Customer Reviews

Hayfoot, Strawfoot: The Bucktail Recruits (White Mane Kids)

5 star:		(3)
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This is aimed at younger readers, but I found it well written, an engrossing romp through the unpopulated areas of North Central Pennsylvania. Set in 1861, and based on fact, the authors weave a captivating tale of uneducated backwoodsmen going off to fight in the Civil War. The title comes from the men not knowing left from right, so to teach marching, hay was tied to left foot, straw to right. An excellent first novel for these writers.

Forget that this was published with junior high boys as the target audience. This is great accurate historical fiction. Bucky Culp the tough 1/2 breed illiterate son of a solitary deep woods hunter and Jimmy Jewett is soft but very intelligent, idealistic son of a Methodist minister are the main characters. The novel easily flows from a few years before the war through under aged enlistment in 13th Pennsylvania Reserves "The Bucktails" to the battles around Dranesville. The details of frontier and military life will please the most strict students of guns, history or the outdoors. The way even supporting cast grow and adapt to new stimuli will make any Lit teacher smile.

What an exciting adventure story! I picked up the book and decided to read it, although my book preference is not typically historical fiction. To my surprise, I was unable to lay the book down. Chapter after chapter was filled with surprise, excitement, and suspense. The Bucktail recruit characters, but especially Bucky and Jimmy, were extremely authentic. Their loyalty to one another and the remaining recruits tugged at my heart. The author's writing style and knowledge of the subject was exceptional. I would highly recommend Hayfoot, Strawfoot to junior high students, but is certainly of interest to anyone.