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The Literacy Bridge - Large Print - Rifles For Watie Review

I've always been a military history buff, especially back in my youth when I had dreams of valorous service to my country. One of my favorite military fiction books as a young high school sophomore in the early 1980s was "Rifles for Watie", which I probably checked out from my school library more than just about everyone combined.

Young Jeff (around my age at the time) gets caught up in the Civil War, joins the Union army, and heads off to fight the Confederates. He makes some solid friends and experiences harsh combat in the infantry. However, he's soon directed to go undercover as a faux Rebel and spy on Stand Watie, something of a Nathan Bedford Forrest figure. Jeff grows to admire Watie and his comrades, and even manages to fall for a fiery young Southern woman named Lucy. We follow Jeff's adventures through the war from beginning to end along with a fine cast of supporting characters.

In light of our own overexposure to war in the last eight years I suppose there are some who might criticize "Rifles for Watie" for its dearth of, say, PTSD portrayal or making war look like a grand adventure. But then again, should a romance book include a bitter divorce or flagrant adultery? Yes, Jeff does change as a result of his wartime experiences, but mostly in a positive way. What young man wouldn't want to dream about embarking on a similar heroic journey?

With that in mind, "Rifles for Watie" is an entertaining adventure tale of a a boy who becomes a man as a result of his tour of duty in the military. Of course, I'd recommend that the reader balance this book with more sober and realistic books about wartime service, if only to see how things can go bad in such a context. But this book is highly recommended for the young person interested in a piece of exciting and non-nihilistic military fiction.

The Literacy Bridge - Large Print - Rifles For Watie Overview

Winner of the Newbery Medal
An ALA Notable Children's Book
Winner of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award

Just sixteen, Jefferson Davis Bussey can't wait to leave his Kansas farm and defend the Union against Colonel Watie, leader of the dreaded Cherokee Indian rebels. But - exhausted, starved, and scared - he soon learns that there's more to war than honor and glory. And when he is sent to infiltrate the enemy camp as a spy, Jeff makes his most important discovery of all: The rebels are just men - and boys - like him.

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Customer Reviews

COULD BE A MOVIE!!! - Stacey Cooley - ALABAMA
I FIRST READ R-F-W IN 1992, I HAVE SINCE READ THE NOVEL 10 TIMES. AS A CIVIL WAR BUFF I REALLY ENJOYED THE WESTERN FRONTIER BATTLES. IN HISTORY CLASS ONE USUALLY NEVER GETS MUCH INSIGHT ON THOSE AREAS OF THE CIVIL WAR. I LOVE THE PASE OF THIS NOVEL, IT SEEMS AS IF IT NEVER SLOWS DOWN. I REMEMBER AS A KID FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE CHARECTERS AND WANTING TO BE THEM. WHEN I DEPLOYED TO IRAQ IN 03 THIS BOOK SERVED A LINK BACK TO MY HOME IN ALABAMA. I HAVE READ THIS BOOK TO MY SON AND HAVE GIVEN IT AWAY AS GIFT

STACEY



Great adventure for any child who loves history! - Antonia Seitz - Monticello, WI
We purchased this for our son who loves historical fiction and it was a wonderful story based on a true story. It was fast paced and very detailed. I would highly recommend this for your personal library as well as for your school library.



Rifles for Watie - Esther M. Parson - Boulder, CO

If you like action and adventure books Rifles for Watie is your type of book. It starts out somewhere around the 1890's when a 17 year old kid named Jeff wants to join the army so that he could stop bushwhackers [people who want slavery] to stop terrorizing his family. 13 months in camp many funny things happen and serious things to. Theres also his boss the general that is very pushy and has an iron fist. Did I mention that he has not even fired a shot so far at camp? Which will win north or the south? Will Jeff survive the war? If you want to know you're going to have to read the book and find out your self. Oh one more thing I also forgot to say that the book is fantastic!!!!!!!

Tristan

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