Woods Runner

I'm glad I finally found the time to read Gary Paulsen's Woods Runner. It is a contemporary companion to The Fighting Ground by Avi for students who are interested in Revolutionary War historical fiction. Last school year, I had a resurgence of interest  in Paulsen's book Hatchet by both boys and girls. Hopefully I can entice some fans of the Hatchet series to give Woods Runner a try.

Like The Fighting Ground, Woods Runner centers on a boy coming of age as the American Revolution begins. It explores the themes of commitment to family, freedom, loyalty, and loss of innocence. Another similarity between the two books is the no-holds-barred portrayal of the horrors of war. The time period and events are not romanticized, but rather the realities and hardships are candidly depicted from the perspective of a thoughtful and hard-working boy.

"Thirteen-year-old Samuel lives with his parents on the edge of the wilderness in the British colony of Pennsylvania, a long way from the civilization of any town."

The setting itself plays an important role in the story as Samuel fights for survival against enemy soldiers, Native Americans, and nature itself in the threatening woods. There are examples of figurative language such as "a man who moved like smoke, his rifle a part of his arm," as well as historical references to Hessians, the Brown Bess, and British prison ships. Paulsen also incorporates bits of nonfiction into the book; the chapters are separated by short passages that clarify some of the historical details. The purpose of these segments is to highlight the context of the Revolutionary War as well as to provide information about a way of life that contrasts sharply with that of today's readers.