Battle of the Alamo: You Are There - Softcover

Bryce Milligan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1571682864 ISBN 13: 9781571682864

Publisher: Eakin Press, 1999

Synopsis

Project yourself back in time with this exciting interactive fiction book. Your name is Thomas Benton. The time is October 1835. You are fourteen year-old and about to take part in one of the most exciting episodes in American History! With only a long dirk knife and $4 in coins, you run away from your father's farm. Navigating your dugout canoe through alligator-infested waters, you make your way through Indian Territory to New Orleans. Your final destination: Texas. Your mission: to fight in the Texas Revolution. You are the star of the story. It is up to you to decide to join Davy Crockett at the Alamo, or to fight at the Siege of Bexar or one of the other exciting battlers in the Texas Revolution. Ambushes, firing squads, harsh winters, fearsome battles, and snipers await you. But you are the master of your fate; and your wit, daring, and bravery can lead you to a heroic victory.

About this title

From School Library Journal

In the first interactive novel, Thomas Benton, 14, runs away from his Arkansas home to fight in the Battle of the Alamo. Readers can choose various options regarding Thomas' adventures. The problem with the book is that several other battles and notables involved in the Texas Revolution are briefly referred to, some witnessed by Thomas and others that he hears about in his travels, and readers unfamiliar with Texas history will be overwhelmed. With a paucity of dialogue, an abundance of narration, and a flat portrayal of characters, this is a novel of very limited appeal. In 1870 San Antonio, Nancy O'Connell watches as her parents are massacred by Comanches, and then is taken captive with her brother Joey. Readers determine Nancy's actions, from escaping into the root cellar during the massacre to being recaptured by the murderous band and eventually coming to respect their culture. Some choices provide lengthy adventure, while others lead swiftly and realistically to the death of the heroine and other leading characters. Character development is not Milligan's strong point, and readers may regret that Nancy shows so little emotion. But her adventures are gripping, and the book painlessly informs readers about the Comanche culture and the nature of the warring between Indians and whites, especially the Texas Rangers. --Susan F. Marcus, Pollard Middle School, Needham, MA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Eakin Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1571682864
• ISBN 13: 9781571682864
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 210
• Illustrator: Charles Shaw