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Prolific author Gary Paulsen has crafted an outstanding, fast-paced historical novel for middle-school readers.
Annotated with historical notes before each chapter, Woods Runner is the story of 13-year-old Samuel, who lives on the American frontier and must face the brutal realities of the Revolutionary War. Unlike his parents, intellectuals who came to the forest to escape city life, Samuel has a unique understanding of nature, a gift for hunting, and a sheer love and respect for the woods.
One day while hunting, Samuel spots smoke in the distance: the British have attacked his family’s small settlement, slaughtered his neighbors and burned the buildings. Through careful investigation, Samuel concludes that his parents have been taken prisoner.
After burying the dead and regaining his composure, Samuel cautiously follows the trail left by the British with the intent to free his parents. Eventually he reaches a second ravaged settlement and ends up caring for a young girl orphaned by a similar attack.
As the two children continue their journey, they narrowly avoid the British and team up with an old man, an itinerate patriot who helps them get to New York City where most prisoners are being held. Relatively easily, Samuel finds his mother, helps his father to escape and eventually they make their way to safety in Philadelphia. The epilogue serves to satisfy the reader’s interest in what happens to Samuel and his family when the war ends.
Samuel is a remarkably mature and skilled boy. His story is relatively straightforward, incorporating his survival skills with historical events and portraying the effects of war on a personal level. Through his experiences, the reader can begin to grasp the complex elements of war as they relate to civilians – treatment of prisoners and the wounded, war orphans, sanitary conditions, etc. - with nonfiction narratives corresponding to the chapters of Samuel’s life.
More importantly, Samuel represents the strength and ingenuity of the American people who sacrificed so much for our freedom. A creative teacher will be able to incorporate Woods Runner into the study of the American Revolution, making history much more memorable and personal than a textbook. Relatively short chapters and historical notes provide ample opportunity for directed student discussion. Highly recommended.
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Woods Runner