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Night Journeys #1
Night Journeys: A Gripping Historical Story About an Orphan's Quest for Freedom in Revolutionary 1768 for Kids
The year is 1768. In eight years, the American Revolution will begin. Newly orphaned, Peter York has been adopted by a deeply religious Quaker fame. Peter chafes under his new guardian's strict and unyielding views and vows to break away. He sees his chance when two runaway indentured servants are reported to be fleeing through his community. If he catches one, there will be a reward -- and freedom. But capturing the runaways leads to consequences -- and choices -- Peter cannot foresee.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
9 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Avi
346 books1,721 followersAvi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use." Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle,
Nothing but the Truth,
and the Crispin series. His work is popular among readers young and old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 23, 2009
This is my second Avi book and I enjoyed it almost as much as I did the first (which was about pirates, so you know I liked it more). Avi is great at placing readers into historical settings, and really captures the emotions of his young characters well. I enjoyed this book (despite being a little uneasy about the relationship between the main character and his stepfather, though that worked out in the end).
December 9, 2023
This story moved at bit slowly at first, but picked up quickly. In 1768, 12-year-old Peter York has been orphaned when his parents died of a fever. He is adopted by an older Quaker farmer, who is also the Justice of the Peace. Peter is unhappy because he doesn't understand the stern, quiet farmer, and also because his only remaining possession - a horse - is appropriated by the farmer and used without permission or acknowledgement that it belongs to Peter.
The action picks up when the family learns that two escaped felons are on the lam in the area, and as JP, Master Shinn is obliged to help hunt for them. Hoping to gain the reward and prove his "manhood" Peter asks to help.
Peter's help is just one disaster after another, but in the throes of his stupid actions, he accidentally comes across one of the escapees, and gets a huge surprise that changes his direction entirely. In the process, he and Master Shinn finally begin to understand each other and Peter does a lot of growing up.
The action picks up when the family learns that two escaped felons are on the lam in the area, and as JP, Master Shinn is obliged to help hunt for them. Hoping to gain the reward and prove his "manhood" Peter asks to help.
Peter's help is just one disaster after another, but in the throes of his stupid actions, he accidentally comes across one of the escapees, and gets a huge surprise that changes his direction entirely. In the process, he and Master Shinn finally begin to understand each other and Peter does a lot of growing up.
June 11, 2020
Peter York: By the grace of God, in the spring of 1768, he survived a terrible fever which swept through his town. That same fever, however, took the lives of everyone else in his whole family. Peter York was suddenly made an orphan at the age of 12, with nothing to call his own except an old mare horse named Jumper.
The night of the funeral, the townspeople gathered at the minister’s house to decide what to do with Peter. “Who will take him?”
Everyone wondered. Peter wondered, too.
The minister came into the room. “Mr. Shinn has consented to take you in, provided you are willing to work hard.”
Mr. Shinn approached the table where Peter sat. He was a large man with plain clothes, a plain hat, and a solemn face.
“Stand up and take his hand to mark the bargain,” said the minister. Peter did, and Mr. Shinn looked him in the eye and nodded slightly.
“What do you have to say?” the minister asked Peter.
“Thank you, sir,” Peter said. The crowd dispersed, and Peter followed Mr. Shinn out the door and back to his house.
Peter’s life had changed completely, and Mr. Shinn had not said one word.
Peter has no idea what Mr. Shinn thinks of him. Why did he take Peter in? He can’t understand the man and what he thinks or wants from Peter. In fact, Peter is convinced that the only reason the Quaker family took him in was to get his best possession: his horse.
Peter vows to prove himself to this man who doesn’t seem to love him. One night, a loud knock on the door: “Mr. Shinn! Mr. Shinn! Help us capture two escaped indentured servants--felons--who owe years of labor and have run away!” Peter sees his opportunity to prove himself to this man: if Peter can find the felons himself and earn the reward money--then Mr. Shinn is sure to value him.
(Review: This book suffers from terrible cover art syndrome. It’s a great story about having to judge for yourself when authority tells you that something is one way and your own observations tell you that that authority is incorrect. This would make a good read-aloud in class as there is plenty of action and good spots to stop and think about what’s going on and how the kids feel about it. Good prediction-making opportunities, too, and no one will have read it because the cover stinks!)
