Call Me Francis Tucket (Francis Tucket Series #2)

by Gary Paulsen

Overview

Alone. Francis Tucket now feels more confident that he can handle almost anything. A year ago, on the wagon train, he was kidnapped from his family by a Pawnee hunting party. Then he escaped with the help of the mountain man, Mr. Grimes. Now that he and Mr. Grimes have parted ways, Francis is heading west on his Indian pony, crossing the endless prairie, trying to find his family.

After a year with Mr. Grimes, Francis has learned to live by the harsh code of the wilderness. He can cause a stampede, survive his own mistakes, and face up to desperadoes. But when he rescues a little girl and her younger brother, Francis takes on more than he bargained for.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780440412700
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/01/1996
Series:	Francis Tucket Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	399,130
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 7.63(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	970L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Gary Paulsen is the distinguished author of many acclaimed books for young people, including three Newbery Honor book: The Winter Room, Hatchet, and Dogsong. His novel The Haymeadow received the Western Writers of America Golden Spur Award. His newest Delacorte Press books are Nightjohn, Mr. Tucket, and Father Water, Mother Woods: in the North Woods. He and his wife have homes in New Mexico and on Pacific.

Editorial Reviews

In a starred review of this follow-up to Mr. Tucket, PW said that Paulsen "weaves in a wealth of information about pioneer travel, adding historical value to this heart-stopping good read." Ages 10-up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 4-8-In this spirited sequel to Mr. Tuckett (Delacorte, 1994), Paulsen recounts the continuing frontier adventures of Francis Tuckett, 15. Heading west by wagon train with his family a year before, Francis had been captured by the Pawnees and rescued by a savvy, one-armed mountain man. Now on his own, he is determined to return to civilization. Armed with a rifle and knowledge of the wilderness, he hunts deer and buffalo, survives a stampede, and outwits a pair of outlaws. When an abandoned wagon reveals two orphans, he takes charge, taking the children to a trading post and hesitantly leaving them with the cold, calculating owner. Traveling 10 miles, the young man is haunted by his own loss of family and returns to find Lottie and Billy beaten and burdened with chores. With fierce determination, he reclaims them and together they continue their westward journey. Francis is an understated, appealing character. His remarkable independence, resourcefulness, and perseverance are tempered by bouts of adolescent insecurity and an emotional need for family. Sharply etched characters, vivid scenery, and dramatic encounters make this book an entertaining read for young adventurers.-Gerry Larson, Neal Middle School, Durham, NC

School Library Journal

Jones gives Francis Tucket’s story the emotion of a Gary Cooper movie. The 14-year-old boy’s crossing of America in the great migration has the authenticity of history, and Jones makes us feel it deeply. S.B.S. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine

SEPT 96 - AudioFile