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The White Fox Chronicles
The year is 2057. Endless wars have torn the USA apart and enslaved Americans to the CCR, the Confederation of Consolidated Republics. Growing up in the wasteland of war has made 14-year-old Cody Pierce wise in survival skills, and now he's the White Fox, rebel leader of the children's barracks in a CCR prison camp. Once he escapes, life with the underground teaches him new skills in weaponry and strategy as he plays cat-and-mouse with the CCR. Every day brings him closer to capture, as well as to his goal: to return and liberate the children he left behind.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 13, 2000
32 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
416 books4,039 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 22, 2008
Very few people on Goodreads appear to have read this book. There's a reason for that.
I read this in 8th grade, and really enjoyed reading it. And why not - the book is basically a combination of just about every action movie you've ever seen. I think Gary Paulson just wrote this book because he thought it would be fun.
The story takes place in 2057, where America has been taken over by an evil group of people called the CCR - that stands for something, but I can't remember what. Are they an ethnic group? A previously undiscovered country? We don't know, and are not supposed to care. The only important thing to remember is that they speak their own language and are evil, freedom-hating bastards. They've set up prison camps all over the country (after bombing Washington), and that's where our protagonist, the All-American Hero Character, has to escape from. He does, of course, and spends the rest of the book fighting super evil bad guys, accquiring super awesome fighting skillz, and getting to use a lot of super awesome futuristic weapons. (A gun that shoots laser beams?! It must be THE FUTURE!)
Gary Paulson is well known for writing survival-based books like Hatchet (which is extremely good and worth picking up), and with The White Fox Chronicles is obviously experimenting with different genres.
He shouldn't have bothered. He obviously knows a lot about weapons and survival tactics, and when the plot requires these things it's very well-written and interesting. The problem is that the book is supposed to be set in the future, but as far as new technology goes, the book seems to take place in 1980. There are no security cameras at the prison camp, and they store all their confidential papers in filing cabinets (the locks of which can be easily picked by our 14 year old hero). I don't remember anyone even using a computer during the whole course of the story.
So in conclusion, I'm giving the book 3 stars because, honestly, it was an entertaining read and I liked it.
Then again, I also like Top Gun, so it's all relative.
I read this in 8th grade, and really enjoyed reading it. And why not - the book is basically a combination of just about every action movie you've ever seen. I think Gary Paulson just wrote this book because he thought it would be fun.
The story takes place in 2057, where America has been taken over by an evil group of people called the CCR - that stands for something, but I can't remember what. Are they an ethnic group? A previously undiscovered country? We don't know, and are not supposed to care. The only important thing to remember is that they speak their own language and are evil, freedom-hating bastards. They've set up prison camps all over the country (after bombing Washington), and that's where our protagonist, the All-American Hero Character, has to escape from. He does, of course, and spends the rest of the book fighting super evil bad guys, accquiring super awesome fighting skillz, and getting to use a lot of super awesome futuristic weapons. (A gun that shoots laser beams?! It must be THE FUTURE!)
Gary Paulson is well known for writing survival-based books like Hatchet (which is extremely good and worth picking up), and with The White Fox Chronicles is obviously experimenting with different genres.
He shouldn't have bothered. He obviously knows a lot about weapons and survival tactics, and when the plot requires these things it's very well-written and interesting. The problem is that the book is supposed to be set in the future, but as far as new technology goes, the book seems to take place in 1980. There are no security cameras at the prison camp, and they store all their confidential papers in filing cabinets (the locks of which can be easily picked by our 14 year old hero). I don't remember anyone even using a computer during the whole course of the story.
So in conclusion, I'm giving the book 3 stars because, honestly, it was an entertaining read and I liked it.
Then again, I also like Top Gun, so it's all relative.
September 21, 2011
I read this book while in elementary school and (until I stumbled upon Harry Potter) it was my favorite book. I look back and flip through the pages and see it for what it is, an action-packed book with a war-hero who is barely a teenager. When I was younger the book fascinated me and I read it multiple times because of all the intense action scenes, upon flipping through the pages once again; I realized it was as if the main character Cody Pierce (White Fox) was jumping from intense scene to scene with casual breaks in between. It is a very exciting book with little boring moments, except when necessary for scenery explanation, which Gary does quite well. The books within themselves are titled: Escape, Return, Breakout. Which is fitting because Cody is brave fourteen-year old war hero.
