From Publishers Weekly
The third book in the series that began with Mr. Tucket finds Francis and his adopted family on the Oregon Trail and in the Mexican War. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6. Paulsen's saga of the (often) lone boy on the American frontier in the 1840s continues here at a breakneck pace. It is now two years after Francis was abducted by the Wicked Pawnee and then saved by the Wily Mountain Man Jason Grimes in Mr. Tucket (Delacorte, 1994). He and the two orphans he picked up in Call Me Francis Tucket (Delacorte, 1995) are now trying to get to Oregon via Mexico and accidentally get tangled with armies pursuing the Mexican War. No sooner does Francis escape execution for killing a soldier than the three youngsters fall into the hands of the dreaded Comancheros. No disaster lasts long for Francis, though. Grimes, his savior from the first book, suddenly appears out of nowhere and saves him again with the same plot device. (Hey, it worked the first time.) Readers leave Francis and the two orphans hiding from their vengeful pursuers. What happens then? Wait for the next book. Chapters consist of three or four short pages with cliffhanger endings. Characters and scenes change almost from page to page. People are introduced with a line or two of explanation only to disappear a few paragraphs later. As a result, character development is necessarily sacrificed and stereotypes abound. Many readers will love these books for their exciting, nonstop action. Classroom use for social studies, however, would require careful and critical analysis by teachers and students.?Ruth Semrau, formerly at Lovejoy School, Allen, TX
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
