The Gentleman Outlaw and Me--Eli [Hardcover]

Mary Downing Hahn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 1996

In 1887 twelve-year-old Eliza, disguised as a boy and traveling to Colorado in search of her missing father, falls in with a gentleman outlaw and joins him in his illegal schemes.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7?Eliza Yates is 12 years old in 1887 when she runs away from her cruel aunt and uncle and sets off for Tinville, Colorado, in search of her missing father. After being accosted by a tramp, she disguises herself as a boy, and it is "Elijah Bates" who meets up with Calvin Featherbone, an 18-year-old who calls himself the "Gentleman Outlaw." He is also headed for Tinville, in search of that town's Sheriff Yates, a man he believes shot his father in the back. The two join forces, though it is soon obvious both to Eliza and readers that Calvin is a greenhorn who will do nothing but get them into scrapes with his fool ideas. Hahn has obviously done her research, and succeeds in bringing the ambiance of the Old West to her novel. The result is a fast, funny, and entertaining adventure that's just the thing for fans of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."?Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline Public Library, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. The plot isn't new: orphan girl Eliza Yates cuts her hair, wears boys' clothes, changes her name to make people think she's a boy, and travels West to find her missing father. Along the way, she saves Calvin Featherbone, a young man who fancies himself a con artist. Together, they make their way to Tinville, Colorado, where, coincidentally, Calvin's father was killed by a certain Sheriff Yates. Calvin plans to avenge the murder, but he gets himself and Eliza in so much trouble with his amateurish schemes that the pair arrives in town ready to be hanged as horse thieves. Hahn's writing crackles like gunshot in the Ol' West, and Eliza and Calvin make a lovable team. The plotting is completely predictable, but it's tight and fast paced, and Hahn does a fine job of recreating the atmosphere of the days of cowboys and miners. Susan Dove Lempke

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (April 5, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039573083X
• ISBN-13: 978-0395730836
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,827,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Downing Hahn, a former children's librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Deep and Dark and Dangerous and The Old Willis Place. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her two cats, Oscar and Rufus.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! A good western story with a great girl heroine, July 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Gentleman Outlaw and Me--Eli (Hardcover)

The story starts out stereotypically enough; a young girl forced to live with mean relatives, disguises herself as a boy and runs away from home. But her adventures and espescially her antagonistic friendship with the gentleman outlaw take this book above the pat story. She has a goal; to get to Tinville and maybe find her father, but she needs money. The gentleman outlaw has money, but he needs her help in his schemes. Out of their mutual need, they stick together, and she proves herself a formidable ally to the end. Their adventures together are so enthralling, one almost forgets entirely about the inevitable ending. This book is reminiscent of one of my favorite movie's -- Paper Moon, with a less fantastical outcome, but no less triumphant.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read this book 26 times!, February 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Gentleman Outlaw and Me--Eli (Hardcover)

This book was very adventurous and I liked the main characters because they are not very regular people. Regular people don't chop their hair off and go beg for money to buy things. I think it was one of the best books Mary Downing Hahn has written, and I've read it so much it looks like it's been caught in a tornado! Zara, grade 6

4.0 out of 5 stars Luck Be a Lady, November 23, 2009

By 

Margo DeCuir "caffienefiend" (los angeles) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Gentleman Outlaw and Me (Paperback)

The Story:

12 year old Eliza Bates is in somewhat of a sticky situation that also happens to be between a rock and a hard place. Her father is somewhere in the Wild West, far from her Kansas residence. Her mother is dead. And she was left to the dubious 'charity' of her uncle and aunt. Abused by her cousins and treated as a slave, she decides to scamper into the night. Whilst doing this, she gets four additions to her life: a false gender, a new name (Elijah Bates), a dog and a poor excuse for a card-sharp, Calvin Featherbone. The dynamic duo and dog travel across the country so that Eliza can find her father and Calvin can kill the man who murdered his father. Eliza just hopes they aren't looking for the same man...

This was a greatly enjoyable read. Eliza was completely plucky and Calvin was fun as the Gentleman Outlaw. The plot was smooth and flowing. Very kid friendly and something I wouldn't hesitate to read with 5th grader.