The night of the funeral, the townspeople gathered at the minister’s house to decide what to do with Peter. “Who will take him?”
Everyone wondered. Peter wondered, too.
The minister came into the room. “Mr. Shinn has consented to take you in, provided you are willing to work hard.”
Mr. Shinn approached the table where Peter sat. He was a large man with plain clothes, a plain hat, and a solemn face.
“Stand up and take his hand to mark the bargain,” said the minister. Peter did, and Mr. Shinn looked him in the eye and nodded slightly.
“What do you have to say?” the minister asked Peter.
“Thank you, sir,” Peter said. The crowd dispersed, and Peter followed Mr. Shinn out the door and back to his house.
Peter’s life had changed completely, and Mr. Shinn had not said one word.
Peter has no idea what Mr. Shinn thinks of him. Why did he take Peter in? He can’t understand the man and what he thinks or wants from Peter. In fact, Peter is convinced that the only reason the Quaker family took him in was to get his best possession: his horse.
Peter vows to prove himself to this man who doesn’t seem to love him. One night, a loud knock on the door: “Mr. Shinn! Mr. Shinn! Help us capture two escaped indentured servants--felons--who owe years of labor and have run away!” Peter sees his opportunity to prove himself to this man: if Peter can find the felons himself and earn the reward money--then Mr. Shinn is sure to value him.
(Review: This book suffers from terrible cover art syndrome. It’s a great story about having to judge for yourself when authority tells you that something is one way and your own observations tell you that that authority is incorrect. This would make a good read-aloud in class as there is plenty of action and good spots to stop and think about what’s going on and how the kids feel about it. Good prediction-making opportunities, too, and no one will have read it because the cover stinks!)
March 26, 2013
“What Price, Freedom?”
It is less than a decade before the American Revolution in Pennsylvania, across from the Jersey shore, when twelve-year-old
Peter York finds himself an orphan--obliged to move in with a kindly but stern Quaker patriarch named Shinn. When the man assumes ownership of Peter’s horse, Peter feels disloyalty bubbling up within his breast. But matters come to a head when local men, bounty hunters as it were, demand Shinn’s aid (as Justice of the Peace) in searching for two runaway felons. The quiet man faces a distasteful moral dilemma, since he is naturally opposed to raising a gun against any human.
Lured on by the hope of a reward which will enable him to purchase his horse back, Peter eagerly joins the hunt—until he discovers that one of the felons Transported from England is just a girl. He seesaws in his loyalty as they struggle against the river on both sides of Morgan’s rock. Will he betray his strict host/master who is sworn to uphold the Law, or turn in the two youngsters in hiding--although separated--in terror of prison?
Peter comes of age that autumn, as events force him to contemplate
his loyalties and evaluate the true price of freedom. How can he win the respect of his master? Where will he finally choose to carve out his Colonial life? Despite grim reminders of 18th Century British “Justice,” this book proves interesting and fast-paced reading for middle school students.
NOvember 18, 2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
It is less than a decade before the American Revolution in Pennsylvania, across from the Jersey shore, when twelve-year-old
Peter York finds himself an orphan--obliged to move in with a kindly but stern Quaker patriarch named Shinn. When the man assumes ownership of Peter’s horse, Peter feels disloyalty bubbling up within his breast. But matters come to a head when local men, bounty hunters as it were, demand Shinn’s aid (as Justice of the Peace) in searching for two runaway felons. The quiet man faces a distasteful moral dilemma, since he is naturally opposed to raising a gun against any human.
Lured on by the hope of a reward which will enable him to purchase his horse back, Peter eagerly joins the hunt—until he discovers that one of the felons Transported from England is just a girl. He seesaws in his loyalty as they struggle against the river on both sides of Morgan’s rock. Will he betray his strict host/master who is sworn to uphold the Law, or turn in the two youngsters in hiding--although separated--in terror of prison?
Peter comes of age that autumn, as events force him to contemplate
his loyalties and evaluate the true price of freedom. How can he win the respect of his master? Where will he finally choose to carve out his Colonial life? Despite grim reminders of 18th Century British “Justice,” this book proves interesting and fast-paced reading for middle school students.
