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Jayhawker
UNDERCOVER IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
With the United States on the verge of civil war, Elijah Tully and his father ride out of Kansas as Jayhawkers, guerrilla fighters against slavery. After his father is killed, Lije goes undercover among the proslavery bushwhackers. Swept into a grisly raid, Lije unexpectedly stands face-to-face with his father's killer -- but is vengeance as simple as he once thought?
With the United States on the verge of civil war, Elijah Tully and his father ride out of Kansas as Jayhawkers, guerrilla fighters against slavery. After his father is killed, Lije goes undercover among the proslavery bushwhackers. Swept into a grisly raid, Lije unexpectedly stands face-to-face with his father's killer -- but is vengeance as simple as he once thought?
214 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1991
13 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Beatty
63 books42 followersPatricia 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 22, 2017
I really liked this book. It told the story of a kid who followed in his father's footsteps and helped in the fight to end slavery. The book is dramatic and exciting. I loved all the plot twists and the amazing ending. I would recommend this book to anyone hoping to learn more about the cicil war and what the life was like for a Jayhawker.
March 6, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. Based on what I've heard about the author, I had very high expectations. Sadly, they were unmet in this book. I would rather search for another book covering the same material rather than give this one to my kids to read. The writing style is choppy and I never felt that I was connected to any of the characters.
May 22, 2017
Good book i loved the ending where he got banner back and everything. Wasn't a very suspenseful book but for some reason was still interesting
February 11, 2019
It was okay, I mean I loved the characters and the setting but it seemed like the entire plot was always on fast forward.
February 17, 2021
I had to read this book for school but once I started it I could not put it down. 5/5, great book
February 22, 2021
Great page turner with legitimate historical references. The author did not shy away from the roughness and confusion of the day, nor underplay the stakes. Much enjoyed.
April 27, 2015
Personal reaction
I enjoyed the suspense within this novel. I love how a twelve year old can be so brave, and risk his life for the better of the country. It is fascinating, and I wish I read this when I was younger so I knew what a Jayhawker was and how dedicated to freeing the slaves they were.
read aloud to make a curricular connection
This book would be great for a social studies unit on the Civil War. Many students not from Kansas have never heard of Jayhawkers or Bushwackers, so it would be a great book to have the students read so they can be knowledgeable about the warfare these two groups endured. This book is also interesting and a good read for students because they can learn about the inside of the Civil War, instead of just reading a history textbook about it.
independent reading
This book would be great for students from the age of 6th-8th grade. Many students from Kansas would enjoy this book because they have most likely seen the Missouri-Kansas border, so it could help paint a more vivid picture for the child reading this. They have most likely heard of the term "Jayhawks" through the University of Kansas, so this would help put the mascot into perspective by learning about the history of Jayhawkers themselves. This could also be a great adventure book for a student to read, since he spies on the Bushwackers and it takes the reader on a suspenseful adventure as well. A student who has family in the Army may be interested in this as well.
literary elements that could be taught using the book
The conflict within this novel may be good to teach students. This is a more serious conflict, one that involves life or death. The conflict is a lot more complex than the idea of failing. It does include failing, however, if he fails, he dies. He doesn't get a second chance, and it's important to understand this so students can realize how serious the conflict of the story is.
Other as appropriate
This book may have diverse reactions. If people from Missouri read this, they may think that Jayhawkers are shed in a better light than Bushwackers, because of the two sides stances on slavery. However, a teacher would have to explain to them that this story is just explaining the two different sides, not trying to start arguments between them.
I enjoyed the suspense within this novel. I love how a twelve year old can be so brave, and risk his life for the better of the country. It is fascinating, and I wish I read this when I was younger so I knew what a Jayhawker was and how dedicated to freeing the slaves they were.
read aloud to make a curricular connection
This book would be great for a social studies unit on the Civil War. Many students not from Kansas have never heard of Jayhawkers or Bushwackers, so it would be a great book to have the students read so they can be knowledgeable about the warfare these two groups endured. This book is also interesting and a good read for students because they can learn about the inside of the Civil War, instead of just reading a history textbook about it.
independent reading
This book would be great for students from the age of 6th-8th grade. Many students from Kansas would enjoy this book because they have most likely seen the Missouri-Kansas border, so it could help paint a more vivid picture for the child reading this. They have most likely heard of the term "Jayhawks" through the University of Kansas, so this would help put the mascot into perspective by learning about the history of Jayhawkers themselves. This could also be a great adventure book for a student to read, since he spies on the Bushwackers and it takes the reader on a suspenseful adventure as well. A student who has family in the Army may be interested in this as well.
literary elements that could be taught using the book
The conflict within this novel may be good to teach students. This is a more serious conflict, one that involves life or death. The conflict is a lot more complex than the idea of failing. It does include failing, however, if he fails, he dies. He doesn't get a second chance, and it's important to understand this so students can realize how serious the conflict of the story is.
Other as appropriate
This book may have diverse reactions. If people from Missouri read this, they may think that Jayhawkers are shed in a better light than Bushwackers, because of the two sides stances on slavery. However, a teacher would have to explain to them that this story is just explaining the two different sides, not trying to start arguments between them.
January 29, 2024
The Tulley family are jayhawkers—Kansas abolitionists. Lije has very little exposure to slave "stealing" and the Underground Railroad before his father is killed during a raid on a slave holder's plantation. After his father's death, Lije commits himself wholeheartedly to the cause. Coming home from a raid, he finds that Missouri bushwackers have set fire to the family cabin. After that, the Tulleys move into Lawrence, Kansas. Mrs. Tulley starts a millinery shop. Mr. Montgomery asks Lije to become a spy. Mrs. Nettie Gaines transports him to Missouri and passes him off as a troublesome grandson who wants to be a bushwhacker. Lije gains acceptance into a group of bushwackers close to Charley Quantrill. Among the men are Jim (Wild Bill) Hickok, another jayhawker spy, and the James brothers. Lije stays with them for some time and passes on valuable information about Quantrill’s movements. Lije accompanies Quantrill and his men to Wilson's Creek where he witnesses the carnage of war. Much later Quantrill, enraged by the imprisonment of women who house bushwackers, decides to raid, burn, and pillage Lawrence, Kansas. Lije is forced to ride with Quantrill to within the outskirts of the town. Fearing for his family, he spurs his horse and rides into town ahead of Quantrill's men. He hopes to give enough warning so that some lives can be saved.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
May 9, 2015
Personal Reaction: I really enjoyed reading this book. I am in a history class right now at KU for the history of Kansas and it was very similar to what we learned in class. This book put the information we learned into a story which made it much more fun and interesting. I even think I may have understood Jayhawkers more from this book than I did in class!
Read Aloud: This would be great for a social studies/history lesson. Like I said earlier, I even learned a lot more from this book than I did from taking notes and I am in college! This book would be fun to teach in a Lawrence classroom as well because it would teach students about the Jayhawkers and how the school got our mascot.
Independent Reading: This would be best for a mid to upper elementary school student to read on their own. I think they would really need to be interested in history to want to read this novel. The main character loses his father as well which could be very emotional for a younger child, especially if they have gone through that as well.
Literary Elements: I think plot would be a good literary element to go with this book. If you were using this for a history lesson, then you could use the plot points as a sort of timeline and compare/contrast them to what really happened in Kansas during this time period. I think this would keep students much more engaged than just reading history notes off of a powerpoint.
Read Aloud: This would be great for a social studies/history lesson. Like I said earlier, I even learned a lot more from this book than I did from taking notes and I am in college! This book would be fun to teach in a Lawrence classroom as well because it would teach students about the Jayhawkers and how the school got our mascot.
Independent Reading: This would be best for a mid to upper elementary school student to read on their own. I think they would really need to be interested in history to want to read this novel. The main character loses his father as well which could be very emotional for a younger child, especially if they have gone through that as well.
Literary Elements: I think plot would be a good literary element to go with this book. If you were using this for a history lesson, then you could use the plot points as a sort of timeline and compare/contrast them to what really happened in Kansas during this time period. I think this would keep students much more engaged than just reading history notes off of a powerpoint.
July 14, 2011
In this book Elijah Tulley, aka Lije, is growing up during the Civil War. As a young boy, before the Civil War begins, Lije joins his father in caring for the family farm in Kansas. He learns to ride horses and how to shoot as well. Lije’s father, Absalom, joins several other men in making runs to Missouri to free slaves. Men who make these runs to retrieve slaves from Missouri and bring them back to Kansas are called Jayhawkers. Finally Lije is old enough to join his father on these midnight runs. On the first run they find no slaves and come back empty handed. On the second run, however, they enter a trap and Absalom is killed along with his partner Jake Collins. Lije is beaten by the Missouri men and sent home. Following this event, Lije joins other Jayhawkers and is sent to spy on the Missouri raiders called bushwhackers. Lije pretends to be a bushwhacker and sends secrete messages of their activities back to the Jayhawkers. While the Civil War rages on with Lincoln as president, Lije is forced to make a ride to save himself and his loved ones.
November 11, 2012
I really liked Jayhawker, another in a group of civil war historical novels written by Patricia Beatty. The main character is a young preteenage boy who has moved to Kansas with his family to help stop the spread of slavery into Kansas and to help free Missouri slaves. When his father is killed in a raid into Missouri, he is taken by abolitionists into Missouri to join Quantrill's raiders as a spy. His experiences lead him into meeting the Youngers, Jesse James and others who were part of Quantill's raiders. A good taste of U.S. history and Kansas history, with an emphasis on the Battle of Wilson's Creek (south of Springfield, Missouri) and the Battle of Pea Ridge Arkansas. Having been raised in southern Missouri and quite familiar with both battles and battlefields, I am now a Kansan and appreciate the historical points in this book. I just wish this book wasn't out of print. I had to search far abd wude for a hardbound copy which I finally found through betterworldbooks. com. This would be an excellent novel to teach with Kansas history courses.
February 28, 2008
Elijah Tully’s family lives in Kansas just over the Missouri line. His parents are staunch abolitionists and want Kansas to be a slave-free state. Elijah’s father goes on slave stealing (also called liberating runs) with John Brown, the famous abolitionist. ON a raid into Missouri, Elijah sees his father and their neighbor killed. Elijah is severely beaten. Eventually Elijah is recruited by the abolitionists to be a spy in Missouri. Elijah stays at a slave owner’s house and listens for information about raids into Kansas. Elijah gets word out that a raid is being planned and warns his remaining family. The raid leaves Lawrence Kansas burned to the ground.
As a fellow Kansan I learned about John Brown and the burning of Lawrence in school. This was an exciting and accurate account.
Highly recommended.
As a fellow Kansan I learned about John Brown and the burning of Lawrence in school. This was an exciting and accurate account.
Highly recommended.
November 13, 2009
Hi Nancy here are two answers for questions 9 and 13.
I read 202 pages.
Q 9: the first quistion for Lije's father, he said proudly "Mr. Brown, that's exactly what we are,soldiers. That's what Lije'll be" The question is "if Lije twelve years only why you encourage him to be a solder? Are you pessimist for the war with Missourian?
My question for the author how can a young boy in the age of thirteen to become a warrior, and he could not fight in this age, do you think best if he is at least eighteen years old? If so the story will become more acceptable and realistic.
Q 13: There are many things need to be changed from dress, type of housing and leaving the Technology in all its forms, whether cars or electronics. In addition I need the ability to live in the difficulty of that life.
I read 202 pages.
Q 9: the first quistion for Lije's father, he said proudly "Mr. Brown, that's exactly what we are,soldiers. That's what Lije'll be" The question is "if Lije twelve years only why you encourage him to be a solder? Are you pessimist for the war with Missourian?
My question for the author how can a young boy in the age of thirteen to become a warrior, and he could not fight in this age, do you think best if he is at least eighteen years old? If so the story will become more acceptable and realistic.
Q 13: There are many things need to be changed from dress, type of housing and leaving the Technology in all its forms, whether cars or electronics. In addition I need the ability to live in the difficulty of that life.
Read
March 24, 2015Elija Quentin Tulley (Lije) is the main character. His dad is an abolitionist. Lije met John Brown
who is a a historical character for trying to arm and free the slaves. Lije’s father rode with
Brown to free slaves on the underground railroad and Lije started riding with them as well. Lije
23
saw his father and neighbor gunned down in front of him when they were trying to free slaves.
They let Lije go because he was a boy, but when he got home he found out his home had been
burned to the grown but his family was safe. They moved to Lawrence and there Lije went in as
a spy for the Jayhawker’s. The Bushwakers were what they were up against. Lije went by the
name of Red during this time because of his Red hair. This book had many interesting facts and
it’s also about a young boy who is a hero, students may be able to easily relate to the boy in the
class.
who is a a historical character for trying to arm and free the slaves. Lije’s father rode with
Brown to free slaves on the underground railroad and Lije started riding with them as well. Lije
23
saw his father and neighbor gunned down in front of him when they were trying to free slaves.
They let Lije go because he was a boy, but when he got home he found out his home had been
burned to the grown but his family was safe. They moved to Lawrence and there Lije went in as
a spy for the Jayhawker’s. The Bushwakers were what they were up against. Lije went by the
name of Red during this time because of his Red hair. This book had many interesting facts and
it’s also about a young boy who is a hero, students may be able to easily relate to the boy in the
class.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2008
Patricia Beatty does a fabulous job writing about Kansas' violent history. She gives life to "bleeding Kansas". The main character, Lije Tulley, endures death, fear, and living under an alias. He works to free slaves from Missouri and aid the Union Army. Beatty, uses realistic situations and historically accurate events to help bring life to this great Kansas book. Other significant characters are Frank and Jesse James, Charley Quantrill, and Jim Hickock. Most of the story takes place near Lawrence and includes the "burning of Lawrence". You will also read about the bushwackers and jayhawkers and their thoughts on slavery and the Civil War. I use this as a read aloud to my students during January.
March 9, 2016
It was a good book overall, but the beginning was very slow and kind of boring really. I enjoyed the parts where it got into where he was a spy. The war parts were the best because it was my thrilling. There was a little bit of a love aspect when the main character gave a girl he just met his old horse, and fell in love with her right then. The end was a little sad because his hometown got raided by the southerners and he was somewhat a part of it. Overall a good book, with a little comedy because the dumb things some people do. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the Civil War and what this group of people called the, "Jayhawkers," did.
May 27, 2014
gr 5-8 202 pgs
Kansas,early 1860s. 12 year old Elijah wants to be a jayhawker, riding into slave state Missouri freeing slaves and fighting with pro slavery bushwhackers, just like his father. When Elijah's father invites him along, Elijah is thrilled. But the mission goes horribly wrong and Elijah's father is killed. Then Elijah is offered an opportunity to become a spy with a group of bushwhackers including Jesse James, Charley Quantrill, and Jim Hickok. Elijah accepts.
Really interesting story!
Kansas,early 1860s. 12 year old Elijah wants to be a jayhawker, riding into slave state Missouri freeing slaves and fighting with pro slavery bushwhackers, just like his father. When Elijah's father invites him along, Elijah is thrilled. But the mission goes horribly wrong and Elijah's father is killed. Then Elijah is offered an opportunity to become a spy with a group of bushwhackers including Jesse James, Charley Quantrill, and Jim Hickok. Elijah accepts.
Really interesting story!
Read
June 1, 2018Jayhawker, by Patricia Beatty is about a kid named Lije who was an abolitionist during the civil war and fought battles for the Union.I really liked this book. It told the story of a kid who followed in his father's footsteps and helped in the fight to end slavery. The book is dramatic and exciting. I loved all the plot twists and the amazing ending. I would recommend this book to anyone hoping to learn more about the civil war and what the life was like for a Jayhawker.
February 14, 2010
I really enjoyed this book since it is about the area where I live. I have visit many of the towns and study all of the historical characters. Even my home town is mentioned. But even if you don't live in the KS/MO area it is a interesting because it is very good example of what "Bleeding Kansas" was like.
May 27, 2015
Rushed. That is what I thought of this book. It felt like the author wanted to get through background to get the character to a point in the book. It could have utilized flashback more effectively. Our 7th graders read this; I wanted to read it to have some common ground with the 8th graders I will now teach. This just wasn't great.
April 10, 2009
Grades 5+. At the beginning of the Civil War, Kansas farm boy becomes a jayhawker, an abolitionist raider freeing slaves from Missouri, and then goes undercover as a spy.
April 6, 2012
This book is really good. Lije is a very determined and courageous boy who wants to help with abolition. The book is very interesting to read.
May 6, 2016
This book was very exciting and kept making you want to read to the next page. It was a great story and taught me a lot about that time period that I didn't already know.
Read
June 16, 2008JF Bea
August 6, 2009
An excellent story about a boy fighting in the Civil War. Good story for upper elementary students
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews