Jayhawker [Hardcover]

Patricia Beatty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1991 | Age Level: 10 and up

In the early years of the Civil War, teenage Kansan farm boy Lije Tulley becomes a Jayhawker, an abolitionist raider freeing slaves from the neighboring state of Missouri, and then goes undercover there as a spy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Not just another historical fiction about the Civil War, the late Beatty's ( Charley Skedaddle ; Be Ever Hopeful ; Hannalee ) novel follows the adventures of Lije (for Elijah) Tulley. He's a jayhawker--an abolitionist raider--from Kansas caught up in the raids and skirmishes between the jayhawkers and the pro-slavery bushwhackers of Missouri before and during the war. After his father is killed on a raid, Lije works as a spy in Missouri, passing news of bushwhacker plans to an equally daring young woman, with whom he falls in love. The author deftly brings in historical figures--John Brown, Jesse James--and weaves actual events such as the infamous bushwhacker raid on Lawrence, Kans., into her tale. Gruesome accounts of the killing and destruction in this lesser known Civil War theater deepen the impact; neither pro-North nor pro-South, this is instead a dramatic and compelling antiwar narrative. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-- To 13-year-old Elija "Lije" Tulley, the fanatical abolitionist John Brown is a hero in a righteous cause. He eagerly joins the band of men recruited by Brown to be Jayhawkers, Kansans who cross into neighboring Missouri to steal away slaves and help them to freedom. The Jayhawkers and their pro-slavery counterparts, the bushwhackers, clash often in bloody, sometimes murderous shootouts. In one such confrontation, Lije's father is killed, and Lije is recruited to live among a group of pro-slavery activitists as a spy. He learns about the quasi-soldiers led by Charles Quantrill, a cruel and unsavory character, and he meets Frank James and his brother Jesse. The story reaches its climax as Quantrill's forces attack and burn Lawrence, Kansas, where Lije's family lives. The unquestionable star of this story is Lije, a thoroughly believable boy caught up in events beyond his control but wanting to do his part for a cause in which he believes. The historical figures who populate the story are equally well portrayed; they appear as flesh-and-blood characters, not just names out of a history book. Another strength of this novel is that it tells a fast-paced suspenseful story while presenting a clear picture of a crucial period in U. S. history. The violence is not overplayed, nor is the abolitionist side portrayed as totally good. There is one glaring error in the text. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 did not free all slaves in the United States, as the story says, but only those in states in rebellion against the Union. Other than this, the book is a solid piece of historical fiction that's sure to have strong appeal. --Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 214 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co (October 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688098509
• ISBN-13: 978-0688098506
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,871,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jayhawker, July 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Jayhawker (Paperback)

The story of Lije Tulley and his experiences as a Kansas Jayhawker and spy among the Missouri Bushwhackers is interesting and exciting. Lije is forced to grow up quickly as he becomes immersed in both sides of the slavery issue. His romantic notions of war and killing are challenged by harsh reality. He struggles with the notion of violence while trying to do what he feels is right. Historical situations and characters are believably blended into this fictional account. Recommended reading for whole classes in the middle grades in conjunction with Civil War study, or individual reading for ages 11 and up.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great a must read!, December 11, 2003

By 

*Jools* (WI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jayhawker (Paperback)

You should read this book! It had depth and it wasn't boring like some civil war books can be. It has a childish view of war in the beging and in the end it turns out to be a more wide range of hope, love, trust, and understanding of what war is.

3.0 out of 5 stars forcing history into a narrative for young readers does not make good literature, July 6, 2011

By 

Kelsey May Dangelo (Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jayhawker (Paperback)

When Lije's father is killed on an John Brown-inspired anti-slavery raid in Bleeding Kansas, he wants revenge, joins the Jayhawkers, and becomes a spy amongst the Bushwackers. A decent young adult novel, but, like so many of them, is really just trying to string history into a historical narrative, and really lacking any skill in delivery, engaging characters, and even well-crafted plotting. Young readers will be bored. Grade: C+