"Mr. Tucket" by Gary Paulsen. My review

 


Adventure and coming of age meet together in this fine adventure set in the 1840s on the prairie trail from Missouri to Oregon. Francis, at 14, gets snatched from his wagon train by Pawnees, and finds a whole new world. Many characters cross these pages, from Pawnees, to Crows, to Mr. Grimes, the one-armed, boiler-hat wearing, free-range trapper. From here to the end, Francis - Mr. Tucket - ripens and rises. Ideal for tweens and young teens, it will grip the reader's attention and hold it to the finish.

This is the first in a 5-volume series. I felt that Paulsen didn't dishonor native Americans, though others may disagree. It is a fictive work about the middle 19th-Century, but much in the tale is legitimate. I videoed my reading of this work for my grandchildren, and my video-recordings can be found on my YouTube channel (just look for my name and the Mr. Tucket playlist). I enjoyed reading it, as I have several other of Paulsen's works. He is a delightful author. I highly recommend the book.

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