Bringing Ezra Back: A Sequel to Weasel

Nathan Fowler #2

by Cynthia C. DeFelice

In the mid-1800s, twelve-year-old Nathan journeys from his farm on the Ohio frontier to Western Pennsylvania to rescue a friend held captive by the owners of a freak show.

Genres: Historical Fiction

183 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2006

About the author

Cynthia DeFelice is the author of many bestselling titles for young readers, including the novels Wild Life, The Ghost of Cutler Creek, Signal, and The Missing Manatee, as well as the picture books, One Potato, Two Potato, and Casey in the Bath. Her books have been nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award and listed as American Library Association Notable Children's Books and Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, among numerous other honors.

Cynthia was born in Philadelphia in 1951. As a child, she was always reading. Summer vacations began with a trip to the bookstore, where she and her sister and brothers were allowed to pick out books for their summer reading. “To me,” she says, “those trips to the bookstore were even better than the rare occasions when we were given a quarter and turned loose at the penny-candy store on the boardwalk.” Cynthia has worked as a bookseller, a barn painter, a storyteller, and a school librarian.

When asked what she loves best about being an author, she can’t pick just one answer: “I love the feeling of being caught up in the lives of the characters I am writing about. I enjoy the challenge of trying to write as honestly as I can, and I find enormous satisfaction in hearing from readers that something I wrote touched them, delighted them, made them shiver with fear or shake with laughter, or think about something new.” Cynthia and her husband live in Geneva, New York.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/cynthi...

Reviews

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*]

DeFelice, Cynthia Bringing Ezra Back 148 p. FSG -

The Fowler family has recovered from the vicious attacks by "Weasel", though their mother passed away from a fever later. Now, a traveling peddler brings along a flyer that proclaims "See the White Injun, A man with no name and no tongue! Deaf and Dumb," and Nathan is sure that this "injun" is their old friend Ezra, who helped rescue them from Weasel. Nathan is determined to seek out this traveling show and rescue his friend, even if he has to learn to trust the world again.

After the tense danger of "Weasel", this sequel comes off as a milder entry. Though it does answer questions about Ezra, it only raises more at the end. I would prefer to have "Weasel" in hardcover and this one in paperback.

EL, MS - OPTIONAL

[Heather]

My sixth grade students got really into this. They kept asking me to read more. I liked it, but didn’t love it. It’s a great pair with The Greatest Showman.

[Katee]

Beautiful story about what a boy will do for someone he cares about. No amount of money could buy the worth and value of a friend. Also. I enjoyed how Nathan's courage allowed him to bargain with the evil forces in the book. The reader will learn that every person possesses both a fighting force and a calming, peaceful force. These forces come out when necessary.

[Miss Amanda]

gr 4-7 147 pgs


1840, Ohio / Pennyslvania. When family friend Ezra disappears, 12 year old Nathan decides to leave his home in Ohio to travel to Pennsylvania and find him. Along the way, he finds that looks can be deceiving and help can be found in unlikely places.

An interesting follow up to "Weasel", which would appeal to readers of the first book.

[Vicki]

12 yr old Nathan Fowler is intent on bring back their family's friends Ezra who helpeed them in th epast. Nathan notices Ezra is a part of a traveling side show and w/permission from his father, leaves the farm to find Ezra.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

Sequel to Weasel, but not as good.

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge]

This is a great story about a boy who finds a long lost friend. D.M.

[Melissa]

Read this for inspiration for NaNoWriMo. Some of it is set in a freak show.