Escape to the Everglades

by Edwina Raffa, Annelle Rigsby

Running Boy of the Snake Clan of the Seminoles has lived with his uncle in the Everglades since his mother, a Seminole, and his father, a white man, were taken by the Breath Maker. Now he is fourteen and has received his adult name, Will Cypress, at the annual Green Corn Dance. In the eyes of his tribe Will is now a man, and he is eager to prove his courage as a warrior against the U.S. Army in the Second Seminole War. Will's manhood is accepted by all the Seminoles except Tiger, a bully who has always hated Will because of his white blood and superior running and hunting skills. Hoping to convince Tiger of his loyalty to the Snake Clan, Will sets out to join Osceola's band of warriors who are fighting to remain in Florida. On his way to the war chief's camp, Will stumbles upon a family secret that makes the battle for his homeland a personal one. He never loses his will to overcome, even when the whites break their truce and capture the Seminoles and imprison them in the fort in St. Augustine. Will faces the daunting challenge of honoring his heritage while desperately struggling to hold on to his dream. Valuable lessons about friendship, perseverance, and the power of the truth.

102 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2006

Reviews

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have owned this book for a long time. As we neared the end of the school year and I had packed away my books for the year, I found this book. It had been left on one of my bookcases. I decided to take it home then give it to my grandson to read. I am so glad it was left behind. I loved this book.

Running Boy receives his adult name at the naming ceremony and hopes that will end the bullying by Tiger. He is also eager to join Osceola's group to fight against the injustice being done to the Seminoles and other Native Americans. Tiger doesn't consider him a true Seminole because his mother was Seminole and his father was white. That is why he was given his father's name, Will Cypress. His uncle agrees he is a man now and can decide on his own to join Osceola. He reminds him to remember who he is. He isn't just a Seminole he is also white. His uncle tells him that things are not always as black and white as we think.

Will understand these words when he meets a woman and her three sons who help him hide out and point him in the direction of Osceola's camp. The few days he stays with them he learn what it means to be both white and Native American. He learns what his uncle means when he says he belongs to both worlds and he learns to accept who he is as a man and what it means to "do the right thing."

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to see if it would make a good read aloud choice for the Podlings. It lacks the sort of vibrancy I look for in a book I'm going to spend weeks reading aloud, and while I did very much enjoy the backdrop (the history as well as the physical backdrop of oak hammocks, slash pines, and cabbage palms) it's not quite what I'm looking for. I'd recommend it for individual reading, though, especially for middle grade readers who love history and might like a quick adventure story.

[Ky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for work, enticing quick story! Historical events were smoothly intertwined throughout and some great themed established

[Morgan Foote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for some history on the Seminole Indians and the war with the whites back in the 1800s.

[Chana Billet · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the book entices my kids to read, and learn something in process, I'm all for it. While this book scores in both regards, the prose leaves much to be desired. Never-the-less, this is a wonderful way for my kids to learn about the clash of cultures between the Seminoles and the white settlers.

[BOB Benitez · Rating 5 out of 5]

is exciting from the begining