The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

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The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 2,614 ratings · 547 reviews

A dramatic, witty Civil War tale from bestselling author Rodman Philbrick

Master storyteller Rodman Philbrick takes readers on a colorful journey as young Homer Figg sets off to follow his brother into the thick of the Civil War. Through a series of fascinating events, Homer's older brother has been illegally sold to the Union Army. It is up to Homer to find him and save hi...more

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published January 1st 2009 by The Blue Sky Press

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2009 MUST READS: Children's and YA

51st out of 270 books — 741 voters

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Newbery 2010

11th out of 104 books — 455 voters

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Mar 17, 2009 Betsy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ah, the inveterate child liar. The chronic juvenile dissembler. Is there any more classic character you can name? Whether it's The Artful Dodger, Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, The Great Brain or Soup from the Soup books, there is always room in the canon for just one more boy fibber (girl fibbers are not yet appearing the same numbers, I'm afraid). Now the best tellers of untrue tales often come from Southern soil. They are born below the Mason-Dixon line and are capable of great feats of derring-do, a...more Ah, the inveterate child liar. The chronic juvenile dissembler. Is there any more classic character you can name? Whether it's The Artful Dodger, Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, The Great Brain or Soup from the Soup books, there is always room in the canon for just one more boy fibber (girl fibbers are not yet appearing the same numbers, I'm afraid). Now the best tellers of untrue tales often come from Southern soil. They are born below the Mason-Dixon line and are capable of great feats of derring-do, all the while escaping their own much complicated shenanigans. Credit Rodman Philbrick then with coming up with a fellow that's so far North that to go any farther he'd have to be Canadian. It's Homer P. Figg it is. Orphan. Storyteller. And the kid that's single-handedly going to win the Civil War, whether he intends to or not.

When you're stuck living with a scoundrel there's nothing for it but to make the best of things. And for years Homer P. Figg and his older brother Harold have made the best of living with their nasty ward and uncle Squinton Leach. A man so dastardly that he finds a way to sell Harold into serving as a soldier for the Union. The year is 1863 and when Harold ends up accidentally conscripted Homer is having none of it. Why his brother shouldn't legally be serving at all! Without further ado Homer takes his propensity for stretching the truth and Bob the horse so as to catch up with the army and get his bro back. Things, however, do not go smoothly. Before he finds Harold again Homer must endure blackguards, nitwits, shysters, pigs, a traveling circus, and an unexpected tour of the stratosphere. It all comes together at a little place called Gettysburg, though, where Homer must face the facts of his situation and do his best to keep the people important to him alive. Backmatter includes "Some Additional Civil War Facts, Opinions, Slang & Definitions, To Be Argued, Debated & Cogitated Upon."

I'm a sucker for a children's book that knows how to coddle a tongue-happy phrase. Why just last year I was charmed by Sid Fleischman's The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild Wild West with it's delightful play on Twain's flexible language. Now I've not read Philbrick before. Maybe if I picked up something like his Freak The Mighty or that The Last Book In The Universe of his I'd find a similar bit of wordplay. Whatever the matter, I found myself much taken with the syllables that get bandied about in Homer P. Figg. First there are the names. Villains get to luxuriate in monikers like Squinton Leach, Stink Mullins, and Kate and Frank Nibbly. Then there are the descriptive sentences. Leach's villainy is pitch perfect, particularly since it is first introduced as "A man so mean he squeezed the good out of the Holy Bible and beat us with it, and swore that God Himself had inflicted me and Harold on him, like he was Job and we was Boils and Pestilence." Another nasty character is described as one for whom "Every part of him smells of rot." Actually, now that I look through my notes I see that a lot of the sentences I've highlighted as being fun descriptive passages have to do with odor. Like this later passage which reads, "The pungent perfume of the pig is still upon you. The suffocating scent of the swine exudes from your person. In a word, sir, you stink." Catchy.

In the midst of all this wordsmithing it's probably a temptation to let the language carry the plot and characters with little to no regard for the emotional content. But I like that Philbrick has couched this tale as an emotional quest of sorts. I mean, if you name your hero Homer then obviously there's some kind of Iliad/Odysseus thing going on there. Particularly if you push said hero into a quixotic series of scrapes. I kept sort of expecting our own Homer to go blind at one point, but if Mr. Philbrick ever felt the urge to remove his Homer's sight he did a noble job of repressing that inclination. Instead he builds on Homer and Harold's relationship. One example comes when Homer thinks about a time when he climbed onto a barn roof when he was younger. "It was a mean thing, wanting to scare my big brother who had always been so kind to me. But if felt good, too, like I enjoyed testing how much he loved me." So a book that could simply have been a series of unrelated incidents is held together by good old-fashioned brotherly love.

I mentioned at the beginning of this review what a novelty it is to find a casual liar like Homer coming out of the North rather than the South. And when Homer mentions on the very first page that he and his brother won the Battle of Gettysburg, then that he was from Maine on the second, I should have realized the connection. After all, I saw Gettysburg the film when it was in theaters. But it takes an author like Philbrick to put the pieces together for a reader like myself. Pieces he has a clear view of and isn't about to mess up. He doesn't romanticize war any either. At one point Homer makes a mad ride across a field of battle and what follows is an emotionless list of the horrors he witnesses along the way. Things like "Thirsty men sucking sweat from their woolen sleeves" and "A dead man on his knees with his hands folded, as if to pray." Mamas don't let your children grow up to be Civil War soldiers.

I was also interested to see that Homer mentions historical details that kids don't always get a chance to see in school. Facts like, "when President Lincoln declared that slaves in the Confederacy were free, he didn't dare free the slaves in he Union states like Maryland, Delaware, or Kentucky, in fear the border states might join the rebels." Children's literature has a tendency to sort of bypass that kind of information, but I think it makes a historical novel like this one all the richer for its complexity. And of course all historical novels for children grapple with a question that is never easy; How do you deal with terms that are historically accurate and odious to contemporary ears? I refer, of course, to "the n-word". Now, to be perfectly honest, there are at least two villains in this book that should be tossing that word back and forth like it's nobody's business. Yet they don't. They don't and I admit that this didn't ring untrue to me while reading the book. It was only later that I stopped myself and went back to see how Philbrick dealt with that conundrum. The answer is that the bad guys say either "slave" or "darky". And there might be some problems with the "d-word" as well, were it not for a good Quaker man who corrects Homer on this point later on. "If a man has dark skin, say that he is colored, or that he is African." I'm sure that some historians amongst us might have something to say about those terms as well, but as far as I can tell Philbrick covers his bases and doesn't have to cheat. Later Homer also refers to two workers as "Indians" though he acknowledges, "These Indians are from China - similar eyes, but a different tribe." Contextualizing ignorance in terms that modern kids can understand. A tough job.

No matter how tough the subject matter or the work, Homer P. Figg is a strong and snappy little novel. Funny and with a plot that keeps moving at a lightning quick pace. Very few readers will find themselves bored by what Philbrick produces here, and many will be caught learning a little something in the process. One of the best of its kind. (less)

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Feb 10, 2009 Eva Mitnick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

12-year-old Homer and his older brother Harold have been living with (or rather slaving for) their mean and nasty Uncle Squinton Leach (and a finer name for a villain I have rarely come across) ever since their beloved mother died. Harold has always looked after Homer, so when Uncle Squint illegally sells him into the Union Army, Homer is determined to find him and bring him back.

After Homer runs away, he has three main adventures. During the first, he has a run-in with two nefarious characters...more
12-year-old Homer and his older brother Harold have been living with (or rather slaving for) their mean and nasty Uncle Squinton Leach (and a finer name for a villain I have rarely come across) ever since their beloved mother died. Harold has always looked after Homer, so when Uncle Squint illegally sells him into the Union Army, Homer is determined to find him and bring him back.