April 11, 2023
Gary Paulsen didn't write much science fiction, so what he did contribute to the genre is worthy of note. The White Fox Chronicles takes us to the year 2057, in the region known until recently as the United States of America. Fourteen-year-old Cody Pierce resides in a prison camp run by Colonel Sidoron, a ruthless military leader of the Confederation of Consolidated Republics. The CCR prepped its shocking takeover of the United States bit by bit, until they were ready for a blitzkrieg that destroyed American government and divided the populace into warring states. The CCR imprisons or executes all who still identify as U.S. citizens, but Cody has survived by pretending to buy into their agenda and allowing himself to be trained as an ally. His resolve weakens when a brave rebel pilot, Major Toni McLaughlin, is brought to the camp for interrogation and torture. Cody always knew the moment would come to attempt escape, but is now that time? All signs point to yes.
The "White Fox", as Cody is called, has developed impressive skills for a young teen, foremost among them the art of lock picking. But it takes a lot of luck to break Toni out of lockup and put enough distance between the two of them and the CCR bounty hunters to complete the escape. Cody and Toni are on foot over treacherous terrain, with traitors and crazies all around. Precious little loyalty exists to the former U.S., since any hint of it is regarded as a capital crime. What hope does Cody have of reaching a friendly enclave before a hit squad sent by Colonel Sidoron catches him?
Meaningfully opposing the CCR won't happen overnight. Cody moves through multiple alliances with people sympathetic to his cause of restoring the old world of freedom and prosperity; some of them underestimate Cody because of his youth, but others recognize his extraordinary talents, which only grow as Cody learns from other stouthearted patriots. Yet his conscience is pricked by promises he made to the children incarcerated at his old prison camp. Colonel Sidoron will kill American kids without hesitation, and Cody couldn't bear it if the ones he promised rescue wound up dead. He insists any attack on the CCR empire must begin at the prison camp, but even if the bold gambit works, there's no guarantee Cody will make it out alive. Is this the opening salvo for the White Fox as leader of a second American Revolution, or will he follow Nathan Hale in losing his one life for the country he loves?
What's fascinating about The White Fox Chronicles is how the CCR conquered the U.S. in the first place. For years their inroads were not military; they purchased private land in the U.S. at a steady rate and used these holdings to coordinate a network of spies tasked with disempowering the country from within. That done, the CCR launched missile assaults on sensitive American locations, and the U.S. collapsed like a house weakened by termites. This is the way you bring down a superpower, whether the corrosion comes via a toxic ideology or a foreign nation acting from the inside out. The White Fox Chronicles is a warning to those who ignore such red flags.
A few chapters in I was ready to consider a high rating, but the book doesn't pan out. The story feels arhythmic, sometimes disjointed. The basic plot could be stretched and deepened to make a thrilling YA novel, but the readers Gary Paulsen aimed for here are younger than that, and the result isn't a positive one. Still, there are good things: I loved the kids in the decimated G Company unit of the U.S. Army, especially Davey and Patch. Despite being years younger than Cody, they showed moxie and fought their hearts out. It's possible I'd consider two and a half stars for The White Fox Chronicles, and while it was no Hatchet or Soldier's Heart, the book manages to be a somewhat worthwhile contribution to Paulsen's extensive library of works for young readers.
The "White Fox", as Cody is called, has developed impressive skills for a young teen, foremost among them the art of lock picking. But it takes a lot of luck to break Toni out of lockup and put enough distance between the two of them and the CCR bounty hunters to complete the escape. Cody and Toni are on foot over treacherous terrain, with traitors and crazies all around. Precious little loyalty exists to the former U.S., since any hint of it is regarded as a capital crime. What hope does Cody have of reaching a friendly enclave before a hit squad sent by Colonel Sidoron catches him?
Meaningfully opposing the CCR won't happen overnight. Cody moves through multiple alliances with people sympathetic to his cause of restoring the old world of freedom and prosperity; some of them underestimate Cody because of his youth, but others recognize his extraordinary talents, which only grow as Cody learns from other stouthearted patriots. Yet his conscience is pricked by promises he made to the children incarcerated at his old prison camp. Colonel Sidoron will kill American kids without hesitation, and Cody couldn't bear it if the ones he promised rescue wound up dead. He insists any attack on the CCR empire must begin at the prison camp, but even if the bold gambit works, there's no guarantee Cody will make it out alive. Is this the opening salvo for the White Fox as leader of a second American Revolution, or will he follow Nathan Hale in losing his one life for the country he loves?
What's fascinating about The White Fox Chronicles is how the CCR conquered the U.S. in the first place. For years their inroads were not military; they purchased private land in the U.S. at a steady rate and used these holdings to coordinate a network of spies tasked with disempowering the country from within. That done, the CCR launched missile assaults on sensitive American locations, and the U.S. collapsed like a house weakened by termites. This is the way you bring down a superpower, whether the corrosion comes via a toxic ideology or a foreign nation acting from the inside out. The White Fox Chronicles is a warning to those who ignore such red flags.
A few chapters in I was ready to consider a high rating, but the book doesn't pan out. The story feels arhythmic, sometimes disjointed. The basic plot could be stretched and deepened to make a thrilling YA novel, but the readers Gary Paulsen aimed for here are younger than that, and the result isn't a positive one. Still, there are good things: I loved the kids in the decimated G Company unit of the U.S. Army, especially Davey and Patch. Despite being years younger than Cody, they showed moxie and fought their hearts out. It's possible I'd consider two and a half stars for The White Fox Chronicles, and while it was no Hatchet or Soldier's Heart, the book manages to be a somewhat worthwhile contribution to Paulsen's extensive library of works for young readers.
October 23, 2014
Favorite book. Nuff said.
December 6, 2011
the white fox chronicles by gary paulsen is a story of war and fear set in an America destroyed by a facist regime of foreigners that take on the name CCP. this book tells the sory of cody price a fourteen year old boy that goes on a battle crusade to free the prisoners from the camp he himself had just escaped. this book drew me in instantly because the strong supporting charectersseemed to teach not only cody ,a hardened street, rat to feel humanity but the reader aswell the emotions that cody feels simply flow through the reader from page to heart in an instant. and the love that is projected for cody is felt in the deep reesese's of the mind of the reader. the only real problems encoutered while reading paulsens novel are fist the novel is broken into three parts each one loosing an extremely strong companion of cody making the story over all feel extremely episodical. the second problem was the language was clearly written for a young audience that has already grown and past carrying with it the fears and paranoia of that generation but executed so bluntly that the reder has a hard time reading between the lines because the events are so evident overall i loved the charecters and the relationships painted on the canvas of your imagination but the language is hardly intruiging at all.
February 8, 2011
I read this book when I was in middle school, (at an age where reading wasn't necessarily a huge hobby of mine) and the images of this tale have stuck with me ever since. It is the first great science fiction book I've read. Since the book is at a middle school reading level the author really relies heavily on action to keep the reader flipping pages. You aren't going to be literally inspired by this book in any way, but the action itself is entertaining and will keep you reading.
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April 13, 2020Very good and decently time consuming. also at the start I was to amused but towards the end I really liked it.
November 6, 2008
The year is 2052 and much of the U.S. has been taken over by the repressive Confederation of Consolidated Republics (CCR). Except for some small rebel holdouts, most of the population has been virtually enslaved. Cody, age 14, is laboring in a prison camp, where he is known as the White Fox, for his white-blonde hair. He becomes friends with many of the kids and some of them end up dying. Cody used to be with the rebels and picked up a bunch of skills and techniques that he uses later to escape. After he escapes he now has to travel through deserts and forests while stealing planes and vehicles just to finally escape the CCR. Cody tries to outsmart the CCR generals and most of the time it works. He has no mercy for any of the officers after everything they’ve done to him and his friends and this country. He ends up killing almost every soldier and more important the commander. This story is full of huge wars and firefights that lead to the protagonists escape or fall. Gary Paulson, the author, has written many other amazing books like Hatchet. Cody is my favorite character because of his bravery and my least favorite is the colonel of the CCR because of his hate. The constant intensity kept me reading this book and that keep you on the edge of your seat full of fear to what will happen next. I would recommend this book to all age group, starting at about fifth grade. Even adult would love this book because of the maturity that the author has in his word choice. This book is so epic and captivating that you will never be able to predict what’s going to happen next and you will never guess the end of the book.
