Then came a fearful yowling from directly above him. It wasn't just a screeching now but something more-scratching on the shingles right over him. The painter (Panther, cougar, Mountain Lion, Puma...)was back- and hungry! Did she know he was here alone?
Plot: Charley Quinn was never scared of a fight or to get his hands dirty, after all he's Bowery Boy. A member of one of the toughest gangs in New York City. After his brother is killed at Gettysburg, Charley vows revenge and enlists with the Union army as a drummer boy.
But the horrors of war become a reality- and he sees his best friend killed- Charley is terrified. He "skedaddles" from both the union army he deserted and the Confederates who arrest him as spy.
Charley heads for the Blue Mountains. There he meets Granny Bent, an ornery, secretive old woman who is suspicious of the young Yankee deserter. Until an act of selfless courage-far from the sound of cannons and gunfire-proves to Granny, and to Charley himself, that he's not the coward he thought himself to be.
What I liked about the book:
It catches you right from the start! Once you start reading you can't put it down. You have to know how the book ends! It does show a true picture of the horrors of war, and shows the good and bad on both sides. It's really interesting and I say read it. It's a good history book about the Civil War and the people in and out of it.
Jem is so nice and honorary. You just like him. He kind of takes Charley under his wing after Charley was crazy enough to run away and join the army at twelve with a bunch of worldly people! But, *spoiler alert* Jem DIES!! *cries* It plain awful but it has to happen to lead to the next part of the story. It's a fun book full of hurt and heart. Charley feels sorry for what he does and did and in the end is growing up to be a upstanding man. He learns what true courage is.
What I didn't like about the book:
Okay, now I can tell you why I didn't like this book. Looking through it again it doesn't seem as disappointing as I remember but the first time I read it I had a completely different ending then I had imagined. Though the ending makes seance now when I read it.
The boy in this story is Catholic. Which I am not. He prays but you know... it's Catholic. He pray's to the virgin Mary and stuff. I have nothing against Catholics, really. I just don't believe the way they do and I believe that many of they're beliefs are wrong. It's just a little odd for me, to be reading about a catholic.
Granny isn't catholic. She believes in God but can't read the Bible... So I wont say I completely agree with anything taught in this book.
Charley likes a girl. They don't kiss or hold hands. In fact you know they like each other but that's it. In the end before he leaves she gives him a peace of her hair tied with a ribbon. He tells Granny that "I rekon when I get to be as tall as I'll ever be, I'll be back. This ain't so bad a place for a man to settle." So, it's not a big deal to me, but it's in there, just so you know.
I also didn't like that they kind of teach to prove yourself, and feeling good about oneself because they could do this or that. In stead of giving God any glory.
A few swear words and drinking.
A few quotes:
- "Mass? I heard of that when I lived below in the bluegrass country. Thst's churchgoin' for Cath'lics, Ain't it?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Her eyes widened. "Lord above, I got me a redheaded Cath'lic Yankee deserter boy here. No matter, it's the same God above that we both got, ain't it?"
"I guess so." Charley ducked his head. She'd called herself a "witch," and yet she was talking about churches. She couldn't truly be a witch and be religious, too, could she?
- As the boy ran by him, he heard Con's voice bellowing, "Charley, skedaddle! Go on. Run away. Run, ye coward Bowery bummer!"
An officer picked up Sullivan's cry. "Run, run, ye d-----! Run home to your mama!" he shouted, and lifted his pistol to shoot at Charley but did not pull the trigger.
- A rabbit could be expected to run-but not Charley Quinn. That skedaddler had killed a man and then had turned and run-and everybody knew it. Deep sobs racked Charley's body. He threw himself full-length onto the earth, pounding it, startling the rabbit that had sought refuge by him, making it pin back it ears and lope away. He'd failed this poor frightened creature, too. Charley sat up again, folded his arms on his knees, and lay his head on the blue cloth he was not fit to wear.
My final notes: I say maybe read it once or twice but consider what I said earlier in this post.
