Wait for Me, Watch for Me, Eula Bee

by Patricia Beatty, Daniel Mark Duffy (Illustrations)

With Pa off fighting in the Civil War, Lewallen Collier and his little sister are captured in a bloody Comanche raid. Admiring Lewallen's courage, the Indians give him the name Sings His War Song and try to teach him the ways of a young brave. But Lewtie dreams only of escape -- and of the day he can return to rescue little Eula Bee.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Adventure, Young Adult, Civil War, Historical

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Patricia Beatty (1922 - 1991) was an American author of award-winning children's and young adult historical fiction novels.

She was born in Portland, Oregon, and was a longtime resident of southern California. After graduating from college, she taught high school English and history, and later held various positions as a science and technical librarian, and also as a children's librarian. She taught Writing Fiction for Children at several branches of the University of California.

She wrote over 50 novels, and co-write 10 of them with her husband, John L. Beatty.

Beatty died in Riverside, California in 1991.

Reviews

[Victoria Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been quite a while, but I remember absolutely L O V I N G this book! Recommended for grade school and up. A great historical book!

[Guguk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akhirnya~ ketemu juga bacaan dari perpus SMA dulu ^^; lupa judul, lupa nama pengarang... dan baru teringat pas lihat ini di lapak bukbek.

Sensasinya pas baca (yang masih terkenang sampai sekarang): seru, sadis, pahit, dan pedih.

*ulasan akan diedit bila bukunya berhasil didapatkan & dibaca ulang*
(*pedihnya kebegoan 'lihat-ada-buku-bagus-tapi-ga-diambil')

[Joanna]

I could hardly put this book down sometimes. Sometimes I didn't. :) It's about a family who gets separated by an indian attack. A brother and sister become slaves of the indians, and eventually he escapes and rescues his little sister from the indians and makes it to a fort.

[Tiffany]

A children's book from my misspent youth. Not as good as I remember...

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ayah dan kakak Lewallen Collier pergi ke medan perang. Malangnya, ibu, adik dan paman Lew dibunuh para Indian Comanche, sedang dia dan adiknya yg masih kecil -Eula Bee- menjadi tawanan. Untuk menenangkan Eula Bee, Lew menyanyikan lagu Lorena. Kagum dgn keberaniannya, para Indian itu memberinya julukan Si Penyanyi Lagu Peperangan. Lew dididik untuk menjadi prajurit Indian dan si adik diangkat sbg anak. Tapi Lew hanya ingin melarikan diri dan menyelamatkan dia dan adiknya.
.
Tetangga mereka juga ikut ditawan, Tomas dan Angelita, anak Pak Joe Cabral. Mereka bukan tetangga akrab. Lew menyesal kenapa dia dulu tidak berusaha mengenal tetangganya lebih baik lagi.
.
Dengan penuh perjuangan, Lew berhasil melaksanakan rencananya. Tapi ada banyak hal yg tidak diduganya; nasib yg menimpa Pak Cabral, Tomas, Angelita dan Eula Bee.
.
Membaca buku lawas ini membuat saya membayangkan suasana Texas pada 1800an. Peperangan, perburuan bison, naik kuda, perkemahan suku Indian. Pak Cabral memang misterius dan tidak ramah. Saya tidak menyukainya, tp nasib yg menimpanya ketika dia berusaha menyelamatkan anaknya membuat saya pilu. Lew memang berhasil menyelamatkan sang adik, tapi yg terjadi setelah itu tidak seperti yg diharapkannya.

[ALICIA MOGOLLON]

I read this as a young teen, I can't recommend nor rate it, because I don't remember it well enough. I vaguely remember being intrigued by the story, and possibly liking it... but I have found that I was somewhat naïve as a young teenager so I'm not sure how the author treats the subject matter. I don't know if the Native-Americans are treated in a positive light or if it is steeped in prejudice, generalizations or stereotype. I also don't know if this was supposed to be based on a true story. I've looked back at books I read and liked in my youth and discovered some heinous shit that I'd not had the awareness/experience to notice. I don't know if this book is one of those. So I'll just say I don't remember if it's worth reading.

[Wyatt A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book for middle school aged readers. The vocabulary was sometimes elementary but the story line was enjoyable. This book is largely effected by the civil war. Lewallen Collier was on his farm with his father off at war when his home was raided. Taken prisoner by the comanche indians, the young collier must escape and save his sister. This is an overall great book and I would definitely recommend it.

[Taylor Welch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a young boy and his sister who were kidnapped by a tribe of indians. When the two are split up, he does everything he can to make sure he gets back to her safely. I rated this book three stars only because this is not my favorite genre. It was well written and would be a great choice for middle schoolers, grades 5-8.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet story, and I absolutely loved the older brother and younger sister relationship.
The way Patricia Beatty ended the story was perfect.
I love her style of writing and hope to read more of her books in the future.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good little story and actually shows both sides of the white settlers vs native americans.
Story is told through the eyes of a 12 yr old boy.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty amazing story of a brave, and sometimes foolish, determined boy to save his sister and the harrowing adventures in the process.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comanche Indians attack the Collier farm in West Texas soon after Mr. Collier and his oldest son, Johnny, leave to join the Confederate Army. Mrs. Collier, her youngest son Daniel, and her Uncle Joshua are killed. Lewallen and Eula Beatrice (Eula Bee) Collier are taken prisoner. The Kiowa Indian with the raiding party wants to kill Lewallen, but the Comanche war chief won’t let him. A few days after the attack, their captors are joined by another war party. These Indians have Tomas and Angelita Cabral, the children of the Collier's nearest neighbor. Through sign language, Tomas lets Lewallen know that the Indians killed his mother, but not his father. During the journey to the Comanche camp, Lewallen sings "Leonora," Eula Bee's favorite song. He hopes the song will help her feel less scared. The Indians regard his singing as an act of bravery and name him- “Sings His Own War Song.” Once the raiding parties arrive back to the Comanche camp, the girls are given to Yellow Wolf and adopted as daughters. Many Horses takes Lewallen, and Small Buffalo, the Kiowa, gets Tomas. Both boys become slaves doing woman's work. When Lewallen saves Many Horses’ life during a buffalo stampede, Lewallen becomes Many Horses' pony herder. The very first day, he steals Small Buffalo’s favorite pony and runs away. Lewallen manages to allude the Indians tracking him and finds the confederate Fort Belknap. He hopes the soldiers will go rescue Eula Bee and the Cabral children, but they are understaffed and unable to help him. Lewallen is surprised to learn the Mr. Cabral is at the fort. He was hurt in the raid and walks with a limp, but he’s as ornery as ever. Snow flies soon after Lewallen’s arrival so he stays the winter with the Commanding Officer Claiborne and his wife. Cabral plans to take trade goods and ransom his children. Lewallen sells the stolen Indian pony, and buys beads to pay for the pony and his sister. In the spring, they go back to find the winter camp deserted. Cabral tracks the Indians to their new camp. Angelina is dead, and Tomas is gone. Small Buffalo took Tomas and Eula Bee to the Kiowa camp. As Cabral goes into the camp to ransom the children, soldiers attack. Cabral and Tomas are killed in the raid. Lewallen learned earlier that Cabral and his family are Comancheros- people who trade with the Indians and supply them with guns, powder, and alcohol. When Lewallen takes Cabral’s horse and trade goods to Cabral’s father in Santa Fe, he hopes they will help him rescue Eula Bee when they go to the annual rendezvous. When they refuse to take Lewallen with them, he stows away in a trade wagon. At the rendezvous, he sneaks into Small Buffalo’s teepee while the Indian is drunk and steals his sister back. They travel back to Fort Belknap to live with the Claibornes.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Ruthe Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great “Cowboy and Indian” story, set in North Texas and New Mexico during the early years of the Civil War. The author researched thoroughly to bring a historically correct story about two siblings who were taken captive by Comanche Indians. The book is an appropriate read for young adults, especially boys.

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion, Wait for Me, Watch for Me, Eula Bee tackles the difficult subject of white settler vs. American Indian in a way that is neither overly defensive of either group nor filled with sententious proclamations and 20-20 hindsight from a comfortable armchair in the 21st century. This author managed to tell a story and bring plenty to the table to discuss and I appreciate that.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the time I finished reading this book aloud to my former fifth grade students, there was not a dry eye in the classroom. This book is about commitment to family and goals, as well as perserverance through difficult times.

[TatiAnna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of the few that have earned the distinction of making me cry. Throughout the tension-filled story of the wild, wild West, it's impossible to forget what it really is--the story of one boy's quest to rescue the only family left to him.

[Aida Vyasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh my GOD!!! I'm in love with tis novel. I read it many times ... I had it when I was probably in Primary School .... or early in Junior High ...

I fall in love with Lew, how he struggle to fight for his family .... and I love the Ending. U must read!!!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lewallen Collier and his younger sister were captured by Comanche Indians in Civil War era Texas. Lew knew his chances of escape were better if he went alone. He was determined to return for Eula Bee, he told ner she must watch and wait for his return. Very moving.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a kid, and loved it. Ran out of things to read at the cabin yesterday and so picked it up. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. It's a good one. It's young adult/historical fiction.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our class read this together in 5th grade and we all agreed it was wonderful. I already have a copy in my son's library. Now if he'll just learn to read already!

[Sarah Jane Wood · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's been thirteen years since I read this, and I still distinctly remember how disturbing I found it. Descriptions of people getting scalped by Comanches = not appropriate for fifth graders.

[Alisha Bonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was another fiction book i had trouble putting down :) i was very thankful that it was clean, appropriate, and very well written.
this book is great for ages 10+

[Fitrianirahma · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read this book a loooong time ago (10 or 15 years ago I think?) one of my dad's book collection.
good plot, good story
made me cry a bit

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

B. YA, upper elementary, historical fiction, Civil War, West, Native Americans, early settlers, mom's stash, keep