The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshal in the West

by Gary Paulsen

Book Overview

Born into slavery, Bass Reeves became the most successful US Marshal of the Wild West.Many "heroic lawmen" of the Wild West, familiar to us through television and film, were actually violent... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 038574661X
• ISBN13: 9780385746618
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
• Length: 137 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

I never received my book, ordered it on 12/30 and it got stuck in Washington State....been there since Jan 4th.....no help getting it because there was no insurance issued on the package..........RIPPED OFF

My students loved this book!

Just finished reading this aloud to my 5th grade students, and they absolutely loved it! Page after page they were biting their nails, sitting on the edge of their seats, and grabbing every word that I read. Granted, I had to delete the occassional curse word, but this little book was packed with history. My students learned about the Trail of Tears, the Indian Territory, Judge Isaac Parker, and the little heard of before Bass Reeves. We found additional and supporting information about Mr. Reeves on-line, including he and his family listed in the 1880's Census in Crawford County, Arkansas. I have no doubt that the next time my students are asked to write about a hero, they will all be writing about Bass Reeves.

What I didn't know

First of all I was surprised to find this book written by Paulsen, as I thought I had read them all. Secondly, what a story, about a "hero" that I had never heard of or read anything about. Will be a great addition to my Paulsen classroom library for middle school kids.

Story of a Runaway Slave

The Legend of Bass Reeves is the fictional life story of an African American slave right after the Civil War. The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen is a fantastic book that kept me turning the page. It's a good book because Bass is a unique character to read about. Also, because it alters between fiction and nonfiction throughout the story and a large part ok the story is about his childhood, which was a very interesting childhood. This book got a five out of five star rating from me because of these reasons. Anyone who enjoys a Gary Paulsen novel would definitely enjoy this story. I highly recommend reading this book.

He rode a blazing saddle, a torch to light the way

I was recently at the ALA Conference in New Orleans sitting in on a Random House presentation at an hour that, to me, was far too early. As a result, I was having difficulty keeping awake, and only the stack of goodies on my seat (free books and the like) were keeping my eyes occupied. Still, all the upcoming books from Random House sounded good. There were some favorite authors I'd been wanting to read and some new names I wanted to check out. But it really wasn't until I heard someone explain what The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen was that I found myself awake and all my cylinders clicking. When I heard the story behind this book it was akin to an electric current in my bloodstream. Bass Reeves. Perhaps the only truly heroic man to bring law and order to the Old West. A man who never shot first, never was wounded in a gun battle, and was renowned for his steady trigger finger. Now here's the kicker. Not only was this man real, but he was a former slave as well. I was hooked then and after reading this book I'm still as hooked as ever. I may have some quibbles with how Paulsen chose to present his information, but you cannot get around the fact that there's some juicy info and child-friendly tidbits filling up this fabulous children's title. Now think of some heroes of the Old West. Kit Carson. Wild Bill Hickok. Billy the Kid. We know them from their movies and their legends. Trouble is, even the tiniest bit of scrutiny will reveal how lame these so-called heroes really were. Kit Carson was an egomaniac killer with a posse of other killers by his side. Hickock was an alcoholic loser who died drunk when he was shot while gambling. And Billy the Kid... heck, my own great-grandmother was scared to death of the sociopath when she was living in Oklahoma, back in the day. Nope, there's just one guy who might be truly considered a "hero", and you've never even heard of him. His name was Bass Reeves. Taking his life into his hands, Paulsen reconstructs the life Reeves could have led. We see the boy living with his mother and owner (a man he simply calls, "Mister") in Texas, scraping out a life as best he can. When Bass's dignity gets him into trouble he leaves home and lives in the wild for a couple of years. After joining up with a Creek tribe he eventually became a U.S. Marshall, and his legend was without comparison. Whether the book is riding fast on the trail of a murderous horse stealer, or showing Bass rescuing a child from rabid wolves, the book is anything but dull. When authors want to bring to life African-American lives from the past, they often find themselves in a bit of a bind. What with poor record keeping, racism, and time itself, records of blacks from the past are spotty at best. Unless you're dealing with someone recent or incredibly well-known, you're not going to be able to find much information. If you're an author, what recourse do you have? Well, you might want to try your hand at publishing a work of non-fiction. Mari