May 22, 2016
I read this as a young boy in 6th grade and treat it as one of the first books I actually enjoyed reading. It lead me to read Hatchet by Paulsen, and similar novels such as the My Side of the Mountain trilogy. Having read it again as an adult I can see why I enjoyed it so much when I was young. Easy, fast, full of adventure and action. Not a book I would consider a must-read by any means, but it is certainly a story that was right for me at that time in my life, and for that, I am thankful.
February 15, 2025
4/5 Stars
I picked this book up because my husband recently told me it is one of his favorite books he read during school. (He is not a reader & remembers this book fondly)
I’m rating this book for the readers it’s intended for. I can see why young male readers would devour this book. It’s a sci fi/dystopian read filled with action. I remember in middle school loving dystopian books but while reading I was thinking “all the dystopian books I read had female main characters”. I think this book fits into the genre well with a male lead. This book would be perfect for boys would want something action packed in a futurist society with a male main character.
If I was rating this book as an adult I would have a lot more to say but this book isn’t intended for adults.
All that being said, it was very action packed & was a quick read. I don��t usually love a book with super heavy action but did enjoy my time with this & was pleasantly surprised.
I picked this book up because my husband recently told me it is one of his favorite books he read during school. (He is not a reader & remembers this book fondly)
I’m rating this book for the readers it’s intended for. I can see why young male readers would devour this book. It’s a sci fi/dystopian read filled with action. I remember in middle school loving dystopian books but while reading I was thinking “all the dystopian books I read had female main characters”. I think this book fits into the genre well with a male lead. This book would be perfect for boys would want something action packed in a futurist society with a male main character.
If I was rating this book as an adult I would have a lot more to say but this book isn’t intended for adults.
All that being said, it was very action packed & was a quick read. I don��t usually love a book with super heavy action but did enjoy my time with this & was pleasantly surprised.
May 26, 2023
Fast paced, easy read, and can be finished in one sitting. Nice comic book book cover. Cody Pierce was a POW. He was fifteen, shacked with other kids for daily indoctrination. He’d be beaten badly if gets out of line. He got everything ready for an escape when a captured woman pilot got hauled in to be interrogated. His partner, almost ready when dug partway through the tunnel by the sewers. Some how, the fox was found out, and savagely beaten. Despite that, he managed to escape with woman pilot. They went through slips and starts, and found themselves at the rebel base. Afterwards, Cody went back with a score to settle with the torturer. What’s gonna happen? You’ll have to read it for yourself. Too bad, there wasn’t a sequel. It’s an enjoyable one. However, the story went by way too fast though.
November 2, 2018
Nalu Loo
Period 5
Mrs. ott
November 2, 18
The book i read is White Fox the author is Gary Paulsen. this about a teenage boy teenage boy that was captured by hostiles when he was younger and these hostiles have taken over america and many of its people. I like this book because of the action and adventure that goes on in this book and i also like that the book doesn’t go off track of the story it is telling it stays consistent and never starts a different story i also like because it is in the future and its not how people picture the future it doesn’t have space crafts and aliens it just like how it is now in present time besides america being taken over by hostiles. I would recommend this book to any one that likes to have fun and use their imagination when they are reading.
