Presented by:Jonathan Swift

Woods Runner

Written by:Gary Paulsen

THE SUMMARY The British kill Samuel’s neighbors and take

his parents prisoner. Meets Annie, a war orphan. Samuel and Annie meet Abner McDaniel. He

takes them to New York. Rescues his parents. Return home to Philadelphia with adopted daughter Annie.

MAIN CHARACTER SAMUEL

13 years old Likes to hunt in woods to feed his family Has great survival skills Is very courageous & brave Does not like to kill but twice does so to survive The story is about him growing up

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Abner: Old Italian tinker that sharpens knives Secretly spying against the British Took Samuel and Annie to New York

Annie: 8 years old War orphan Adopted by Samuel’s parents

THE SETTING – 1776

Pennsylvania: Frontier settlement away from tow Many trees, forests Lots of wildlife

New York: Where British held prisoners Many diseases Largest city in the colonies

THE CLIMAX Samuel and Abner went to rescue

Samuel’s parents Samuel hit a guard with a brick and

knocked him out The prisoners streamed out of the jail With Samuel’s mom and dad they crossed

the Hudson

THE RESOLUTION

Samuel has an encounter with the British and kills a man

Family won’t return to the frontier The family goes to Philadelphia with

adopted daughter, Annie Start a school for orphan children

AUTHOR'S PURPOSE

Gary Paulson wanted to show how brutal the Revolutionary war actually was

Over 4,000 men died in combat Many children became war orphans Most of the men died from disease

approximately 50,000 Most of the soldiers were young and untrained