NOvember 18, 2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
May 31, 2019
This book is a good option for children, especially pre-teens. It is definitely not engaging enough for adults. The story and narration are very simple and straightforward without much dept. So it is a very quick read. You can finish it just a couple of hours. I will not recommend it for adults, but Ok for children if they want to start reading classics without taking on more difficult books.
Book Summary
Peter York, an orphaned boy, is taken into the care of the Justice of the Peace. He lives and works as part of the family there, but is dissatisfied with the overall situation. He thinks reward for the capture of two runaway servants would get him the freedom he desired. But when he realizes the escaped laborers are just children younger than him, he is determined to help them escape. He goes against his new family to help these children and is planning to runaway with them. The book revolves around his journey in trying to save the children and escape with them without being caught by his own adopted family and friends.
Book Summary
Peter York, an orphaned boy, is taken into the care of the Justice of the Peace. He lives and works as part of the family there, but is dissatisfied with the overall situation. He thinks reward for the capture of two runaway servants would get him the freedom he desired. But when he realizes the escaped laborers are just children younger than him, he is determined to help them escape. He goes against his new family to help these children and is planning to runaway with them. The book revolves around his journey in trying to save the children and escape with them without being caught by his own adopted family and friends.
July 1, 2017
This story was alright although it really didn't much of a plot going on with it. You have a young person who loses anything to start everything off and they aren't content that they have been blessed so as a result they want to start trouble at the expense of someone else. And as a result he learns that there are some things that you are better off with instead of losing and that the human bias when met with your conscious may give you an altogether different view if you just human enough.
The reading was simple and easy but the characters were almost life-less. There were two characters that had plenty of muscle, which was of course the main boy and the main who took him in but otherwise the others weren't given much life. Elizabeth you learned a bit more about her but you didn't get a sense of her humanness and her friend had almost no story to him whatsoever so I would have to say this was just an ok book.
The reading was simple and easy but the characters were almost life-less. There were two characters that had plenty of muscle, which was of course the main boy and the main who took him in but otherwise the others weren't given much life. Elizabeth you learned a bit more about her but you didn't get a sense of her humanness and her friend had almost no story to him whatsoever so I would have to say this was just an ok book.
February 29, 2008
Peter York’s parent died in 1767 when Peter was twelve years old. A devout Quaker family adopted him but Peter found the strict and nearly silent Mr. Shinn, difficult. Peter learns that a large reward is offered for the return of two escaped bondsmen. Peter hopes to earn the reward so Mr. Shinn can buy a horse and return Peter’s horse to him. Peter joins Mr. Shinn and a group of men searching for the runaways. Peter spends the night on a deserted island with Mr. Shinn yearning for the chance to find the runaways. However when his change comes to corner one of the runaways Peter falls and hurts himself. Alone and hurt Peter fords a swollen river and finds himself caught in a harrowing adventure.
This is a great story. It’s a good look at the early US before the American Revolution.
The story is continued in Encounter at Easton.
This is a great story. It’s a good look at the early US before the American Revolution.
The story is continued in Encounter at Easton.
December 31, 2021
Set on the banks of the Delaware River in 1768, Peter York, age 12, finds himself in a big predicament. First of all, he has recently become an orphan and has been taken in by a Quaker family. His new foster father is very distant and strict according to the law of the Quakers. One evening all the neighbors are called upon to search for two indentured servants who have run away. Peter joins in the hunt with a sort of success, for he finds the servants, only to learn they are two helpless children who were trying to escape the mistreatment of their owners. Should Peter hide them or turn them in? What is the ethical thing to do? I found the story to be full of suspense and emotion. I highly recommend the book for middle school and up, but not for younger children.
July 6, 2016
An exciting adventure story that takes place in the past. Peter York is a young boy who is orphaned and adopted by a Quaker farmer who is very religious. Peter is not happy with his new situation, although he is well fed and taken care of. When neighbors alert Peter's caretaker about some escaped indentured servants, Peter sees a chance for adventure and maybe some reward money. When he is separated from his caretaker and faces life-and-death decisions, this book is hard to put down. It is short and the descriptions of what Peter experiences are very well-written.
