Charley Skedaddle

by Patricia Beatty

During the Civil War, a twelve-year-old Bowery Boy from New York City joins the Union Army as a drummer, deserts during a battle in Virginia, and encounters a hostile old mountain woman

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

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

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

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My current rule is to alternate between books from my own collection and library books; however, today, I realized that, over the past few days, I read four books in a row from my local 'berry. To make up for that, I decided to read the same number from my own collection; this was number three.

While a good story and an interesting portrait of life during the Civil War, this was nothing special. Fans of historical fiction can do better...though they can also do much worse.

[R Waterfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read historical fiction in a while, and this was the perfect reintroduction. It gives a real and slightly brutal glimpse into the horrors of the Civil War, but it was also funny + hopeful. Charley meets many new friends along his way, including Silas, a brave drummer boy; Jem, a quiet and wise printer-turned-soldier; and Jerusha, an ornery, kind Blue Mountain woman. I quite enjoyed reading this book!

CW: some gore, description of battle and violence

[Penny Louks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for my Civil War Book Club! Trying to be frugal, we scoured the school for book sets that were no longer being used, and we found this one. It is a gem! The cover looks a little young for 8th grade, but that could not be further from the truth. It has so many connections to the Civil War battles, life in the 1860s--city and country, and even the Underground Railroad. Charley Quinn is a great protagonist, full of spunk and vinegar. His evolution during the book is heartwarming.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's about a boy named Charley. He goes to the army to be a drummer boy or a bugler. At a confederate base he meats a man named Jem. When a war comes up Charley shots a man but he's not aloud to. He runs away because he shot the man.While running away he gets captured by a union soldier. He manages to run away. Eventually Charley meats a woman named Grandma Beth. He works with her as if she was his actual mom. When someone comes to the house Grandma Beth locks up Charley in the chicken coop. One day a girl comes and asks Grandma Beth to come with her because the girl's sister was pregnant. 2 days pass and Grandma beth doesn't come back. So Charley grabs the rifle and goes outside. He turns around and a painter (mountain lion) jumps down off the roof and attacks Charley. Charley ends up shooting the mountain lion. Charley finds Grandma Beth in a ditch with her mule Canaan. When Charley, Grandma Beth and Canaan get home Charley helps heal Grandma Beth's wounds. The next day Charley leaves because the war coming up.

[M&rcu$ #u+chin$ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really teaches people about the true story behind the Civil War. the author wrote it so that it actually took you to the front lines of the war. Charlie became a POW (Prisoner of War for you civilians)and Patricia told the reader what the enemy did the POW's and people MIA (Missing in Action).

[Cassie · Rating 1 out of 5]

If no stars were an option, I would have done that.
This was forced upon me in grade school and I still remember how much I hated it.

It's just boring historical fiction that the author didn't put much effort into because they were writing for kids. Main character is blah and there's no reason to care about him.

[02JulianB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charley skadaddle is a really heart touching book about young charley quinn who is in civil war i think this book is very touchy and sad but also it is about courage of a young civilian who has the most courage ive ever heard i never knew a book could just pop out and hit you like this one did.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charley Skedaddle is a really good book that I am reading, and I would of never found it without my tescher!

[Dylan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

awsome

[Amy Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last third was better than the first half, so I gave it a 3 instead of a 2. Decent historical fiction. Shows the horrors of the Civil War and the wickedness of men, and Charley shows courage at the end, so that's good. But there are lots of better books for boys with courageous, heroic characters, and there are lots of better historical fiction or living history books for the Civil War. This drummer boy book was at the very end of the Civil War, after Gettysburg, however, whereas the other drummer boy book I read was in the very beginning.

[Mary L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is courage? What is it that makes you a coward? This book is for middle school age children but once I started reading I couldn't stand to put it down, as you can tell by my starting and ending dates. Charley thought he was brave but at age 12 he wasn't prepared for war (civil) and the horrors of the Wilderness. A drummer boy who leaves his post is a deserter just the same as a soldier. Charley runs and becomes Charley Skedaddle. How he finds courage after this is the main part of the story. I highly recommend this book!

[roxi Net · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the books that impacted me as a child. 30+ years later, I remembered Charlie's story and purchased the Kindle for nostalgic reasons. In re-reading this book as an adult, I still treasure it! Now that I'm a bit more familiar with the history surrounding the Bowery Boys, Dead Rabbits Gang, and the Civil War, I have more appreciation for this book.

[Barbara Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical fiction!

My grandson’s 4th grade class read the book so I bought the Kindle version for him. They read 1-2 chapters a day, but I’m an avid reader so I finished it in a few days. We discussed each chapter and the teacher has a quiz for each chapter or two. Sad in some parts, but based on true events of our shared history. Loved it!

[Kyleduke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thing the end was a let down and its a good book terns out he was scared at war made some friends and helped he was not a cowed.He helped people in need.He had gotten hurt by the mean men and needed help.It was a sad story and he is so brave and gives his life to Mr Robbins.

[Kota Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is interesting has a lot of information and the story is put through a teenagers eyes and it is cool but boring at some points

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.
Who wants to read about Yankees for one thing? But even without that, this was just painfully mediocre. Historical fiction is not very forgiving and deserves better than this.

[Tina Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preview for 4th graders

[Mr. Skipper's GT Cafe]

multiple copies

[Jake Flesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

entertaining

[Oliver Ladehoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a very god book

[Kynlea]

amazing

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charley Skedaddle is a historical fiction book about a 12 year old boy who runs away from his home and his street gang in New York to join the Union army and avenge his brother's death. He ends up joining as a drummer boy but when faced with the death and reality of war and psychological toll of taking another man's life, he runs away, is captured by Confederate soldiers, but then released to run to the mountains out West. He struggles with many different emotions, and the descriptive nature of Patricia Beatty's writing opens up great potential for talking about writing styles, how the author conveys the feelings of their characters, and how they can apply this descriptive style to their own writing. This book also provides so many opportunities for enriching history discussions about the Civil War, drummer boys, young boys (and girls) sneaking into the army and what that was like for them, etc. I think it is ideal for 4th or 5th graders as a read-aloud where they can follow along. This was a WOW book for me because it was really engaging and had dynamic characters that helped deliver valuable messages to the reader, such as the importance of knowing that bravery is doing what's necessary and right even if there's no one watching.

[Vel Veeter]

“As he set the hatbox on a crate beside him, Charley Quinn heard the words in his head: “If you ever got to fight alone, Charley, me lad, get your back to the wall.”

This is a reread from a long time ago for me, and it’s of a type to be sure. It’s a historical middle-grade novel published in 1987 about a boy from New York City who is in the gang “The Bowery Boys,” a real gang who’s primary rival in the city was “The Dead Rabbits”. The second gang is the Irish gang in “Gangs of New York” but both were real. It’s 1864 and Charley’s older brother died last summer at the battle of Gettysburg, and the news was brought to the family alongside Johnny’s silver watch by a fellow New Yorker and regiment-mate. This man returns to New York one day and Charley sees him and the man tells him that he’s rejoining to get the bounty pay, and Charley convinces him to take him along. Later we learn the guy was drunk when he agreed, because at 12, there’s no specific use for someone like Charley. In camp, officers place Charley with the drum corps and he begins learning the drumming commands necessary for battle. The army also has fellow gang members and rivals, and as he learns to drum he picks up brotherly figures among the camp. Their first real battle comes with the battle of the Wilderness. In the fracas, Charley picks up a dead soldier’s rifle and fires into the enemy line hitting a Confederate soldier. Horrified at the thought that he might have killed him, Charley runs away in view of his entire regiment who label him Charley Skedaddle. Now on the run, he runs afoul of the Rebel army who send him away and knowing he can’t go back to his army he heads west ending up in the mountains of Virginia, where he becomes friends with an older woman living by herself. Here he settles down for a while and learns about life outside of the city and also looks to regain his lost courage.

In some ways this book is really exciting, and in others it’s a mess. There’s a lot of nowhere threads that are designed to plug in some historical “facts” (included debunked misconceptions), but at least it’s not a lost cause nonsense book like I was used to reading as a kid.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charley was a New York City Bowery Boy--a gang of young hoodlums who liked to fight. His brother was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. When Charley found out his sister was marrying a young man who did not want Charley around, he impulsively stowawayed with Yankee regiment on the way south to battle. Since he was only twelve, he could not fight, but he could be a drummer boy. In a battle in the Wilderness, his drum was hit with a lead bullet, When he turned, he saw a friend shot dead. He started running and saw another friend badly injured. He could not stop running. Soldiers around him called him Charley Skedaddle. He was humiliated and ashamed, but he could not go back. Charley founds himself in the mountains of Virginia in the care of a mountain woman (witch??). Charley has only begun to find out what life is really like.

I will definitely use this novel with my class this year. I think the students will identify with some of his struggles and the realistic portral of the Civil War era.

[Hagen S · Rating 3 out of 5]

charley skedaddle is a story about a boy named charley. he is a member of the bowery boys gang in new York. and the bowery boys worst enemy is the dead rabbits gang.

charley quints older brother was a part of the army and he died charley becomes a drummer boy for the army for his brother. his sister is getting married to a guy and charley does not like him so he leaves in to the army. he finds his brothers friend con that went to war with his brother but did not die. charley finds another friend named jem he is a true friend unlike con. but charley gets scared one day when he is running and playing his drum when someone shoots his drum and his friend jem dies so he grabs a gun and shoots a man and he droppes the gun and runs away he is 12 years old and he had just killed a man.

I like this book i think you should read it to it was a good book. but i have read better books than this before there for that is why I only gave it a 3 stare rating.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charley Skedaddle is a story about a 12 year old boy that wants to join the Union Army to honor his brother that died at the Battle of Gettsyburg. Charley ends up being a drummer in for the same unit his brother was in. After the first battle Charley's dream of being in the army changes drastically. The majority of the story is about him befriending a "mountain" woman living alone. Although Charley is a fictional character the story is based on true Civil War records.

Themes in this book include friendship, loyalty, perseverance, and overcoming hardships.

This book would be a great addition to a unit on the Civil War. It provides children with an account of the Civil War that they could relate to.

It received the 1988 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

This was first published in 1987

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desperate to leave New York and the tyrannical reign of his soon to be brother-in-law, Charley Quinn joins a parade of Union soldiers on their way to shipping out. Charley is determined to avenge his brother's death, killed in the battle of Gettysburg. When he reaches Culpepper, he is taken on as a drummer boy and trained by Silas, who is anxious to put his drumming days behind him and enlist as a soldier. But when the battle is upon them, Charley finds the realities of war too intense and runs away. Guilt-ridden, he finds himself in the mountains of Virginia. One night, when he attempts to get some eggs from a hen house, he meets up with Jerusha Bent and her pistol. Jerusha takes him in and requires him to work for her. At first, Charley is treated more or less as a prisoner, but the two come to rely on each other and a bond begins to form.

Interesting time period details.

[Rachel Thomasson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you didn't read this wayyy back in elementary school, I recommend you do so now! Despite the fact that my teachers kept calling it a "boy's book" I read it and loved it. Charley was a sympathetic character, caught in compelling circumstances, who took refuge in a region and culture in SW Virginia that I am very familiar with. Definitely an easier (and more entertaining) read than "Johnny Tremain", or that truly depressing "My brother Sam is Dead." I take issue with the other reviewers who are critical of the author's handling of the issues of desertion--the point is more to engage in critical thinking about the morality of war, dealing with violent trauma, and the surprising kindness of strangers.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to read Charlie Skedaddle and Shades of Grey at the same time for a 5th grade class. This book tells the story of a boy on the Yankee side while the other tells of the South. Interesting life lessons by both. This story I liked the characters, particularly the personalities of Canaan the mule and Malindy the goose- who had realistic natures of each respectively. I loved Jerusha. The story can be somewhat predictable, however it is a story set during the Civil War so we all know the outcome there. I appreciated that the severity of the war was evident, yet as a children's novel it wasn't all the gruesome details.

[Swan Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children enjoyed this story about a young Bowery boy from New York drawn to the lure of the war after his much-loved brother dies in the battle of Gettysburg. He sneaks aboard a transit and is allowed to stay with his brother’s regiment as the drummer boy. He finds himself in battle and freaks out. When he runs away from the battle after believing he has killed a man, he ends up finding refuge with a hill granny. Their relationship grows into one of caring for each other and he learns many lessons on the farm and develops into a capable individual.