After Homer runs away, he has three main adventures. During the first, he has a run-in with two nefarious characters who have kidnapped a free black man and plan to sell him into slavery down south. This leads him to a stern but kindly Quaker who (after the previous situation has been satisfactorily resolved) sends him to New York to find his brother, along with a wispy reverend named Mr. Willow and some funds. During the second adventure, Mr. Willow is bilked of the money by a pair of confidence tricksters, meaning that Homer must set off alone. He quickly falls in with a huckster named Professor Fleabottom who sells “Neurotonic Nerve Elixir” (otherwise known as sweetened rum) to Union soldiers. During this last adventure, Homer finds his brother – but he is also briefly plunged into the horrors of war.

The breezy tone and the historical subject matter reminded me of some of Sid Fleischman’s books, particularly his McBroom tall tales and his California-based historical adventures such as Bandit Moon. Homer P. Figg would have felt at home in Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well, with his gift of gab and penchant for getting into trouble.

Although Homer tends to tell extravagant fibs at the drop of a hat, he waxes humble and heart-felt when he talks about his older brother, and so the reader really does expect to find a larger-than-life character in Harold. What a disappointment, then, that Harold is just an ordinary fellow who is not only an unsuccessful soldier but whose primary emotion on getting sold to the army was relief to escape from his responsibilities as an older brother. He’s not a bad guy, just a human one. And since the whole reason for all Homer’s adventures was to find Harold, it was odd that the book ends shortly thereafter, with little comment on Homer’s part about how their relationship has obviously changed – Homer has shown himself to be the intrepid brother, the one with initiative and drive. However, most readers will probably just be glad that the brothers end up safe, sound, and whole (well, almost whole).

Fast-paced and full of colorful language and eccentric characters, this is a good choice for kids in grade 4 and up.
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Dec 09, 2012 Laurie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Citation: The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P.Figg, by Rodman Philbrick. (Blue Sky Press, 2009). 224p. Historical Fiction.

Summary: Homer follows the trail of his older brother who was forced to join the Union Army, hoping to prove Harold is too young to engage in fighting the Civil War. Homer is smart, brave, and dedicated to saving his brother; but it is his skill with language that gets him in and out of trouble along the way.

Critique: (a.) The strong character development of Homer keeps thi...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Beverly rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 11-14 year olds

Recommended to Beverly by: Best Books for Young Adults/ala.org

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg is reminiscent of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn but unlike Twain, Rodman Philbrick is writing for a middle grade and YA audience. Rodman Philbrick, best known for the classic Freak the Mighty, created a wonderful protagonist in Homer P.Figg. He is loyal, smart, scrappy and laugh-out-loud funny. When Homer's evil uncle sells Homer's little brother into the union army, Homer runs away to save him. To complete his quest, Homer must: rescue a free...more

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May 18, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Newbery Honor book, this Civil War tale about a young boy who searches for his brother after their guardian (illegally) sells him into the army starts off with a bang. Told from Homer’s perspective, the folksy voice works well here (this is the third book I’ve read this year that uses a folksy, down-home voice, and this is the first one that I liked from the start). There’s a lot that’s good about this book, but, after a while, it became more quick vignettes instead of a cohesive narrative. Ev...more

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May 17, 2012 Josu rated it 3 of 5 stars

I give this book a 3 star rating because it was very good but it was too sad.I also didn't give it 4 because there are times when it get's too long in the same part.The good part is that it's very funny and adventurous.This is because Homer , the main character tells his thinking which is very funny, and his opinions.Its adventurous because Homer makes a journey where many things happen,and get discovered.It wasn't confusing, I understood everything.These two are my favorite book topics.It wasn...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Ryan Rainey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced-221

The story "The Mostly True Adventurs of Homer P. Figg" by Rodman Philbrick was a very good book. This story is about a boy named Homer who is a very good lier. Homer and his brother are forced to live with thier mean uncle Squint after thier mom passes away. Homer goes on an adventure to try and save his brother who was drafted illegaly to the army by thier Uncle. Along the way Homer runs into many obstacls and many new people.

This book was written very good. It was written according to the sta...more The story "The Mostly True Adventurs of Homer P. Figg" by Rodman Philbrick was a very good book. This story is about a boy named Homer who is a very good lier. Homer and his brother are forced to live with thier mean uncle Squint after thier mom passes away. Homer goes on an adventure to try and save his brother who was drafted illegaly to the army by thier Uncle. Along the way Homer runs into many obstacls and many new people.

This book was written very good. It was written according to the standards defined in Chapter 2.The Setting of the story takes place in Pine Swamp, Maine around the time of the Civil War. The plot of the story is very unique. The problem is that Homer's brother is drafted to the army illegaly. The rising action is Homer running into to Stink and Smelt, running into the Nibbly's, and being captured by the south. The turning point of the story is when Homer finds his brother and his brother wants to still fight. The falling action is when Homer shoots his brother on accident. Finally the resolution is when Homer and his brother live happily with Mr. Brewster. The theme of the story is never give up since Homer never gave up he kept working and going until he found his brother. The characters definatly could be real people in our world at that time. It wasnt uncommon for children to fight in the civil war in some way. The events are very believable because the civil war was a major time in our history as well as slaves trying to escape on the underground railroad. The plot isnt really believable because theres not always a happy ending like when Homer found his brother and they live happily with Mr. Brewster.

I thought this book was very good. I really enjoyed reading it probaly because its a topic that I like to read about. One thing that struck me about this book was how persistant Homer was. He just kept going and going even when he had set backs. I could relate this book to my life because I very similar to Homer. I never give up I keep going and going all the way until the end. I could use this book in a classroom scenario to help introduce the struggles during the civil war. (less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Tami rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Homer Figg is an engaging 11 year old boy from Pine Swamp, Maine in the 1860′s. He and his older brother Harold, having been orphaned, have been sent to live with their uncle, Mr. Squinton Leach. Squint is not happy at this turn of events. He makes the boys sleep in the barn, feeds them very little and requires them to do a great deal of the work on his farm.

The story begins when Squint catches Homer eating part of the slops he is to feed to the hogs. A confrontation ensues in which Harold, for...more Homer Figg is an engaging 11 year old boy from Pine Swamp, Maine in the 1860′s. He and his older brother Harold, having been orphaned, have been sent to live with their uncle, Mr. Squinton Leach. Squint is not happy at this turn of events. He makes the boys sleep in the barn, feeds them very little and requires them to do a great deal of the work on his farm.

The story begins when Squint catches Homer eating part of the slops he is to feed to the hogs. A confrontation ensues in which Harold, for the first time, knocks his uncle to the ground. Furious, Squint connives to sell his eldest nephew into the Union Army as a “replacement” for $200. Since Harold is only 17 and the conscription law has not yet passed, Squint’s bargain is illegal. After Harold is led away to the Army at gunpoint and Homer is locked in the root cellar, Homer overhears Squint celebrating his trickery and his share of the $200.

Furious, Homer vows to find his brother before he gets to the War in order to save Harold from being killed by the Confederate Army. What follows is Homer’s desperate journey to find his brother, the only family he has left in the world.

He encounters slave catchers, abolitionists, a conductor for the Underground Railroad, a foolish minister, a pair of charlatans who kidnap and imprison Homer in order to rob his companion, a tattooed lady, the owner of a traveling medicine show, Confederate spies and a descendant of Davy Crockett. He becomes The Amazing Pig Boy, is thrown into a Confederate prison as a Union spy and, in the climax of the story, he is drawn into the decisive Civil War battle of Gettysburg. Along his travels Homer learns what it means to be self-reliant, changes his opinion of slavery and discovers the true horrors of war.

In spots the language is rough, that is, appropriate to the 1860′s. Homer’s sometimes inappropriate language in reference to slaves is countered, however, in the language of Jebidiah Brewster, a Quaker abolitionist involved with the Undergraound Railroad who helps Homer to realize slaves are people, not things. There are also some frank descriptions (although not graphic) of the surgeons’ actions treating the wounded in the war–specifically amputations. For these reasons I would not use this book as a read-aloud selection in a classroom. In general, I would not recommend it for younger than 4th grade. It it, however, a great example of adventure, historical fiction and personal growth for older elementary and middle schoolers.
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Dec 03, 2011 Angie Orr rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit-2011-12

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. Philbrick, Rodman

Rating: ***

Summary: As a twelve year old orphan boy, Homer decides to run away and look for his older brother who is in the Union Army during the Civil War. His brother was sold to the army and Homer wants to find and save him before it is too late. During his adventure, Homer runs into a great deal of trouble. He out smarts the men who try to take his money and all the others he encounters.