Period 5
Mrs. ott
November 2, 18
The book i read is White Fox the author is Gary Paulsen. this about a teenage boy teenage boy that was captured by hostiles when he was younger and these hostiles have taken over america and many of its people. I like this book because of the action and adventure that goes on in this book and i also like that the book doesn’t go off track of the story it is telling it stays consistent and never starts a different story i also like because it is in the future and its not how people picture the future it doesn’t have space crafts and aliens it just like how it is now in present time besides america being taken over by hostiles. I would recommend this book to any one that likes to have fun and use their imagination when they are reading.
May 27, 2017
This book is SO good. I read it when I was still in middle school (I'm 18 now) and I was shocked at how much I liked it! I read it in less than a day and thoroughly enjoyed every page!! It's not just a boys book! It is packed full of action and it's just amazing. I don't really know how else to describe it without giving any spoilers so just read it!! You won't be disappointed! Gary Paulsen is an awesome writer, I read The Hatchet in 6th grade as required reading and I fell in love with his work.
July 7, 2022
from goodreads:
The year is 2057. Endless wars have torn the USA apart and enslaved Americans to the CCR, the Confederation of Consolidated Republics. Growing up in the wasteland of war has made 14-year-old Cody Pierce wise in survival skills, and now he's the White Fox, rebel leader of the children's barracks in a CCR prison camp. Once he escapes, life with the underground teaches him new skills in weaponry and strategy as he plays cat-and-mouse with the CCR. Every day brings him closer to capture, as well as to his goal: to return and liberate the children he left behind.
The year is 2057. Endless wars have torn the USA apart and enslaved Americans to the CCR, the Confederation of Consolidated Republics. Growing up in the wasteland of war has made 14-year-old Cody Pierce wise in survival skills, and now he's the White Fox, rebel leader of the children's barracks in a CCR prison camp. Once he escapes, life with the underground teaches him new skills in weaponry and strategy as he plays cat-and-mouse with the CCR. Every day brings him closer to capture, as well as to his goal: to return and liberate the children he left behind.
September 24, 2024
“Don’t be so quick to judge, Cody. Sometimes things aren’t exactly what they seem.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a middle grade apocalyptic book.
In the year 2057 the Confederation of Consolidated Republic has taken over and enslaved America. Cody is a 14-year-old who is in a children’s prison camp. His goal is to escape and free all of the children. This book has three parts of it. It is full of adventure, survival and rebellion.
This was an OK read. If I didn’t have a goal to read all of Gary Paulson‘s backlist I would’ve never come across this book so that is a positive.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a middle grade apocalyptic book.
In the year 2057 the Confederation of Consolidated Republic has taken over and enslaved America. Cody is a 14-year-old who is in a children’s prison camp. His goal is to escape and free all of the children. This book has three parts of it. It is full of adventure, survival and rebellion.
This was an OK read. If I didn’t have a goal to read all of Gary Paulson‘s backlist I would’ve never come across this book so that is a positive.
December 18, 2017
So I picked this up for $2 at a Scholastic book fair because of the price, the author, the futuristic war-torn post-USA rebel survivalist synopsis, and the pulpy action cover. Was it worth it? Yeah, White Fox is good ol' 'rah-rah, American shoot'em up' pulpy action/war movie-esque fare. It is quite violent for a kid's book, not Tarantino violent, but the battles, torture and concentration camp scenes may be too harsh for some kids.
January 24, 2019
This book was recommended to me by one of my students, Carly. Thanks Carly! I have read many books by Gary Paulsen, but this was quite different. I enjoyed the adventure. The protagonist was well developed and I found myself cheering him on. I would like a sequel! Fast read and I would recommend it to reluctant readers as it is fast paced and suspenseful.
July 19, 2020
This book was a major disappointment. The story is fine, it’s really more like a superhero, the white fox. The writing that was rushed the story feels very rushed. I would not read another Gary Paulsen book again
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May 19, 2020I was very young when I read the first one and was trying to remember where I had heard this authors name from and finally came across this.
Read
August 6, 2020one of my very favourite books as a kid. have always wanted to dye my hair white or go as cody pierce for halloween
September 21, 2020
Review to come.
February 1, 2022
I first read this as a kid. Such a fun book! Definitely a nice break from the heavier stuff I’ve been reading.
Great adventure. Great action and story telling.
