Call Me Francis Tucket

The Tucket Adventures #2

by Gary Paulsen

Alone. Francis Tucket now feels more confident that he can handle almost anything. A year ago, on the wagon train, he was kidnapped from his family by a Pawnee hunting party. Then he escaped with the help of the mountain man, Mr. Grimes. Now that he and Mr. Grimes have parted ways, Francis is heading west on his Indian pony, crossing the endless prairie, trying to find his family.

After a year with Mr. Grimes, Francis has learned to live by the harsh code of the wilderness. He can cause a stampede, survive his own mistakes, and face up to desperadoes. But when he rescues a little girl and her younger brother, Francis takes on more than he bargained for.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adventure, Westerns, Young Adult, Historical, Middle Grade

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Gary 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.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket doesn't miss a beat as he parts ways with the complex Jason Grimes and continues his adventure across the American West of 1848 in search of his missing parents and younger sister, Rebecca. Traveling with Mr. Grimes taught Francis lessons he probably couldn't have survived without, and he uses his new hunting and tracking skills as he chases after the family he lost contact with when Pawnee Indians kidnapped Francis at the start of the first book in this series, Mr. Tucket.

Francis possesses a strong young mare, the Lancaster rifle his father presented him for his last birthday, and not much else, but his situation worsens when Francis is seized by a pair of wandering outlaws. Courtweiler is a soft-spoken man of no respect for society's laws, and Dubs is a giant whom Francis can see it would be a lost cause to fight. The men relieve the boy of his horse, rifle, food, and shirt, but Francis can't allow them to leave him in the dusty plains with nothing besides their scrawny mule. He'll die of exposure or starvation, so Francis stalks his tormentors to take back what they stole. To Francis's surprise the mule follows him the many miles to where the two thieves bed down for the night. A tense struggle ensues over the mare and Francis's other ex-belongings, but Courtweiler and Dubs no longer have the element of surprise, and Francis is motivated to avenge what they did to him earlier. The scraggly mule turns out to be a valuable ally.

Searching for pioneer wagon trains is Francis's priority as he returns to the trail, but he doesn't find many, let alone the one his family is with. Then he spots an abandoned wagon in the wilderness, silent as the grave. He expects an ambush or a deadly creature holed up in the wagon, but he's taken aback by what it actually contains: two children. Lottie is eight or nine, a nervous chatterer once she gets going, and her brother Billy is hardly five or six, and totally silent. Their wagon train deserted them and their pa when he fell ill with cholera, and he left the wagon before the bacteria could kill him in front of his children. Francis has no idea how to take care of kids, but he still has Courtweiler's mule, so he puts the blonde, freckle-faced youngsters on the animal's back and sets off with not more than a faint plan in mind.

How does a teenage boy adapt to being an ersatz parent under such conditions? Francis needs to find his family, but he has to prioritize Lottie and Billy or he may as well have left them in the wagon. No adults are stepping up to care for the kids, so they're Francis's responsibility, and he refuses to let them down. They trust him to protect them against a cynical world that has done them terribly wrong on multiple counts. When Francis thinks he's set Lottie and her brother up in a decent situation, better than traipsing across the barren plains with a teen who has no clue where he's going, doubts continue to nag at him. Will Lottie and Billy be okay with the couple he entrusted them to, or has he put them in position to be exploited again? Francis can't be sure, but he won't fail those kids now. He'll ensure their security and well-being even if he has to kidnap them back and assume longterm guardianship of them...and that may be required to see them safely to the other side of the events in this book.

The Tucket Adventures series is an episodic romp in the Sid Fleischman storytelling tradition. Francis has courage and conviction, but he must learn to survive in the Western wilds or forfeit any chance of seeing his family again. Hope of reunion spurs him on through all his troubles, but the journey has provided a few companions he may not want to say goodbye to, and I have a feeling Lottie, Billy, and the mule will stay beside Francis longer than Mr. Grimes did. Call Me Francis Tucket is arguably worth two and a half stars, and leads smoothly into book three of the five-part series, Tucket's Ride. I'll meet you there to resume the story.