Main characters:
Homer is a twelve year old b...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Rodricucuz Vaughn rated it 4 of 5 stars

1. Historical Fiction

2. " The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg" takes the reader back into Civil War era United States. A little boy named Homer finds himself on a journey to find and save his brother who has been sold off to fight on the Union side that takes him into the middle of the Civil War .

3. critique

a. The story is based on the Civil War era in which was one of the darkest moments in U.S. history . The story adds a little education to readers while Homer encounters a cast of s...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Alma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-2010-11

Philbrick, Rodman. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. Scholastic. 2009. 224 pp. ISBN: 9780545235099. Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.7 Stars. Homer is in search of his brother after Harold has been illegally sold to the Union Army during the Civil War. The mostly true adventures that Homer gets into along the way will have you on edge and laughing out-loud.

Summary: Homer and Harold are forced to live with their mean uncle after losing their mother and father. After Harold is illegal...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Cindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Review originally posted on my blog : http://utahmomslife.blogspot.com/2011...

I am pleased to introduce a guest blogger/reviewer today. Neal, my ten year old son, is willingly writing this review to earn a later bedtime (because I'm cruel like that).

My mom read The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick to us in the car while we were going on trips this summer. It is a book about a twelve-year-old boy trying to save his brother who was recruited to fight for the Union in the...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Sarai rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-chapter-books, humor

I would have given this a 3.5.

I listened to this on CD in my car and I think the reader did an excellent job, conveying the different characters' voices and accents extremely well.

The book, though, was just okay. There was some language that made me a bit uncomfortable, taking place during the Civil War as the story does. (I kept wondering if I was a minority student reading this for a class, what would I think of it?) I liked the definitions and slang at the end, and the adventures were an inte...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Karen Ball rated it 3 of 5 stars

"I say my "true" adventures because I told a fib to a writer once, who went and put it in the newspapers about me and my big brother, Harold, winning the battle at Gettysburg, and how we shot each other dead but lived to tell the tale. That's partly true, about winning the battle, but mostways it's a lie."
Homer and his brother Harold are orphans living with the meanest man in Pine Swamp, Maine: their uncle, Squinton Leach. Although Harold is only 17, Leach sells him to be a replacement in the Un...more

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May 15, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, historical-fiction, humor, favorites

Twelve-year-old Homer P. Figg and his older brother Harold live in Pine Swamp, Maine with their uncle, “the meanest man in the entire state of Maine.” The U.S. Civil War intrudes on their lives when Harold is illegally sold into the Union Army. Bereft, Homer runs away to find his brother, experiencing many outlandish adventures on the way and finally ending up smack dab in middle of the Battle of Gettysburg. Homer is a delightful, spunky boy who tells his story with both humor and pathos in a wo...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-star

Set during the time of the American civil war, this humorous tale has lots of spunk. Philbrick delivers the strong, funny, likable voice of Homer P. Figg. Homer and his older brother Harold are struggling to survive under the guardianship of Squinton Leach, the meanest man in Maine. When Homer discovers that Harold has been illegally tricked into service for the Union Army, he determines to right this wrong. Harold is all he’s got, and so Homer goes in pursuit of his brother’s Maine regiment to...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Erin Reilly-Sanders rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, fiction, juvenile

I had heard that this was funny, so I had to check it out despite not being too personally interested in it. I did listen to the audio version, which might have added something extra, but I really think that this is a case of a narrator with a great voice, both in audio (thank you William Dufris) and on the pages of Philbrick's story. It has all the elements of a good, modern, let's get a lot of people to read this classic. It has adventure, it has humour, it has a likable main character who gro...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Sunday rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery-award

