The primary goal of First Book is to work with existing literacy programs to distribute new books to children who, for economic reasons, have little or no access to books. HarperCollins Publishers is a proud supporter of First Book, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their own new books. Her novel Lupita Mañana is a Jane Addams Children's Book Award honor book, and Charley Skedaddle won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Patricia Beatty is the author of many popular and award-winning children's books, including such NCSS Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies as Eight Mules from Monterey Behave Yourself, Bethany Brant Turn Homeward, Hannalee Be Ever Hopeful, Hannalee and Jayhawker. She taught Writing Fiction for Children at several branches of the University of California. After graduating from college, she taught high school English and history, and later held various positions as a science and technical librarian and also as a children's librarian.

'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title.Patricia Beatty was born in Portland, Oregon, and was a longtime resident of southern California. Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NCĬopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Other than this, the book is a solid piece of historical fiction that's sure to have strong appeal. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 did not free all slaves in the United States, as the story says, but only those in states in rebellion against the Union. The violence is not overplayed, nor is the abolitionist side portrayed as totally good. Another strength of this novel is that it tells a fast-paced suspenseful story while presenting a clear picture of a crucial period in U. The historical figures who populate the story are equally well portrayed they appear as flesh-and-blood characters, not just names out of a history book. The unquestionable star of this story is Lije, a thoroughly believable boy caught up in events beyond his control but wanting to do his part for a cause in which he believes. The story reaches its climax as Quantrill's forces attack and burn Lawrence, Kansas, where Lije's family lives. He learns about the quasi-soldiers led by Charles Quantrill, a cruel and unsavory character, and he meets Frank James and his brother Jesse. In one such confrontation, Lije's father is killed, and Lije is recruited to live among a group of pro-slavery activitists as a spy. The Jayhawkers and their pro-slavery counterparts, the bushwhackers, clash often in bloody, sometimes murderous shootouts. He eagerly joins the band of men recruited by Brown to be Jayhawkers, Kansans who cross into neighboring Missouri to steal away slaves and help them to freedom. Grade 5-8- To 13-year-old Elija 'Lije' Tulley, the fanatical abolitionist John Brown is a hero in a righteous cause.

Jayhawker by Patricia Beatty