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triscuit807's review
5.0
4.5-5 stars. Well-told historical novel of a young man (17 yrs old), Bill Crawford, who travels as a "Yankee peddler" from his home in New Hampshire into Ohio. It's 1837 and while Bill does much of the journey on foot, he is not averse to getting rides on wagons from time to time, and at one point he works as a horse driver on the Erie canal. There quite a lot of adventure on the way as Bill meets various people (a canal cook and canal boatman, a horse trader, thieves, a bear hunter, a slave owner) and acquires his family: a young dog he names Jody and a horse named Martha. The historical detail is good too. Bill leaves NH because he wants a better chance than factory work in the clothing mill will give him. The info about his work on the Erie canal and the various homesteaders he meets travelling in covered wagons all show a time when the US was heading west into new lands. Also interesting were the different cultures he encounters from the canalers, the Amish farmfolk, and the Quakers, as well as his encounter with runaway slaves. All in all, it was a good, quick, fun read, and it's a book I'd be happy to own. I read this for my 2019 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge (Honor Book, 1939).
mrskatiefitz's review
5.0
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
On an April morning in 1837, seventeen-year-old New Hampshire native Bill Crawford picks up his peddler's pack and sets off for Ohio, hoping to see some new sights and to earn more than the two dollars he could make working at the local mill. Along the way, he acquires a few animal friends, encounters unpleasant enemies in the form of a crooked horse trader and a slave owner searching for runaways, and finds a series of allies to help him reach his destination.
Though there is some hardship in the story, Boy with a Pack is mostly a feel-good adventure tale of traveling the open road, which provides the reader with insight into the way people lived in the United States prior to the Civil War. Much of the story focuses on the adventure rather than historical context, but references to factory work and involvement with escaped slaves ground the action in the specific time period and make it possible to connect the story to a history lesson. It is not quite as complete a history lesson as Adam of the Road's portrayal of medieval England, but I actually think I enjoyed this book more, because I liked its main character better. While Adam of the Road makes better assigned reading, Boy with a Pack is the more entertaining of the two novels.
Kids who complain of having to read historical novels where nothing happens will not have that objection to this book. Every chapter introduces a new and exciting episode in Bill's story, and even his down time is filled with thrilling moments, such as the birth of a new foal, and the sighting of a circus elephant. It is a bit frustrating that the story ends where it does, without a neatly tied up resolution, as I could happily have followed Bill all the way back home again, but kids will appreciate the author's decision to end the story before the action has a chance to die down.
Though the character is an older teenager, this book suits the same audience as many of Gary Paulsen's books: grades 4 to 8. It would also make a fabulous read-aloud, provided the reader is prepared to grapple with several dialects.
On an April morning in 1837, seventeen-year-old New Hampshire native Bill Crawford picks up his peddler's pack and sets off for Ohio, hoping to see some new sights and to earn more than the two dollars he could make working at the local mill. Along the way, he acquires a few animal friends, encounters unpleasant enemies in the form of a crooked horse trader and a slave owner searching for runaways, and finds a series of allies to help him reach his destination.
Though there is some hardship in the story, Boy with a Pack is mostly a feel-good adventure tale of traveling the open road, which provides the reader with insight into the way people lived in the United States prior to the Civil War. Much of the story focuses on the adventure rather than historical context, but references to factory work and involvement with escaped slaves ground the action in the specific time period and make it possible to connect the story to a history lesson. It is not quite as complete a history lesson as Adam of the Road's portrayal of medieval England, but I actually think I enjoyed this book more, because I liked its main character better. While Adam of the Road makes better assigned reading, Boy with a Pack is the more entertaining of the two novels.
Kids who complain of having to read historical novels where nothing happens will not have that objection to this book. Every chapter introduces a new and exciting episode in Bill's story, and even his down time is filled with thrilling moments, such as the birth of a new foal, and the sighting of a circus elephant. It is a bit frustrating that the story ends where it does, without a neatly tied up resolution, as I could happily have followed Bill all the way back home again, but kids will appreciate the author's decision to end the story before the action has a chance to die down.
Though the character is an older teenager, this book suits the same audience as many of Gary Paulsen's books: grades 4 to 8. It would also make a fabulous read-aloud, provided the reader is prepared to grapple with several dialects.
scaifea's review
3.0
In the 1830's a young man decides to invest what little savings he has in a peddler's pack and heads west from New England to Ohio. He has all sorts of adventures, both fun and dangerous, along the way, makes new friends, helps various folks out, and decides on a path for his life.
This Newbery Honor book was surprisingly good. Bill - the main character - is easy to root for and the story moves along at a good pace, with some honest-to-goodness seat-edgy moments scattered throughout.
This Newbery Honor book was surprisingly good. Bill - the main character - is easy to root for and the story moves along at a good pace, with some honest-to-goodness seat-edgy moments scattered throughout.
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