Mostly True Adventures moves quickly covering a lot of terrain and meeting up with many a vivid character and unexpected plot twists...as 12-year-old Homer searches for his brother Harold who has been sent (illegally) from Maine to fight in the Civil War. While there is plenty of humor, there is a real dark message about the monstrosities of war...I'm not sure a fifth grader even should read this. While the sentences are simply constructed and the vocabulary is not too difficult, the Lexile leve...more

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Jun 29, 2010 Abbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, civil-war, family, adventure, historical

This is Rodman Philbrick's latest book, and it is the story of Homer Figg whose parents are dead and whose brother has been sold into the Union army by his evil Uncle Squint. This book has a very lighthearted tone and has a fantastic adventure feeling. Homer runs away from his uncle's farm in Pine Swamp, Maine, to search for his older brother. Along the way, he meets many crazy characters and has outlandish adventures. He finally finds his brother, but Harold is not the perfect hero Homer always...more

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Oct 01, 2009 Janessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of my favorite parts of each day is when I tuck my kids in bed and read to them. I make the rounds from one bed to the next, with the help of my husband, making sure each child gets a chance to read from his or her own special book. If I take too long getting to my eight year old, Hunter’s, room, I’ll hear his voice, quiet but insistent, asking, “Mom, are you going to read to me?” It is a special time, and I want to make sure it is enjoyable for my kids, so I am careful about which books I c...more One of my favorite parts of each day is when I tuck my kids in bed and read to them. I make the rounds from one bed to the next, with the help of my husband, making sure each child gets a chance to read from his or her own special book. If I take too long getting to my eight year old, Hunter’s, room, I’ll hear his voice, quiet but insistent, asking, “Mom, are you going to read to me?” It is a special time, and I want to make sure it is enjoyable for my kids, so I am careful about which books I choose to read to them.

For the last two years, Hunter and I have been reading fantasy novels together. Some have been really fun: the Chronicles of Prydain Series by Lloyd Alexander, The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan, and of course, Harry Potter. Others . . . not so much. At least in my opinion. But Hunter seemed to enjoy them all.

Still, I was dying to share something with him that didn’t involve strange, savage beasts, epic quests, magic spells, and swordplay. In other words, something that wasn’t fantasy.

I asked our school librarian for some book suggestions and she showed me The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. It was absolutely perfect. Or in Hunter’s words, “the most amazing book ever.”

I think there are some important elements in True Adventures that endeared it so much to my fantasy lover. First of all, the evil nemesis. Every fantasy book I’ve ever read has a dark, malignant antagonist whose existence is a threat to life and happiness. In True Adventures that antagonist is Squinton Leach. And while he is no sorceror or evil king, the crimes he commits make him just as dangerous. He is the protagonist, Homer Figg’s, uncle, and his negligence and abuse of his two nephews make him every bit as vile as the big Voldemort. Leach initiates the book’s action by selling his underage nephew, Homer’s brother Harold, into the service of the Union Army under the Conscription Law of 1863.

And this is where the next important element begins: the Quest. Homer escapes from Leach and embarks on an epic-like quest to find his brother, rescue him from the war, and bring him home, wherever that might be — anywhere where Leach is not. That quest takes Homer on a journey from Maine southward toward the fighting, where he ultimately witnesses the Battle of Gettysburg. On the way he aides in the underground railroad, joins a traveling medicine show, is taken as a prisoner of war, sees hand to hand combat, rides a steamship, a train, and a hot air balloon, and encounters allies and enemies alike.

Throughout it all, Homer maintains that his allegiance lies with himself and his brother. However, and this is where True Adventures departs from the plot of a more traditional fantasy quest, when he finally tracks Harold down, his brother is somewhat of a fallen hero. Not only that, he doesn’t want to be rescued. The black and white, good versus evil construct breaks down and we find ourselves grappling with issues more common to realistic fiction: discovering and learning how to cope with the good and the evil that lie within all of us.

There is a wonderful element of humor in the book. Homer has an engaging and entertaining voice, and the lies he tells to manuever his way through his adventures had Hunter and I chuckling. But there are also very sober and somewhat graphic scenes, summed up in this poignant dream of Homer’s:

”In my dream Harold will be happy and strong and find him a wife to darn his socks of an evening and give him children that are never hungry and never get beat or locked in the barn like animals, and never have to run away to war to save their big brothers and see arms and legs being stacked like cordwood, or men dying of their wounds, or hear the keening of boys who miss their mothers and beg to see her in Heaven.”

