Forget that this was published with junior high boys as the target audience. This is great accurate historical fiction. Bucky Culp the tough 1/2 breed illiterate son of a solitary deep woods hunter and Jimmy Jewett is soft but very intelligent, idealistic son of a Methodist minister are the main characters. The novel easily flows from a few years before the war through under aged enlistment in 13th Pennsylvania Reserves "The Bucktails" to the battles around Dranesville. The details of frontier and military life will please the most strict students of guns, history or the outdoors. The way even supporting cast grow and adapt to new stimuli will make any Lit teacher smile. ( )

Two boys. Two different worlds. Best friends despite their differences. Will the war tear them apart forever?

Bucky Culp and his father, Iriquois, reside in a tiny cabin in the wilderness and live off the land. Life is not always easy, especially during the winter months, but things were once quite different. Iriquois had been married to a white woman. The family lived in town, and he worked at the mill, but when Bucky's mother died, Iriquois took their son and left all that behind, returning to the existence he once knew.

Jimmy Jewett is the minister's son and lives in a nice home some ten miles from Bucky's cabin. He attends school and has a fascination for history and government. He is not strong and independent like Bucky. In fact, he is threatened and beat on regularly by a group of bullies.

In 1861, Colonel Thomas Kane begins recruiting men for what will become the Union's Bucktail Regiment. Jimmy is determined to enlist. He is tired of being bullied and considered a momma's boy. He figures becoming a soldier will be the best way to change that. Bucky isn't so sure about joining, but his sense of loyalty and tragic new lack of ties, doesn't allow him to refuse. Within a few short days, the two underage boys will officially be soldiers in the Union army. Bucky as a rifleman and Jimmy as a drummer.

Jimmy soon finds that life is no easier. The men make fun of him, and there is prejudice toward Bucky. They both have to earn the respect of the others, and they won't completely succeed. They will be put into dangerous situations and forced to fight for survival before they even encounter battle.

The things they experience once they do reach the front will change them forever, and their journey has only just begun.

I have not done research on the background of Colonel Thomas Kane to verify details of this book, and I don't intend to. I will, however, look up information simply based on my newfound interest. As this is a work of fiction, I am not going to attempt to hold the authors, William P. Robertson and David Rimer, up to standards of nonfiction. However, the writing speaks for itself, and it is clear that they have done the research. The reader gets a good feeling of what life was like during the time period and what kinds of events could lead to the underaged soldiers that were enlisted during the Civil War.

This is the first book in the Hayfoot, Strawfoot series, and I look forward to delving further in. This is going to be not only a satisfying coming-of-age story, but also one about the strength of friendship. There are many other aspects that will appeal to boys in the intended 9-12 year-old age range . . . adventure, the dangers of the battlefield, and the like. I would think the interest level could even possibly be extended by a couple of years. This is a quick read, but one that will have the grab a person's attention and have them reaching for the next.

Black-and-white photos included mid-way through are not of the actual time period but rather photos from a reenactment. Not what I had hoped for but still interesting, nonetheless.

I was extremely excited to receive a copy of "Hayfoot, Strawfoot : The Bucktail Recruits" from author William P. Robertson in exchange for an objective review. I love reading historical works and books involving the Civil War. Mostly, however, I feel that there is a decided lack of fiction aimed toward boys. From working at the school and public libraries, I find that girls seem to be more apt, by nature, to love reading at an earlier age, while boys may take some coaxing. I am hoping to bring this series some exposure so that more readers may be introduced to it and get to know and love Bucky and Jimmy. Perhaps they will even develop a further interest in the time period and want to learn more. ( )

Hayfoot, Strawfoot: The Bucktail Recruits, is the first in the Bucktail series by William Robertson and David Rimer. The series is a fictionalization of the exploits of a real Civil War regiment, the 13th Pennsylvania Regiment, nicknamed the Bucktail Regiment. The name Bucktail Regiment came in part from the fact that this regiment was made up mostly of hunters and the deer tail, or other piece of deer hide, the men would hang from their hats to identify their woodcraft skills background.

While dealing with serious issues, such as prejudice against Indians or children of mixed parentage and the horrors of war, the authors keep the tone on a level that the book is suitable for younger school age readers. I am not a scholar of the era, but the scenes presented seem well researched and are presented in a believable storyline.

In addition to the historical perspective, the book easily lends itself to a classroom setting with lessons on growing up, responsibility and true friendship being presented. Hardly a deep read for adults, I still found the book an enjoyable, if brief, diversion. I found myself taken in by the two main characters, Bucky Culp and Jimmy Jewett, so much so that I would like to read the rest of the series. Being an adventurous type, I might undertake retracing some of their route through Pennsylvania.

While it may not be to everyone’s taste, this story is worth checking out, especially if you have an interest in Pennsylvania history and lore. ( )