Great adventure. Great action and story telling.
March 16, 2022
Great!
May 8, 2023
Fantastic little power trip.
June 23, 2024
I enjoyed the Hatchet series from the same author, but this was too violent. It also ended abruptly, with unresolved issues.
January 28, 2026
very engaging couldn't put it down. love books by this author. wish there was a sequel.
Read
March 22, 2017I thought this book is good because it talks about the future i like books like that especially this one because it is about war. it talk about wars tearing the us apart the enslaved americans hated the ccr the ccr is short for confederation of consolidated republics. a kid named cody pierce grew up during a war and was always good at survival skills.
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December 12, 2014Cody is the main character in the book who is trying to escape a prison. He got captured by guards when he was in the woods. He fails to get away from the guards when he tried. He is in a jail and there were other people there too.
Cody one day caught the guards of Guard and started to run when he got out of the gates. After that the guards noticed that Cody was missing and they went after him. He found a way out of that area and started walking in the woods. He got out and got away from the guards.
Cody was the main character of the book. He is tall and has blond hair. He runs fast, has a red bandanna, and he has a blue shirt on. He is very quiet.
He likes to kill too. He will sneak up behind guards and take them out. He can hide really good and blind in with things. Cody is the main character of the book. He is awesome.
The setting takes place in a jail. The jail is where the people are kidnapped. It also takes place in the woods to. Cody runs into the woods after he escapes.
The conflict of the book is when the guards come and kidnap people. Another part is when Cody kills some guys. Conflict happened when he ran into the woods so the chased after him. The last conflict is when the guards chase after him.
In my opinion I think the book was a good book. Because I like action books and it was awesome. I liked every single page of the book. I loved the book.
I would recommend this book to all of my friends. Because it is a fun book to read. It is the book I've read in a while. I recommend this book to everyone.
Cody one day caught the guards of Guard and started to run when he got out of the gates. After that the guards noticed that Cody was missing and they went after him. He found a way out of that area and started walking in the woods. He got out and got away from the guards.
Cody was the main character of the book. He is tall and has blond hair. He runs fast, has a red bandanna, and he has a blue shirt on. He is very quiet.
He likes to kill too. He will sneak up behind guards and take them out. He can hide really good and blind in with things. Cody is the main character of the book. He is awesome.
The setting takes place in a jail. The jail is where the people are kidnapped. It also takes place in the woods to. Cody runs into the woods after he escapes.
The conflict of the book is when the guards come and kidnap people. Another part is when Cody kills some guys. Conflict happened when he ran into the woods so the chased after him. The last conflict is when the guards chase after him.
In my opinion I think the book was a good book. Because I like action books and it was awesome. I liked every single page of the book. I loved the book.
I would recommend this book to all of my friends. Because it is a fun book to read. It is the book I've read in a while. I recommend this book to everyone.
April 25, 2016
I love Gary Paulsen. His book Guts: The True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books reminded me of how wonderful autobiographies can be. Hatchet has inspired hundreds of my struggling readers to keep struggling through grade level text because the story is so good. He's one of my favorite authors so I was thrilled to see him venturing into science fiction.
Although this is set up as post-apocalyptic science fiction, it's really action-adventure. The protagonist, a kid, reminds me too much of the Maximum Ride series where the kid is a superhero with the powers to overwhelm grown adults with brains and brawn.
There's very little character development but lots of action. The kids will love it. I didn't.
Although this is set up as post-apocalyptic science fiction, it's really action-adventure. The protagonist, a kid, reminds me too much of the Maximum Ride series where the kid is a superhero with the powers to overwhelm grown adults with brains and brawn.
There's very little character development but lots of action. The kids will love it. I didn't.
April 16, 2013
the white fox Chronicles is about a boy that was found and locked in a concentration camp and has been there for almost a year and he learns there language and escapes with a pilot and they defeat deserts and hard Terran. they make it the the hidden base in the mountains and white fox kills and is wanted alive and they will get reward and then joins other bases that are frauds and steal important cargo of trains and white fox goes back to camp and blows place sky high and saves everyone else in the camp like he had promised.
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