The Last Ride of Caleb O'Toole

July 15, 2013
It’s 1877 in Great Bend, Kan., and cholera has panicked citizens and killed scores, including Caleb O’Toole’s father. The story opens as 12-year-old Caleb races through town to find one of his sisters while his mother lies dying of the disease and a mob threatens to burn down their house. Caleb then witnesses a murder, and the O’Toole children escape amid an explosive gunfight, after agreeing to fulfill their mother’s last wish that they take the Oregon Trail to their aunt’s ranch in Montana Territory. And that’s just the first 20 pages. The pace doesn’t let up as the O’Tooles face down a wolf attack, tornado, flash flood, illness, bandits, traders, and more, while finding unexpected allies as well. TV and film actor Pierpoint offers a rowdy Wild West adventure in his first book for children. He tends to overload his sentences with descriptive detail (“The barren landscape had afforded them little cover in their flight along a little-used road miles south of the Oregon Trail”), but readers seeking action, history, and adventure aren’t likely to mind. Ages 9–up. Agent: Adriana Dominguez, Full Circle Literary.

August 1, 2013
After a cholera epidemic in 1877 claims the lives of their parents, the three O'Toole children must travel through the dangerous Western frontier to their new home. A night of murder and arson ravages the disease-riddled town of Great Bend, Kan., leaving 12-year-old Caleb and his 6-year-old sister, Tilly, witnesses to a brutal killing. Luckily, Henderson, a Civil War hero and ex-convict, intervenes, temporarily saving them from the dangerous Blackstone Gang. Unfortunately, the murderous brothers are only one of the many dangers awaiting the O'Tooles as they travel along the Oregon Trail to their aunt's ranch in the Bitterroot. Sioux raiding parties, rattlesnakes and kidnappers all lie in wait for the siblings. The O'Toole children are quick studies, picking up equestrian, medical and gun-slinging skills as easily as they do friends. The fast-paced adventure serves up a hearty history lesson with side dishes of political, social and environmental commentary. Realistic and complicated characters give the familiar story of the pioneer's journey fresh life. A rushed and confusing ending is only a minor misstep. Cameos by famous figures such as Touch the Clouds and Sitting Bull give authenticity to the O'Tooles' journey. A suspenseful adventure with heart. (Adventure. 8-12)

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September 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-Recently orphaned in a cholera epidemic, 12-year-old Caleb O'Toole, his two sisters, and their dog flee their Kansas town to seek their Aunt Sarah in Montana as per their dying mother's instructions. Before leaving, Caleb witnesses a murder by the infamous Blackstone brothers, who then pursue him on his journey. Add a mysterious and helpful stranger on a mission of revenge and you've got the elements of a classic western. On the Oregon Trail, the youngsters survive a flood, tornado, buffalo stampede, Indian attacks, thieves, and more. Unfortunately, the characters are one-dimensional and not much is left to surprise. Caleb is an expert horseman and sharpshooter (with a seemingly endless supply of bullets) whose moral values reflect modern sensibilities as he laments the senseless slaughter of buffalo, the plight of the Indians, etc. His adventure is rife with violence, including several scenes of graphic animal abuse. At times, the language is cliched enough to sound like a dime-store novel from yesteryear ("the brave men and women, these dreamers from all lands, fought like they had never fought before"). Cameos by Chiefs Joseph, Sitting Bull, and Touch the Clouds put the story over-the-top. If readers simply want nonstop action, they'll find it here. For a more realistic, thought-provoking (and no less action-packed) tale about teen orphans on the Oregon Trail, try Victoria McKernan's The Devil's Paintbox (Knopf, 2009).-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2013
Grades 4-6 When the parents of Caleb O'Toole succumb to a cholera epidemic, he and his two sisters set out on their own for their aunt's ranch, more than 1,000 miles away. In this action-packed debut novel by actor Pierpoint, the kids are dogged by every conceivable trouble on their way to Montana Territory. Pierpoint sets his story in the summer of 1877, when a railroad strike sent travelers back to the difficult Oregon Trail. Caleb and his sisters have to transport as well as protect themselves, and Pierpoint entertainingly describes how Caleb masters sharpshooting while riding a horse. His older sister, Julie, in turn learns how to treat bullet and knife wounds. Although the writing includes some stock phrasings as well as some anachronisms, Pierpont has created a suspenseful, enlightening read featuring worthy allies (including several tribes of Native Americans) and wicked enemies (including a bad sheriff and his murderous brothers). The book comes complete with helpful historical notes and a map showing the O'Tooles' dangerous journey.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)