The treatment of the Civil War battles did not come until the end of the book. They were brief, but they were somewhat gruesome. However, I felt that sharing those scenes with Hunter was very valuable. First of all, because of the historical accuracy Philbrick treats the subject with. Second of all, and even more importantly in my opinion, Philbrick shows the human aspect of war and fighting in a profound way that recognizes fear, loss, and pain.

Of course, from the first page there is no question that our resilient protagonist will come out on top, and it was immensely satisfying to reach the book’s conclusion and see just how buoyant, brave, and yes, true, our falsifying friend could really be.

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Jul 05, 2009 Brooke Shirts rated it 4 of 5 stars

Totally charming picaresque tale of a boy with a gift for gab and bending the truth on a quest to rescue his brother from being enlisted in the Civil War. Homer's voice is magnificently cornpone, filled with all the downhome homilies and whoppers a Mark Twain fan could desire. During his cross-country trek he falls in with the requisite motley crew of colorful characters: a stoic Quaker who is secretly helping the Underground Railroad, a pair of bloodthirsty but not-too-bright theives, a snake o...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: c-historical, a-fic, c-action-adventure, c-humorous, 4-middle-sch, 4-elem

This is a fun story of Homer who follows after his brother to save him from seeing the elephant (battle) and certain death, after his mean uncle has sold his brother into the army illegally and underaged. Homer escapes from a root cellar, is kidnapped by slave catchers, and fed and helped along his way by an abolitionist miner Quaker. His appointed guardian forgets about him when his guardian is smitten and then swindled by a beautiful face and her “brother” and he ends up in a pig crate. He fal...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Deborah Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

WARNING : Contains Spoilers!!

1. Summarize your story
The book is about Homer P.Figg's adventures during the way to find his brother, Harold. They don't have parents because they all passed away so they lived with their uncle in Maine. One day, Harold was illegally sold to US Army by his uncle during the civil war. So, Homer ran away from his uncle's house to find Harold. During the way, he was caught by Mr.Smelt and Mr.Stink who told him to go into Mr.Brewster's house and get the information abou...more WARNING : Contains Spoilers!!

1. Summarize your story
The book is about Homer P.Figg's adventures during the way to find his brother, Harold. They don't have parents because they all passed away so they lived with their uncle in Maine. One day, Harold was illegally sold to US Army by his uncle during the civil war. So, Homer ran away from his uncle's house to find Harold. During the way, he was caught by Mr.Smelt and Mr.Stink who told him to go into Mr.Brewster's house and get the information about gemstones. Therefore he went into Mr.Brewster's house pretending as a poor orphan. But as Mr.Brewster took care him very well, Homer told the truth and promised to come back after he finds Harold. At last, Homer found Harold and went back to Mr.Brewster's house. Homer and Harold became Mr.Brewster's foster sons and lived happily ever after.

2. Discuss the main conflict and whether or not and how it is resolved.
When Homer founds Harold in the battle, Harold tried to hold the flag. Homer noticed that if he holds the flag, he will be killed. So, Homer shouted to Harold to stop him but Harold didn't give up. Therefore, Homer shot Harold's leg with a gun. Therefore, Harold fell down and could stop him. However, Homer felt it's not a good honorable behavior to make the flag stepped by enemy troops. So Homer hold the flag and ran away with Harold. In this story, the main conflict was fighting with Harold to protect him from being killed by enemy troops. But Homer resolves the conflicts by shooting Harold and hold the flag by himself.

3. Did you like it? Why or why not?
I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the part that Homer shoots Harold and hold the flag by himself. In the story there is a lesson which is 'Forget about the past but keep marching to the future'. At the end of the story, there is a part of the conversation between Harold and Homer. Harold is bring a cheer to Homer that broken leg is not Homer's fault. So you don't need to worry about it. Just forget about the time that you shot me. Just keep marching into your future. Therefore, by reading this book, I got the thoughtful lesson and also the fraternal love. I really want to encourage others to read this book and hope that they also can get this thoughtful lesson.
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Aug 08, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

I am not normally a fan of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this book, partly because the character of Homer was so over-the-top and likable. Yes, he was known to tell the occasional tall tale, but he had a good heart, and all he wanted in life was to be with his brother.

After Homer's brother, Harold, is illegally sold to the Union Army, Homer does everything he possibly can to find his brother and bring him back home. But what can a boy--whose only talent is telling fibs--do to rescue...more

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May 13, 2010 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

My journey thru juvenile fiction continues (while trying to tackle the mammoth Wolf Hall) with The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Roman Philbrick.

A delightful tale reminiscent of the 1st Homer’s Odyssey, Homer Figg leaves home in search of his brother who has been illegally sworn in as a member of the Union army by a nasty Uncle Squint. He doesn’t encounter Sirens or a Cyclops, but does come across a conductor, slave catchers, Quakers, a traveling medicine show, and the legendary Uni...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery-honor-book, historical, adventure, children-fiction, orphans, perseverance, wars-civil, rebecca-caudill-2012

Orphaned at an early age, Homer P. Figg and his brother, Harold are sent to live with their nasty, unscrupulous Uncle Squinton Leach. When Uncle Squint tricks Harold into signing up for the Union Army, Homer is determined to follow his brother and bring him back safely, no matter what the cost. Along the way, he meets up with characters, both unsavory and kind. First he encounters Stink and Smelt who are as smelly as their names and have captured 'Festus'. Festus is really Samuel Reed, a generou...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Christine Drumm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fifth-grade

This is an excellent historical fiction book for Intermediate level students. Very enjoyable and well written. The book is told from the viewpoint of Homer P. Figg, a 12 year old boy who is trying to find his brother after he has been sworn into the Union Army. Homer is from Maine and he journeys all the way to Gettysburg and that fateful day in July. He has many adventures along the way and meets many people on his journey. The book is told in a very engaging way that students will like and are...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Kay Mcgriff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-hoosier-12-13

Rodman Philbrick has done it again, this time with a rip-snorting adventure through the Civil War. I don't normally think of the Civil War as being ripe for humor, but I found myself laughing at Homer P. Figg's account of his misadventures in tracking down his beloved older brother Harold. No matter how hard he tries, Homer can't let the facts get in the way of a good story. As fast as he escapes from one scrape, he lands smack dab in the middle of another--and usually more dire--fix. Hang on to...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Sharri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile, fiction

This award-winning juvenile novel tells the story of Homer, a 12-yr-old orphan's epic search for his older brother during the Civil War. The story is humorous and adventurous, as Homer tells outlandish lies and meets outlandish characters on his travels from Maine to Pennsylvania via horse, boat, medicine man caravan, and balloon.

The author does not shy away from the horrors of slavery and war, making it clear that the death and danger, fear and horror were real. However, the atrocities of war...more

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May 27, 2010 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: upper-elementary-lit

I felt that this novel started off slow and it took me a few chapters to get into it; however, I'm happy that I stuck with it. This is a fantastic book that presents the reality of the Civil War through a 12 year-old's eyes. Homer Figg and his brother Harold are live with their cruel uncle on a farm in Maine. Harold's uncle enlists him in the army, even though he is under age, and pockets the money. Concerned and angry at the injustices perpetuated against his brother, Homer sets off during the...more

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About Rodman Philbrick

Aka William R Dantz, Chris Jordan, W.R. Philbrick.

Rodman Philbrick grew up on the New England coast, where he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. For many years he wrote mysteries and detective novels. The Private Eye Writers of America nominated two of his T.D.Stash series as best detective novel and then selected Philbrick's 'Brothers & Sinners' as Best Novel in 1993. Writing under th...more

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“It all boils down to this: A person has only two options in life, to do something or to do nothing.” — 10 people liked it

“I think in some way it's like that for all of us, living with the ghosts of things that used to be, or never were. We're all of us haunted by yesterday, and we got no choice but to keep marching into our tomorrows.” — 8 people liked it

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