Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

The hero of this stallion-swift adventure tale, the followup to Mr. Tucket, could be the adolescent prefiguration of the archetypal western good guy-Gary Cooper or Clint Eastwood with a voice that's just begun to crack. Francis Tucket is 14 or 15-he's no longer sure of how much time has passed since a Pawnee raid on an Oregon-bound wagon train separated him from his family-but he can take care of himself. Hooking up with another wagon party, he volunteers to ride wide'' and hunt; he shoots a buffalo, causes a stampede, shoots again, gets robbed of all his possessions and then bests the thieves, all in the first few chapters. A cool-headed survivor in the mold of Hatchet's protagonist, Francis also cares about doing what's right, and so, when he meets two abandoned children, he assumes responsibility for them at some personal cost. Paulsen stumbles only once, in characterizing one of the children as a garrulous girl who hasa place in me full of words and when I open the door to that place they just start coming...'' Elsewhere, he weaves in a wealth of information about pioneer travel, adding historical value to this heartstopping good read. Ages 10-up. (June)

ALA Booklist

In this sequel to Mr. Tucket (1969; rereleased 1994), 15-year-old Francis has parted company with one-armed mountain man Jason Grimes and joined a wagon train headed for Oregon. While on a hunting expedition Francis gets caught up in a buffalo stampede, becoming separated from the wagons and hopelessly lost. His troubles are compounded when outlaws steal his horse, gun, and supplies, leaving him with only their abused mule. Down but never out, Francis, using all the survival skills he can muster, rebounds, managing to regain all his possessions (and then some) and save two orphaned children. No one writes better survival fiction than Paulsen, and Francis is a particularly appealing character--savvy enough to defend himself against man and nature, yet still in touch with the innocence of his youth. A fast-paced read for adventure fans, this will also be useful for social studies classes studying the westward movement. (Reviewed July 1995)

Horn Book

At the conclusion of 'Mr. Tucket' (Delacorte), fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket was alone on the prairie, determined to rejoin the wagon train carrying his family to Oregon. In this sequel, Francis continues his westward journey, accompanied by two young orphans. Paulsen excels at this type of wilderness survival story; readers will be pleased with the open-ended conclusion that hints at future episodes.

Kirkus Reviews

Francis, 14, is alone on the frontier. In Mr. Tucket (1969) he was captured by Indians, rescued by the mountain man Mr. Grimes, and learned to survive. He continues his journey westward across the endless prairie, hoping to find his parents in a wagon train headed for Oregon. Along the way he is beset by thieves, caught in a buffalo stampede, and adopted by two young children whose father has died of cholera and who have been abandoned by the fearful adults in their wagon train. Characteristic of all Paulsen's works, the narrative flow is smooth and uncluttered, the action gritty and realistic, the story thrilling. This one reads like the second book of a trilogy; it starts in the middle and doesn't go anywhere, and familiarity with the first book is mandatory. But if Call Me Francis Tucket is unsatisfying on its own, like good serial fiction, it will make readers eager to find out what happens next, and hope a third book is in the offing. (Fiction. 10+)"

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In a starred review of this follow-up to Mr. Tucket, PW said that Paulsen """"weaves in a wealth of information about pioneer travel, adding historical value to this heart-stopping good read."""" Ages 10-up. (Nov.)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8--In this spirited sequel to Mr. Tuckett (Delacorte, 1994), Paulsen recounts the continuing frontier adventures of Francis Tuckett, 15. Heading west by wagon train with his family a year before, Francis had been captured by the Pawnees and rescued by a savvy, one-armed mountain man. Now on his own, he is determined to return to civilization. Armed with a rifle and knowledge of the wilderness, he hunts deer and buffalo, survives a stampede, and outwits a pair of outlaws. When an abandoned wagon reveals two orphans, he takes charge, taking the children to a trading post and hesitantly leaving them with the cold, calculating owner. Traveling 10 miles, the young man is haunted by his own loss of family and returns to find Lottie and Billy beaten and burdened with chores. With fierce determination, he reclaims them and together they continue their westward journey. Francis is an understated, appealing character. His remarkable independence, resourcefulness, and perseverance are tempered by bouts of adolescent insecurity and an emotional need for family. Sharply etched characters, vivid scenery, and dramatic encounters make this book an entertaining read for young adventurers.--Gerry Larson, Neal Middle School, Durham, NC