Rodman PhilbrickRezensionen

Even though I truly enjoyed this story, I'm going to start off with a bummer. David Shannon, what were you thinking with the cover art? Homer looks like a young girly, doofy Severus Snape. Not a fan.

Moving on, there are many things to love about Homer P. Figg. He's an orphan from Maine (and a world class fibber) who worships his older brother and caretaker Harold. So when Harold is forced to join the army and fight in the Civil War, Homer sets off to rescue him.

In his travels Homer comes across two evil slave catchers, a rich Quaker named Mr. Brewster who houses a station for the Underground Railroad, a couple of scheming con artists, a group of medicine show performers, a hot air balloon captain, and lots of young soldiers. He's driven by his love for his brother and it leads him all the way to the Battle of Gettysburg.

This books moves fast. It has both humor and horror, plus a lot of rich historical detail. Super highly recommended.

EducatingParents.org rating: Approved
Historical Fiction: 1863

Louisa Knight's review on Goodreads.com -
This book kind of reminded me of the Whipping Boy, and how the main character keeps falling in with the wrong crowd in his attempt to rescue his brother. On that count, and due to the people he falls in with in this book, I'd say this is for a slightly older crowd perhaps, though it's still not exactly "mature" content...

It's definitely action packed and told somewhat light-heartedly. And with the given title, you know the story is supposed to sound just a little far-fetched.

Ages: 12+

Cleanliness: Blacks are called "darkies" and the boy is reprimanded for using that term. The book talks about slavery - the details are not too mature. There is drinking and smoking. There are liars, thieves and scoundrels in this story - none of them are shown in a positive light, except maybe Homer who is a good liar and tells lies to escape. There is a woman covered in tattoos.

This book is about a boy named Max Kane who doesn't fit in. Max lives with his grandparents, Grim and Gram. After his friend known as Freak died, he forms a friendship with a little girl. He rescues this little girl from abuse. Max and the girl go on the run from the cops and other authority figures.

2.5 Stars

While this review indicates a 2019 read date, I have read it every year since then.

I read this over and over in middle school. Freak and I had so much in common! Not the same condition, though. I was a sick kid who is now a sick adult, but thanks to Disability Twitter and Disability YouTube, I have a community. I didn't before, so I lived vicariously through Freak, or tried. When I read this again today as an adult, I thought I'd pick up on things differently. Not really. The book is accessible to both kids and adults, which feels kind of rare. I admire the author for this. The movie adaptation is really faithful and it was so great to see the book come to life. The author's fine with it, even. I watched some of his videos on YouTube. The book warmed my heart, made me laugh, gave me hope, made me nervous and scared, then broke my heart. I remembered everything that happened but oh, I was still so sad. As an adult, I realized something I hadn't as a kid: Freak knew. He knew the whole time, and he made up an elaborate story to cope. I have so many feelings. I'm so glad this book was written, that I read it as a kid, and now.

One thing I really enjoy about Rodman Philbrick's books is the reality of them. So many authors who write for middle grade students create an ending that is satisfying yet often lacking. In Philbrick's books characters are injured, go through hardships, catastrophes, and yes, some of them even die. They have to fight for survival. In this book five kids are chose to go on a white water rafting trip as part of their school's new "Project Future Leaders". Their two guides on this trip don't get a chance to teach them much about survival. On their first day they change their entry point into the river. They are unable to get their satellite phone to work so they have not been able to call anyone and let them know of their new location. They raft down the first leg of the river, make camp and get to know each other. Sounds like a nice story so far doesn't it? Each of these kids have things the others don't know about them. Some of them are fears, some of them are cover ups for hurts they have experienced. In the middle of the night they are awaken by their two guides and told to run to higher ground because the dam has broken. They are pushed to the top only to watch their guides washed away. Now they are on their own. That is where I will end my summary. These kids show what they are made of. They show who they are in desperate times. They show what it means to build friendships and rely on each other. My husband looked at me and asked, "You're done with that book already?" when books are as good as this one is you can't help but read it straight through. I can't wait for the school year to start so that I can put this in the pile for my first week activity that introduces students to my large collection of books. This is definitely on the top of my list of loved books for this year.

Danger all the time, never ending. It kep me reading till the end (which took about a day🙈) It's a edge-of-your-seat kind of book.
The main character made some stupid desicions, but otherwise it was good!

Excellent Katrina story. Quick read with short chapters and a fast paced plot -- really enjoyed it. I think what I enjoyed the most was the portrayal of New Orleans' culture through the people that Zane interacts with. You get this incredible sense of community and history and the importance of family through Miss Trissy and Tru and Malvina, None of them have easy stories, or lives without struggle, but they are an amazing example of endurance in a hard life -- and I love the beautiful moments that they have too -- Miss Trissy singing in church, Tru playing in the Processions, Malvina cracking endless jokes and dancing in the second line. Vivid, lovely and caring.

Now, the hard stuff, because oh yeah, this is a hard read --the description of storm and the floodwaters rising, snakes in the water, the lack of help on the ground, the terrifying armed response of the white police trying to prevent people coming into safe neighborhoods, the floating bodies and the filth and smell at the superdome. Gun violence, violence against pets, frightening experiences with a drug dealer -- there's a lot in here. In part, that's what makes it such a great read, but as an adult it just makes the horror of how badly the US failed New Orleans the more heartbreaking.

I've seen the reviews that are frustrated with the swift wrap-up/ending, but I think weirder things happen in the unreality of disaster, and given how the story was going, it worked ok for me.

Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick
Genre: Middle Grades, Historical Fiction
Source: I own the book

After years and years of reading I am finally able to say that I lean toward books that area about disasters, survival and are emotional. I’ve realized recently that no matter what the genre those are some of the things the books all have in common. This book is no different. Zane and his dog go to visit his great-grandmother in New Orleans. As Hurricane Katrina heads toward them, they evacuate. Then Zane and his dog are separated from his great-grandmother. He makes his way back to her house where he waits out the storm in her house. Trapped in the attic he is rescued by Mr. Tru and Malvina. From here the story is about survival. The author has done a lot of research to show what it was like during the aftermath of the hurricane. He doesn’t shy away from the racial or political atrocities the people of New Orleans faced. This is what makes this such a valuable read. Kids need to read, understand and discuss matters such as this book brings about. I would highly recommend it.

This book is a great book for middle school students and I have used it used in my classroom to teach many issues such as: friendship, bullying, and confidence. The plot keeps their attention and there are many good activities to keep them engaged.

Good story, but short. Good overview of what a wagon train would need to make good time across the country, and what went wrong with this particular caravan. Didn’t shy away from the grisly result of the Donner party’s getting lost, but didn’t glorify it either.

Sam Castine is at summer camp while his mother is in rehab for opioid addiction. His father was killed three years before in Afghanistan. When the fire starts, Sam is determined to get his phone before leaving camp because he has to let his mother know that he is all right, but by the time he heads back to the bus from his cabin, the fire has blocked his path and he must run for his life. Alone in the woods, he meets Delphy who was away from her camp when the fire started. Together the two must find a way to survive the fire or die trying.

Throughout Wildfire, Sam is aided by advice his father gave him about life in the outdoors, making it almost seem as though his father was helping him along the way. Choices and decisions are emphasized as Sam and Delphy search for a way to survive the devastating wildfire. Overall, a good story of survival in the midst of tragedy.

RGG: Strong characters, a loveable dog (that doesn't die!), and (non-didactic) insights into how racism affected folx of color. Reading Interest: 10-12

This book definitely kept me reading. One of my biggest fears is fire. The main character makes a bad decision to go back to his cabin from which they are being evacuated, because he left his phone. That one decision led to him being left behind. He found his phone but on the way back to the bus he finds himself surrounded by fire. He runs to save his life. Along the way he finds a jeep and then a girl who is also trapped in the fire. Together they must find a way out to survive.
This definitely would have been my nightmare. The fact that Sam's father is ex-military and has taken Sam camping and taught him survival skills may just get him out of this alive. I loved when I started feeling really comfortable with their situation the author through in a black bear and a pair of people helping set more fires. This is one of this year's Sunshine State Reader books. I try to buy them every year. I had forgotten how awesome this author's books are as it has been awhile since I have read any of them. This is one I will promote with all my heart to my students.

This historical novel brings the Civil War alive, from rural Maine to the Battle of Gettysburg, with an engaging story of two brothers

Another good one for YA Lit

This was a good historical novel of the Civil War. Told from the perspective o a child chasing his wrongly enlisted brother, it covers the war from a number of angles as Homer, the main character, falls in with factions from both sides of the war on his way to locate is unfortunate brother, a farced enlistee in the famous 20th Maine regiment of the Union Army. It's a very extensive story, one full of adventure and suspense. Reading this book will really give a child an education about the true experience of the Civil War, one of horror, confusion, strong beliefs, and sacrifice. It's really difficult to grasp what happened, but this book does a good job of trying. Well done. The narrator was a little irritating since he chose slightly silly voice for Homer. I felt like the story was more serious than the voice he offered, but I still enjoyed it.

A great friendship book, everyone should read it!

This is a fantastic read for about 5th-6th graders—there are some tough topics for kids too much younger—to learn what is was like for survivors from Hurricane Katrina and the flooding in NOLA. I think it is a worthwhile read for adults, too. An excellent reminder of the need for empathy. Very well written with likable characters.½

00003300

00003299

00012663

00003301

Great for fans of survival stories. This is a super fast paced page turner about escaping a forest fire, a parent dealing with addiction, and hints of thriller elements/intrigue about how the fires started. The action starts on the first page and doesn't let up until the finish, where there are some tips for dealing with fires in real life.

I really liked Wildfire. For me, I got this book about 4 months early, so I got to read it before everyone else. I liked it because it was always keeping me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next. There was something new in each chapter. It was amazing because there wasn't really a villain in the story, but a challenge to overcome. Then there is a surprise that was really interesting. I give Wildfire 4 1/2 stars.