Gary Paulsen is perhaps best known for his stories of survival in the wilderness (The Brian Saga), but I was surprised to see how prolific he really is. Just take a cursory glance at his many titles—the man’s written stories of drama, humor, and travel, nonfiction works, book for adults, etc. He’s sort of all over the place, a man who dabbles in a little bit of everything, which is a great quality for an author to have!
When I first saw this title, I thought that Woods Runner would be another survival story, perhaps about a child lost in the forest and needing to use his wits to survive. Instead, it’s historical fiction set during the American Revolution. It follows the story of Samuel, who’s separated from his family when his home is attacked and burned, putting him on the run from his enemies, yes, occasionally in the woods.
Samuel’s family had moved from “the loud outside world” of the Colonies’ bustling cities to a cabin in the woods, just at the edge The New Land, with paths to civilization on one side of their home and an endlessly woody frontier on the other. His parents had only recently begun to learn to live as pioneers, but Samuel had basically grown up as one, spending much of his time exploring the forest. Being so distant from town, they’d only receive bits and pieces of news about the Colonies, the rebellion, and the approach of war. Thus, when Samuel one day returns to find his home in flames and his parents either dead or missing, he’s unsure who the culprits might be, either Natives, the British, or (even worse) the Hessians.
As Samuel runs from his unknown enemies in search of answers and news of his parents, he learns more of the revolution that’s taking place. Paulsen handles this process extremely well, giving us only the information that the boy can glean from passersby. Although we modern readers might know our American history well and perhaps even the order of events in the Revolutionary War, Paulsen’s method offers a fresh approach to discovery that puts us in the arena as the war unfolds.
Along with this, Paulsen also throws in bits and pieces of non-fiction explanations for some of the elements in his story. I didn’t think they detracted at all from the story’s drama but instead added helpful coloring to Samuel’s woes. It’s an unusual approach, but I thought Paulsen handled it well. It was a smart way to share gleanings from his research without trying unnaturally to force these bits of information into the story. It probably wouldn’t work well in a book for adults, but this is just perfect for young readers, making this an excellent book for use in school—despite its blood and gore.
I really enjoyed this novel, which surprises me, since I’ve never really gotten excited about the 18th Century. I suppose if I lived out East where colonial history is a bit more relevant than it is in the Midwest, my opinion on the matter might change. But this book was a soft introduction to that era for me, and I’m glad to have accidentally found it.
©2024 E.T.
Read More from Gary Paulsen:
- Dogsong (1985)
- Hatchet (1986) [view also my first review of this book]
- Woodsong (1990)
- The River (1991)
- Brian’s Winter (1996)
- Brian’s Return (1999)
- Brian’s Hunt (2003)
- Time Hackers (2005)
- Woods Runner (2009)