face hunger, heat, and exhaustion; in a brief meeting with a scarred, orphaned black boy, Tyler confronts the brutality of slavery; and walking over Pea Ridge, he is horrified by the bones littering the battlefield. He finally finds his father, but the man is hardened in his resolve to settle his score with the Union, and refuses to go home. As the boy tries to understand this rejection, he must face further heartbreak when, on the way home, Bigger is killed. Through strong characters, flowing narrative, geographic description, and historical detail, Calvert draws readers into her hero's life and times. Although he endures a heavy dose of adversity, the boy is not extraordinary. His resilience stems from his realization that loyalty, love, and courage take many forms. Readers will relate to his friendship with Bigger, his emerging social consciousness, and his struggle to accept the loss of his dreams and the hard realities of the adult world.
Gerry Larson, Chewning Middle School, Durham, NC
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1994 Edition edition (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684196859
• ISBN-13: 978-0684196855
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a dog of a book, November 6, 2006

By 

R. Bagula "Roger L. Bagula" (Lakeside, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bigger (Aladdin Historical Fiction) (Paperback)

The Southern cause was lost and many never came home.
We have a brave boy here who goes looking for his father
and winds up both finding a friend in a dog
and growing up at one time.
Unlike others he came home
and used his new understanding to make life
better after the war had gone away.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bigger by Patricia Calvert, May 2, 2010

By 

reading mom "Phyllis" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bigger (Aladdin Historical Fiction) (Paperback)

I read this book when my 10 year was reading it for a class project. I loved it. It addresses issues of prejudice and the civil war. It deals with growing up and shows how easy it is to see ideas and people from only one side until you are really faced with the situation. It's not a hit-you-over-the-head kind of story it is subtle but gets its point across. It is an entertaining story and you become attached to the main characters easily. The story is satisfying because you get to see the main character Tyler start to grow from a boy to a man who will be compasionate and strong. It's only 137 pages long so it is an easier read for my 10 year old son who doesn't want to be still very long. It was hard to find a historical fiction novel that he was willing to read but this one had a boy and a dog and even though it gives you a good look at how cruel war actually is it was done in a way that wouldn't give you nightmares.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How would you feel in this situation?, January 9, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Bigger (Aladdin Historical Fiction) (Paperback)

Bigger, a book written by Patricia Calvery in which I rated with four stars.
This book is about a boy named Tyler who sets out to look for his father who is in the Civil War. He must travel to Mexico all by himself to find his father. During his journey he encounters many people, animals, and adventures. What makes it so interesting is the great detail each event is written in. It is almost as if you are there when it happens. Tyler finaly finds his father but very unfortunately his father is not coming home with him. Even though he isn't coming home Tyler showed Great determination to even go all the way to look for his father and actually find him. I now have great respect for Tyler and what he did.
During his journey Tyler makes a great companion. It just so happens to a bed a dog. The first time Tyler laid his eyes on the dog he never thought there would be any way that they would become friends. Somehow Bigger tracked Tyler down and they became best friends. On their first night together Bigger (the dog) woudln't even come on the same side of the fire as Tyler. That is just how timid he was. Tyler and Bigger being together really made me give this book four stars. They show a prime example of a great and loving relationship between boy and dog!
I would recommend Call of The Wild is you enjoyed this book. In a way they are similiar. I am foutteen years old and I love football!!!