Skip to main content

The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones

By


by Helen Hemphill
Front Street, 2008. 228 pgs. Juvenile Fiction.

I grew up on Westerns, but all the action these days seems to be in Outer Space (or with what comes from there). But then along comes Deadwood Jones. Inspired by the true narrative of Nat Love (upon whom the dime-novel character of Deadwood Dick was based), the story of Deadwood Jones has a little bit of everything--faithful horses, riled-up Indians, stampeding cattle, and quick and violent death on the road North. Prometheus Jones must hightail it to the territories when he is accused of stealing a horse he won in a raffle. He an his young cousin Omer hire on with a cattle drive going north from Texas to the Dakota Territory. Prometheus is also hoping to track down his father who was sold into Texas years before. Through good times and bad, great sorrows and personal triumphs, Prometheus makes his way north where he becomes "Deadwood" Jones a cowboy through and through. Prometheus is a fine young man with the do-good spirit, not afraid to do the right thing even in the face of great danger. This is a terrific, action-filled, thought-provoking, atmospheric read. Can you tell at all that I really liked it? Dang good. (P.S.: of local interest, there is an odd and unaccountable reference to ZCMI in the text--can't think that is historically accurate but maybe it is.)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: I Hate Everything!

By
  I Hate Everything! By Sophy Henn  New York: Beach Lane Books, 2025. Picture Book.  Two ghosts are floating atop a solid colored background. The first one yells, “I HATE EVERYTHING!” The second ghost responds, “Really?” Thus, begins the conversation which helps the first ghost realize that they don’t actually hate everything. This is a great picture book that is all about feelings and ghosts. The simple speech bubbles will allow even young preschoolers to understand what is happening. The illustrations though simple, have clever bits that readers will laugh out loud at. Basically, this is a brilliant book that every young reader who is mad at the world (or who knows someone who seems to be mad at the world) should read.
Post a Comment
Read more

If You Like...Monsters

By
There are plenty of new picture books about various monsters that have come out recently. Here are five new ones,that are sure to get kids in the mood for the spooky season.  Bob the Vampire Snail  By Andrea Zuill  New York: Random House Children’s Books, 2025. Picture Book.  This is a book about how one snail named Bob turned into a vampire; however, according to the author all the snails in the world are named Bob—so really this book could be about ANY snail. Anyway, the snail turned into a vampire snail. And Bob the Vampire Snail had to figure out what to eat…since what he used to eat no longer works on a vampire diet. Give this picture book to elementary school kids who like a dose of silly with their spooky.  The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything  By Nadia Ahmed  Minneapolis, MN: Beaming Books, 2024. Picture Book.  In this story Finn is a ghost who is afraid of literally everything. However, he is determined to face his fears, so that when H...
Post a Comment
Read more