[Cody.A.W · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Call Me Francis Tucket” is a western adventure book and a sequel to “Mr. Tucket” from Gary Paulson. During the beginning of Francis Tucket is hunting for a wagon train, during this time he gets thrown off trail and loses the wagons. He then encounters Mr. Courtweiler, and Dubs. After the encounter with Mr. Courtweiler and Dubs Francis gains the company of a mule and some extra supplies then continues his journey. He later finds an abandoned wagon with two children, Lottie and Billy. Francis takes the kids in order to find a suitable home for them.

“Call Me Francis Tucket” is a well written story full of detail. At the start of the book Tucket’s thoughts and feelings in his daydreaming are fully fleshed out. The story’s setting is described well with smells and hints of what season it might be. During the end of the story the tension build is extremely effective and can be felt in the chest. Overall, I would recommend “Call Me Francis Tucket”. It helps to read “Mr Tucket” in order to understand Francis slightly more and for context during the daydreaming and memories.

[Brevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME!!!!!!!

[Emily Musgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this book on audible while driving home from Wyoming. Though not quite as tense as the first book, the characters were interesting, and the continual development of Frances from the first book feels authentic and natural. The narrator is excellent!

[711Isabel B · Rating 3 out of 5]

CALL ME FRANCIS TUCKET, by Gary Paulsen, was good, but not as good as the prequel (MR. TUCKET.

I think that the book has some strong ideas, especially about human relationships.

I think that one thing that is important in the book is when Francis discovers Lottie and Billy, two young children, left to die, out on the prairie, because their father had cholera. That is an important part of the book, because it shows the relationships even within the wagon trains. They were kicked out, not because they weren't wanted, but because they were possibly contagious. The people in the wagon train didn't want the chance to be exposed to cholera, so they kicked out not only the father, but anyone who might have been exposed to him as well (Lottie and Billy). But they didn't contract it.

Still, despite that, they weren't allowed back into the wagon train, just because there was a small chance that they might have the disease.
This shows a lot about human survival instincts and their relationships.

Even though there was a chance that the kids wouldn't have cholera, they didn't want to take the chance. They were willing to leave the kids out on the prairie, where they would probably die, just to keep themselves safe.
This was probably the smartest and safest thing for them to do. Which is better, saving many lives at the cost of two or three, or possibly killing many people, without saving anyone?

That brings up an important ethical question. It is an easy one in theory, but in practice, it might not be so easy, and I doubt that the wagon train felt entirely comfortable with what they were doing.

But on the other hand, what they did would hurt the kids, kill them, even, despite there being a chance that they might not have cholera.

This book was good, though, like I said in my review for MR. TUCKET, that I feel like the characters could have been a bit better developed. I felt like Francis learned all the tricks of the trade (living alone in the wild) a little too quickly, and resolved minor problems too easily, while always coming out on top.
I don't think that I'll continue reading the series (but who knows, maybe I will), but so far, the books have been decent enough.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my honest opinion, this book “Call me Francis Tucket” is a remarkable book. But how? As I said before in all of my Gary Paulsen reviews, Paulsen has a habit of grabbing your attention and not letting it go! The details are just so explosive, they seem to almost jump off the page and have become real. In this novel, Francis is still in search for his parents among the Oregon trail. He travels through a vast wide open prairie, and at this time he travels with a wagon train that he has come upon. As Francis is out on a hunt he spots a buffalo herd and is already a hefty distance from the train when he spot them. Francis has began hunting the buffalo but has never done this before. We he fires his rifle at a young bull he starts up a stampede and he is forced to ride his mare inside the stampede to avoid almost certain death. After the stampede is over he finds food, gets wood, and camps out for the night, lost in the sea of grass. But in the morning, Francis is in trouble! He is left for dead. But what or who did this to him? Read the book to find out! It really is a thrilling, adventurous, book and I catch myself smiling and laughing quite often! This book is a definite read and I think you should consider exploring. It is life changing.

