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The KidBy: Jeff SchillThe Kid is the quickest draw in the West. Little does anyone know he isnt real. A fast-paced, cleverly woven, witty middle grade western adventure.It's 1882 in Destiny, Colorado. Fourteen-year-old Henry Uptons parents have died, and h
By: Jeff Schill
It’s 1882 in Destiny, Colorado. Fourteen-year-old Henry Uptons parents have died, and hes trying to keep his three younger brothers together on the farm. Henry writes a story about The Kid, the fastest draw in the West, to keep people away from their parts. But his stories will soon put more than his family and the farm at risk.
Meanwhile, Herbert might lose his job as an editor at Gunslinger Magazine in Philadelphia if he can’t find out why the author of The Kid stories recently stopped sending them. The soft city slicker is headed out west to find the author.
And Snake-Eye Sam has set his sights on The Kid, whom he thinks is real. Sam has evil in his heart and jealousy in his veins. Breaking out of prison to shoot down The Kid is about the only thing that can cure the itch running down Sam’s spine.
Three storylinesplus Gunslinger Magazines The Kid storiesintertwine and come together just as Snake Eye Sam and Herbert both arrive in Destiny. On Main Street at high noon, a master plan is put in place at the same time that Henry and the Destiny sheriff get what they need to keep the Upton brothers together.
Pull up for a tall frothy glass of sarsaparilla and enjoy this engaging and satisfying Western tale, full of quirky characters, snappy dialogue, and heart.
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CHARLESBRIDGE MOVES offers exciting middle-grade and chapter-book adventures, science-fiction,
fantasy, historical and realistic fiction,mystery, and humorsparking a curiosity to read more. Whether
through traditional prose, verse, or graphic-novel elements our stories grow and sustain an appetite for reading.
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Jeff Schill, author
Jeff Schill is a debut author who wishes he could drink a glass of frothy sarsaparilla while working on more novels. Hes the vice president of training at the Crisis Prevention Institute. He lives in Wisconsin.
Read more about Jeff Schill.
Kirkus Reviews
Four young orphans go to great lengths to keep their familys farm and stay under the radar in Destiny, Colorado, in 1881. Fourteen-year-old Henry Uptons father has died and is buried next to Mama. Now Henry and his three younger brothers are all alone. Determined to keep them all safe and together, he makes a deal with the local sheriff, who agrees to keep quiet until a caretaker can move in and serve as guardian, so the family wont be split up. Knowing there may be some bad actors who would take advantage of four kids living alone on a prime piece of land, Henry decides to deter them by writing stories about The Kid, a juvenile lawman who can beat even the wickedest of criminals. The stories, which are set in Destiny, are published in Gunslinger Magazine, and The Kids reputation takes on legendary status. But the plan to keep villains at bay backfires when Snake-Eye Sam wants to claim his share of the fame by killing The Kidand he escapes from the Arkansas State Penitentiary to do just that. Despite the brothers desperate situation and the high stakes, the humorous, folksy language supports the worldbuilding, which leans into archetypes of the American West. Henrys The Kid stories are interspersed between chapters that jump around in time and location and can at times be hard to track. Most characters read white. A swashbuckling adventure.
Publishers Weekly
The Kid is the fastest draw in the West, and Gunslinger Magazine cant get enough of his stories. He may be planning to outsmart horse thieves, save the gold on the Wells Fargo wagon, or turn some other miscreant over to his friend the sheriff. But those stories are only a part of this narrative. Henry, the 14-year-old author of these tales whos known as The Boy, is left to care for three younger brothers and the family farm. When Sam, The Outlaw, is first introduced, he kills 11 prison guards to escape from jail, and while he is not redeemed as the story progresses, his inner dialogues reveal more depth about his grief and abuse than might be expected from a traditional villain. Herbert, The Editor, is an unprepared Easterner, thrown into a dangerous situation that simultaneously terrifies and thrills him. As Herbert says, details…do make the story and this one includes colorful particulars about the characters, setting, and never-ending drinks of sarsaparilla to make it come alive. Throughout the story, the idea of appreciating differing talents is developed. The only way the four Upton boys have made it on their own for a year has been through doing what each does best. They go against Sam in the same way, and just like with the farm, it takes all of them, plus Herbert, to achieve success. Through an alternating first-person point of view, the inner thoughts of each of the three protagonists are explored and contrasted. Henry shows determination as he desperately tries to achieve the near-impossible; Sam is fueled by a blinding anger; and Herbert is balancing under-preparation, overconfidence, and a sincere desire to help his new friends. VERDICT The wide-ranging narrative requires a patient reader to engage with the story until the dusty roads converge, but hang on until the showdown at high noon for a smartly satisfying Western adventure.
School Library Journal
The Kid is the fastest draw in the West, and Gunslinger Magazine cant get enough of his stories. He may be planning to outsmart horse thieves, save the gold on the Wells Fargo wagon, or turn some other miscreant over to his friend the sheriff. But those stories are only a part of this narrative. Henry, the 14-year-old author of these tales whos known as The Boy, is left to care for three younger brothers and the family farm. When Sam, The Outlaw, is first introduced, he kills 11 prison guards to escape from jail, and while he is not redeemed as the story progresses, his inner dialogues reveal more depth about his grief and abuse than might be expected from a traditional villain. Herbert, The Editor, is an unprepared Easterner, thrown into a dangerous situation that simultaneously terrifies and thrills him. As Herbert says, details…do make the story and this one includes colorful particulars about the characters, setting, and never-ending drinks of sarsaparilla to make it come alive. Throughout the story, the idea of appreciating differing talents is developed. The only way the four Upton boys have made it on their own for a year has been through doing what each does best. They go against Sam in the same way, and just like with the farm, it takes all of them, plus Herbert, to achieve success. Through an alternating first-person point of view, the inner thoughts of each of the three protagonists are explored and contrasted. Henry shows determination as he desperately tries to achieve the near-impossible; Sam is fueled by a blinding anger; and Herbert is balancing under-preparation, overconfidence, and a sincere desire to help his new friends. VERDICT The wide-ranging narrative requires a patient reader to engage with the story until the dusty roads converge, but hang on until the showdown at high noon for a smartly satisfying Western adventure.
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Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-364-8
Ages: 10 and up
Page count: 240
6 x 9
Publication date: May 7, 2024
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