Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen (Lexile: 870; Interest Level: Grades 3-6) is wonderful historical fiction, with a smattering of nonfiction information about the Revolutionary War.   Thirteen-year-old Samuel is out hunting when British soldiers attack his small village, killing his neighbors, burning the houses, and capturing his parents.  Samuel embarks on a journey to find out what happened to his parents and save them if he can.  Along the way he encounters enemies and friends in unlikely places and witnesses things that he wishes he had never seen, all the while trying to figure out why this war was happening and which side he should be on.  Every chapter or so, Paulsen includes some nonfiction information such as how the different guns work, what life was like for soldiers, and what might happen if you were injured (like Samuel) during that time period.  I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Revolutionary War, and everyone who has to study it in school.  This is on this year's Indian Paintbrush list. (164 pages)

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