[David Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of 5 in the series. Francis finds himself alone in the vast northern tablelands. He survives buffalo stampedes, close encounters with tribes, and picks up a few strays along the way. Ultimately, his humanity is put at stake, and he has to choose whether to adopt a life like former Mountain Man, Jason Grimes, or to take a higher road.

The target audience here is 10-14 yrs-old. Take that with a grain of salt. While it is short, and the story is fairly simple, the historical and cultural details, and themes should still resonate with an older crowd

[Billymeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book. It leaves off where the first book "Mr. Tucket" ended. The plot of the book is basically going to Oregon, then things start to take a turn for the worse. If you like old west books then I highly recommend this series of books. This book is good if you like reading short books. This series would be more for lower level readers.

[Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read call me Francis Tucket by Gary Paulsen. The main character in this book is Francis Tucket. In the beginning of the book Francis goes with a wagon train across the prarie trying to get to Oregon. Then he goes hunting and he rode into a herd of buffalo and shot one with his rifle which scared all of the bison and he was stuck in a stampede for hours then they were lost so he went out of the herd and shot a buffalo and he camped there for the night and when he woke up two men had all of his stuff and his horse and they made him give them everything and all they left was their worn out mule so Francis ran for two days after them and the mule followed him. And at night Francis sneaked into their camp and took their rifles and when they woke up they ran after him so the mule kicked one of them in the face and one of them in the stomach. Then Francis rode away with his stuff trying to find a wagon train and he found one alone wagon and he looked inside and there was two kids in there and their dad and mom had died so he took them with him and he dropped them off at a trading post and a day later he came back and he saw that the man was making the kids work and not giving them food or water so Francis took them back and rode away.
To get a bison dinner first you must ride up to the herd and shoot one. Next, you need to skin it and get a chunk of meat. Finally, you cook the meat. In the book Call Me Francis Tucket by Gary Paulsen, First Francis rode up to the herd and picked a nice young bull then he shot it. Next, he skinned the buffalo and cut off a 7 pound slab of meat. Finally, he propped the meat up on two sticks and put it close to the fire to cook it. Since he did this he got to eat a nice bison dinner.
I liked almost everything in this book. I liked Francis and the mule and his horse. I liked how it taught me many things about surviving in the wilderness, hunting, and running. I also think it was a very fun book to read. The people I didn’t like in this book was the people from lottie and billy’s wagon train, the guy at the trading post, and Courtweiler.

[Katelin K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had the first book but I found books 2-4 at thrift stores. So far an entertaining read. A young boy of 15 escaped from Indians that separated him from his family on their route west. He has a run in with some bad guys who steal his horse leaving him with a sickly mule. Mule improves under his care and he cleverly takes back his horse from the bad guys and the mule follows him too. A good thing too! He stumbles on two children whose parents died and they were left alone. He cares for them and brings them to a trading post. A couple there offer to take the children but after leaving town he doesn’t feel right about the decision and turns back. Good thing— the kids were slaving away. Perhaps my only aversion in the story is reference to the children being beaten by the couple. Anyway, the story ends with Francis taking the children back and going on his way further west in search of Francis’ family.

[Ukiah gipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book Call Me Francis Tucket. Francis Tucket was kidnapped from his family a year ago when he was on a wagon train. the people who kidnapped him were pawn hunting party. But he escaped with the help of a mountain man, Mr. Grimes. But Now that he and Mr. Grimes have parted ways, Francis is heading west on his Indian pony, crossing the endless prairie, trying to find his family.
I feel like that this book was a rally good book if you are into the Gary Paulsen kid of books. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars because even tho the book was a really good read it just had some boring parts in it. But instead of like the 3 prats of the book that had there boring moments it was a really good book in my opinion. I would also recommend this to people that like books that are bout how to get out of a place that your stuck in.

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary Paulsen is a masterful writer! This is the second in the Francis Tucket series. It's ideal for tweens and teens, especially those who like adventure, challenges, character development, and personal growth.

In these short 13 chapters readers ride along with Francis Tucket, a 14 year old who is now on his own. Moving through the prairies between Missouri and Oregon, Francis gets separated from the wagon train, becomes swallowed up in a buffalo stampede, robed by two wayfaring strangers, ends up rescuing two kids, and more. There is maturing going on, thoughtfulness, and a beautiful lack of gratuitous violence! If you need it, you can hit YouTube, find my channel, look for this book in the playlist, and listen/watch me read the whole book. I highly recommend it.

[Noah Goats · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as we finished listening to the audio version of the first Tucket Adventure on a long car trip, my ten year old son said, "Is there another one of these we can listen to?" I pulled this one up on Audible (they were free on Audible Plus at the time) and we started listening to it. As it begins, the young Francis Tucket is separated from his mountain man mentor, Grimes, and joins with a wagon train headed to Oregon. While out hunting he gets swept away by a buffalo stampede and gets lost. He runs into a pair of criminals and has a variety of adventures in this book which is every bit as entertaining as the first.

[MarkedWoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young friend handed me this book and asked whether I wanted to read it. I asked whether he had read it & he said “not yet,” but that I should read it, and then he would and we could talk about it.

It’s a good story, and probably will create enough interest for kids to read the other four books in the series. Although it seems to be directed more at boys, girls would probably find it interesting too. The language used is very readable. The books provide opportunities to discuss several subject areas. I recommend it for parents & children to read together.
Youth level “chapter book”

[Tami Gandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francis Tucket is a survivor. His family headed west with a wagon train unfortunately he was kidnapped by Pawnees that were out hunting. He fortunately escaped with the help of Mr. Grimes. He parted ways with Mr. Grimes to find his family. He comes across a wagon that appears to be deserted but a little girl and her brother have been deserted because their father had caught Cholera and had died. Francis takes the two children with him to hopefully find a fort or another wagon train to take the children.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally do not like westerns, but after finishing the first book in the series, I knew that I had to continue. I was surprised with how short this novel is. It not only went quickly, but I enjoyed the premise behind this book. I like how the main character left behind everything at the end of the first book in order to be the type of person he thought was right. That same sense of morality continues at the end of this novel as well. Thank you, Mr. Paulsen, for a fun read! :)

[Steve Hanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another easy reading adventure story with themes that, surprisingly, my 8 year old daughter enjoys. Lots of opportunity for important discussion (e.g., Native Americans, survival, doing the right thing, family, solitude, cholera, loss, and helping people in need). Also learned some new words like “hummock” and “howitzer” and several others. My daughter regularly asks me to read another chapter. On to #3 in the series!

[Apzmarshl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francis Tucket has matured in the short time he has been separated from his parents and the westward wagon train. He's now without the clever mountain man that taught him to survive. He's still heading west. He escapes dangerous men, a buffalo stampede, and starvation. He's picked up a sassy mule and two orphans.

My boys are enjoying this series.

[Esther May · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me feel really lonely. I can not even imagine being all alone on the plains. I don't think that I would have been able to make any good decisions and I may have just sat down and cried. It was interesting to see what Francis did.

[Sara Vandenbos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud with my children. We breezed through this one. There were some redeeming moments that make for good conversations with children. It’s definitely boy focused, however, my daughter liked it too.

[Naomi McCullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think one thing that I liked about this series so much is by this book, the plot reminded me a lot of the old movie Across the Great Divide.
It's a slice of learning and survival, as well as compassion.

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just some good old Wild West fun.

This is definitely written for kids and it reads that way. But that’s not to say that adults can’t enjoy it too (clearly).

I quite like the adventures of Francis and he’s for the most part a pretty good kid (as in kind). Will definitely be continuing the series.

[Karlie Leras · Rating 5 out of 5]

listened with my kids in April of 2025 as I was driving back and forth moving from Orofino to my new apartment in Moscow Idaho. this is a classic and I'm excited to get my kids excited about this series

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty boring overall. hoping my 4th graders don't hate it. they really enjoyed the first book.

[Samira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but similar to the first book.

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked it better than the first

[Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

a awesome adventure book

[Haleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book so much!!!!

[Jayden Manchester]

after Mr.grime had that fight with braid francis whent west to try to meet up with his famlily

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is about a boy that saved 2 kids and is going to oregon and he gets trapped in a heard of buffalo.