The Kid

Following his parents' deaths in 1881, 14-year-old Henry is ready to do whatever it takes to keep him and his younger brothers together on the family farm. Henry strikes a deal with local sheriff Quigley: if Henry can use his writing talents to get rid of outlaws, the sheriff won't report his parents' deaths to the state. And so begin the tales of the Kid, whose stories Henry sells to editor Herbert at Gunslinger magazine to keep him and his siblings afloat and evildoers away from his Destiny, Colo., hometown. Soon, the Kid becomes the most legendary gunslinger to ever drink sarsaparilla. His visage graces the cover of every magazine because stories of his adventures make the big bucks. Everything is going according to plan until outlaw Snake-Eye Sam escapes from Arkansas State Penitentiary and vows to kill the Kid to prove that he's the "fastest gun in the West." Schill (Changing Michael) employs the high-octane setting of the Wild West to levy harsh depictions of the realities of Henry's everyday caring for his brothers. The Kid's adventures are woven throughout alongside Henry, Herbert, and Snake-Eye Sam's atmospheric third-person perspectives. Major characters cue as white. Ages 10-up. (May)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 5 Up--The Kid is the fastest draw in the West, and Gunslinger Magazine can't get enough of his stories. He may be planning to outsmart horse thieves, save the gold on the Wells Fargo wagon, or turn some other miscreant over to his friend the sheriff. But those stories are only a part of this narrative. Henry, the 14-year-old author of these tales who's known as The Boy, is left to care for three younger brothers and the family farm. When Sam, The Outlaw, is first introduced, he kills 11 prison guards to escape from jail, and while he is not redeemed as the story progresses, his inner dialogues reveal more depth about his grief and abuse than might be expected from a traditional villain. Herbert, The Editor, is an unprepared Easterner, thrown into a dangerous situation that simultaneously terrifies and thrills him. As Herbert says, "details...do make the story" and this one includes colorful particulars about the characters, setting, and never-ending drinks of sarsaparilla to make it come alive. Throughout the story, the idea of appreciating differing talents is developed. The only way the four Upton boys have made it on their own for a year has been through doing what each does best. They go against Sam in the same way, and just like with the farm, it takes all of them, plus Herbert, to achieve success. Through an alternating first-person point of view, the inner thoughts of each of the three protagonists are explored and contrasted. Henry shows determination as he desperately tries to achieve the near-impossible; Sam is fueled by a blinding anger; and Herbert is balancing under-preparation, overconfidence, and a sincere desire to help his new friends. VERDICT The wide-ranging narrative requires a patient reader to engage with the story until the dusty roads converge, but hang on until the showdown at high noon for a smartly satisfying Western adventure.--Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"A swashbuckling adventure."

"There aren't too many Westerns written for middle-grade and middle-school readers nowadays, but Schill's debut is an entertaining genre entry."

"It's true that the requisite Native American here gets only an innocuous cameo, and, for actual agency, the gals don't fare much better, but the relationships are warm, and the plot offers fresh proof that the pen is mightier than the six-gun."