~ Kylie Nancy
Charley Skedaddle
By Patricia Beatty
I give this book Three stars
Okay, so I gave a book three stars. The thing is... I liked the book but... well, I'll explain later.Plot: Charley Quinn was never scared of a fight or to get his hands dirty, after all he's Bowery Boy. A member of one of the toughest gangs in New York City. After his brother is killed at Gettysburg, Charley vows revenge and enlists with the Union army as a drummer boy.
But the horrors of war become a reality- and he sees his best friend killed- Charley is terrified. He "skedaddles" from both the union army he deserted and the Confederates who arrest him as spy.
Charley heads for the Blue Mountains. There he meets Granny Bent, an ornery, secretive old woman who is suspicious of the young Yankee deserter. Until an act of selfless courage-far from the sound of cannons and gunfire-proves to Granny, and to Charley himself, that he's not the coward he thought himself to be.
What I liked about the book:
It catches you right from the start! Once you start reading you can't put it down. You have to know how the book ends! It does show a true picture of the horrors of war, and shows the good and bad on both sides. It's really interesting and I say read it. It's a good history book about the Civil War and the people in and out of it.
Jem is so nice and honorary. You just like him. He kind of takes Charley under his wing after Charley was crazy enough to run away and join the army at twelve with a bunch of worldly people! But, *spoiler alert* Jem DIES!! *cries* It plain awful but it has to happen to lead to the next part of the story. It's a fun book full of hurt and heart. Charley feels sorry for what he does and did and in the end is growing up to be a upstanding man. He learns what true courage is.
What I didn't like about the book:
Okay, now I can tell you why I didn't like this book. Looking through it again it doesn't seem as disappointing as I remember but the first time I read it I had a completely different ending then I had imagined. Though the ending makes seance now when I read it.
The boy in this story is Catholic. Which I am not. He prays but you know... it's Catholic. He pray's to the virgin Mary and stuff. I have nothing against Catholics, really. I just don't believe the way they do and I believe that many of they're beliefs are wrong. It's just a little odd for me, to be reading about a catholic.
Granny isn't catholic. She believes in God but can't read the Bible... So I wont say I completely agree with anything taught in this book.
Charley likes a girl. They don't kiss or hold hands. In fact you know they like each other but that's it. In the end before he leaves she gives him a peace of her hair tied with a ribbon. He tells Granny that "I rekon when I get to be as tall as I'll ever be, I'll be back. This ain't so bad a place for a man to settle." So, it's not a big deal to me, but it's in there, just so you know.
I also didn't like that they kind of teach to prove yourself, and feeling good about oneself because they could do this or that. In stead of giving God any glory.
A few swear words and drinking.
A few quotes:
- "Mass? I heard of that when I lived below in the bluegrass country. Thst's churchgoin' for Cath'lics, Ain't it?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Her eyes widened. "Lord above, I got me a redheaded Cath'lic Yankee deserter boy here. No matter, it's the same God above that we both got, ain't it?"
"I guess so." Charley ducked his head. She'd called herself a "witch," and yet she was talking about churches. She couldn't truly be a witch and be religious, too, could she?
- As the boy ran by him, he heard Con's voice bellowing, "Charley, skedaddle! Go on. Run away. Run, ye coward Bowery bummer!"
An officer picked up Sullivan's cry. "Run, run, ye d-----! Run home to your mama!" he shouted, and lifted his pistol to shoot at Charley but did not pull the trigger.
- A rabbit could be expected to run-but not Charley Quinn. That skedaddler had killed a man and then had turned and run-and everybody knew it. Deep sobs racked Charley's body. He threw himself full-length onto the earth, pounding it, startling the rabbit that had sought refuge by him, making it pin back it ears and lope away. He'd failed this poor frightened creature, too. Charley sat up again, folded his arms on his knees, and lay his head on the blue cloth he was not fit to wear.
My final notes: I say maybe read it once or twice but consider what I said earlier in this post.
~ Kylie Nancy
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