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The
Bully Boys
by Eric Walters 
Date of Publication: 2000
ISBN: 014288066
Number of Pages: 225
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REQUIRED READING ABILITY:
Average
GENRES: Adventure, Historical Fiction
THEMES: Coming of Age, Responsibility, Loyalty, Good
versus Evil, Life versus Death, and Appearance versus
Reality
SUMMARY:
Thomas Roberts’ father must leave and fight for the British
Army in the War of 1812, leaving fourteen-year-old Tom to stay home and
take care of the family farm. Tom has aspirations of being a soldier like
his father but he is too young to serve in the war. His wish comes true
one day when he bravely assists legendary Lieutenant James FitzGibbon
(leader of the Green Tigers, a band they called “The Bully Boys”)
thwart a robbery by some American soldiers in the local general store.
FitzGibbon, fearing that the Americans will take revenge on Tom or his
family, arranges for Tom to spend some time as a member of his regiment,
but not as a member of “The Bully Boys”.
Lieutenant James FitzGibbon,
a very shrewd commanding officer, only had 50 men in the Green Tigers.
FitzGibbon was a mastermind and used bravado and trickery as means to
foil the Americans who believed that there were hundreds of men under
the Lieutenant’s command. When it was learned that Tom had critical
knowledge of the surrounding American area, he was recruited as a guide
for some critical missions. Thomas Roberts soon discovers that war is
both exciting and horrendous…
| Whenever Tom felt
scared, he would always remember what FitzGibbon had told him. "The
difference between a brave man and a coward is not how he feels, but
what he does despite those feelings.” (p.196) |
The final big battle occurs
at Beaver Dam, where Lieutenant James FitzGibbon cleverly gets the Americans
to surrender, with Tom demonstrating that he too has learned a thing or
two about manipulating the enemy.
WHO
WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- likes adventure and suspense
stories
- likes stories that have
male protagonists
- has dreams of being a hero
- likes a lot of action
- is interested in Canadian
history
- is interested in the War
of 1812
WHAT ELSE?
This book is based on true events from the War of 1812 and Lieutenant
James FitzGibbon. The story is set in the Niagara Peninsula where the
historic Battle of Beaver Dams took place. This book will make Canadian
History come alive for many students
RELATED LINKS:
Author's Website
Author's
Profile
Novel Study Guide
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