Owen Foote, Frontiersman - Hardcover

Greene, Stephanie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 039561578X ISBN 13: 9780395615782

Publisher: Clarion Books, 1999

Synopsis

Wearing his coonskin cap, carrying his book about animal tracks, and armed with a jar of red pepper flakes in case he meets a bear or a mountain lion, Owen feels like a pioneer when he goes into the woods with his best friend, Joseph. But there are other kinds of varmints in the wilderness-not bears and mountain lions, but two big kids who have nothing better to do than trash a treehouse fort. It's up to Owen and Joseph to stop them, and so, following in the footsteps of his hero, Daniel Boone, Owen makes the forest his teacher. Using all the woodland lore at his disposal, Owen comes up with new identities for himself and Joseph-Wolverine and Badger-and a plan to drive out the intruders and reclaim their kingdom.

About this title

About the Author

Martha Weston was the author and illustrator of two charming picture books about Tuck, as well as the illustrator of Clarion's successful Owen Foote books by Stephanie Greene. Martha Weston died in 2003.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Owen Foote is back and is as irrepressible as ever. His idol is Daniel Boone and his favorite place to be is in the fort/tree house that he and his friend Joseph have built in the woods belonging to a neighbor. But when the neighbor's grandsons arrive and threaten to destroy the fort, Owen must find a way to protect it. Using a series of measures that include scattering animal "scat" throughout the fort, putting pine pitch on the ladder, cutting through a ladder rung so that it will break, and ultimately dropping a snake on one of the bullies' heads, Owen scares the boys away. He even manages to convince his mom to be less overprotective and learns a lesson about honesty along the way. Greene brings Owen to life with little boy problems and solutions and, aside from some occasional mature language, his character rings true. Although it strains credulity that the boy's mother actually allows him to go through with his plan once she learns of it, for the most part the story portrays a loving, supportive family that allows a boy to be who he is and discover for himself how to overcome bullies with his brains. Black-and-white pencil illustrations scattered throughout support the text nicely. There is nothing new or unusual here, but librarians looking for beginning chapter books with plenty of child appeal will certainly find that here.
Amy Lilien-Harper, Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 039561578X
• ISBN 13: 9780395615782
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 96
• Illustrator: Weston Martha