November 6, 2014
gr 4-6 143 pgs
1768, Pennsylvania. 12 year old orphan Peter doesn't understand his guardian's reluctance when they are invited to help hunt for two escaped indentured servants. When Peter accidentally comes face to face with one of them, a girl, Peter finds himself empathizing with her. Now he faces a difficult decision. Should he turn her in or help her escape?
I liked this book between than the companion/sequel "Encounter at Easton"
1768, Pennsylvania. 12 year old orphan Peter doesn't understand his guardian's reluctance when they are invited to help hunt for two escaped indentured servants. When Peter accidentally comes face to face with one of them, a girl, Peter finds himself empathizing with her. Now he faces a difficult decision. Should he turn her in or help her escape?
I liked this book between than the companion/sequel "Encounter at Easton"
December 12, 2008
Quaker secondary character--not a bad pictoral of Quakers of the 1700's and their role in law enforcement, despite disagreement with the slave-trade. I like that Avi's not too preachy and resists the temptation to glorify difficult choices the main character makes. Not a thriller story, kind of sleepy and slow, but truthful to the times.
May 27, 2015
A short but very exciting adventure from Avi, different from other books of his that I've read. trying not to give too much away, I particularly enjoy the interaction between the main character Peter York and Mister Shin. It's nice to see an action book that takes as much time and effort to focus on what is right and just versus what is the law.
October 25, 2017
Young Adult Historical fiction about an indentured servant boy trying to find his way. He is taken in by a minister who seems cold and distant. When runaways are on the loose, everyone is sent out to look. Does Peter help them or risk his own safety?
Indentured servitude must have been an awful situation. This book helps us see what it might have been like. Important questions are raised.
Indentured servitude must have been an awful situation. This book helps us see what it might have been like. Important questions are raised.
June 7, 2018
Avi is a masterful children's story teller, though I would argue the tales are for all ages. His tales (at least the ones I've read) tackle subjects that are harder to swallow, and this tale is no different, along the lines of when the law must be bent and when it must be adhered to. I recommend all read this at their leisure.
May 16, 2011
Avi is really an interesting writer, loved this book. Read it with my 6th graders two years ago. They enjoyed it too. Great grade school writer. Love the eras in which he writes also. May have to pick up a few more for quick reads this summer.
January 6, 2016
Somehow a heartwarming story. Although it was somewhat obvious at times the fact that it turned out as you are lead to suspect it will is actually the heartwarming part. Excellent YA read, as are most of Avi's works that I have read.
September 29, 2017
Peter thinks he wants the reward money for catching escaped indentured servants. Then he thinks he wants to help them escape. Then he thinks he wants to go with them. Then... he doesn't know what he wants!
November 21, 2010
Avi has done it again. He is a talented author.
July 27, 2011
Kind of a weird one-sided view of Quakers, but otherwise interesting. Nice that the boy protagonist is not perfect and makes some big mistakes.
Read
April 24, 2013This chapter book combines both history and some adventure. This award-winning author is well known for his well-researched settings and stories with kid-appeal.
May 11, 2015
Good book. I enjoyed it, although it was somewhat too short for me as I read it in 45 minutes. As always, Avi writes well. This was rather interesting.
February 11, 2015
Another book I wish I had available as a teen, I am slowly catching up on all I have missed. This one was very good and again moving for me.
September 9, 2015
Another book I wouldn't have read if it had not been required by mother.
October 11, 2016
A solid 3 1/2 stars. Set in pre-revolution America, this short book is great for sparking discussions about civil disobedience, rule of law, and justice vs. mercy.
December 14, 2016
Quick read. Adventurous and enough historical tidbits to make it interesting.
May 24, 2017
Excellent source of historical fiction for junior high or upper elementary. The topics of indentured servitude, and the Quaker religion bring the conflict to its peak.
July 27, 2018
Predictable story of a boy attempting to do what's morally right instead of what the law states is right.
August 31, 2019
Avi is one of my favorite authors. It’s been years since I read this one, but it was a fun short read.
April 20, 2021
Truly, a living book, this story will cause your heart to beat faster, your breath to be held, and the pages to turn rapid fire.
January 18, 2022
Got better as it went on. Not amazing, but a decent choice for our Revolutionary time period. Highlights the mistreatment and injustice that could happen with indentured servants.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews