Longhorns
and Outlawsis
historical fiction for
young readers aged 8 to 14. Sign up to be notified when it's
released!
Twelve-year-old
Lucas Vogel
has
lost his
parents in the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. Now, eight months later, his
older brother, Gil, has shown up to drag him off to the frontier
chasing beeves and looking for their Cousin Henry.
Lucas, a
Pinkerton Agent-in-training, would rather be looking for outlaws than
learning to ride a horse in the thick dust following a cattle
drive.
However,
Lucas soon
discovers the buttes of Montana and the Big Muddy
make great outlaw hideouts and he finds himself deeper
into outlaw
adventures than he's ever imagined when he encounters the Sundance Kid.
But of course, Gil thinks
he's
imagining things. Will his brother ever realize he's growing
up—or give him some say in their future?
"Aksomitis
establishes the archetype of the wide-eyed boy amid the vast,
undiscovered American frontier by using vibrant descriptions of the
landscape and animated supporting characters. The character of Gil
provides a wonderful dynamic as the gruff and intolerant brother from
whom Lucas predictably seeks approval. The author’s grasp of
the Texas
twang is dead-on and helps to transport the reader immediately into
Lucas’s world. Trying to balance historic events in a work of
fiction,
particularly one intended for children, can appear clumsy if not
treated carefully. Aksomitis achieves this feat with the effortless
weaving of truth and fiction, not delving too far into the realm of
fact, allowing the story to unravel without having to substantiate on
every point. "
