Bad News For Outlaws: The Remarkable Life Of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
The remarkable life of Bass Reeves who was born into slavery and later became a Deputy U.S. Marshal. He was a sharpshooter who used disguises to capture outlaws. His territory was an area covering 74,000 square miles - larger than the entire state of Oklahoma! He even stopped a lynch mob without saying a word. Reeves was known as a square shooter but a hard man. He arrested more than three thousand men and women, only having killed fourteen in the line of duty. Even though he could not read, he had someone read the warrants to him until he memorized the charges against each person! Bass Reeves was a true champion of the American West! Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson is a great read, especially for 3-5 grade students who may be reluctant or uninterested readers. The book uses "old West" language to tell the story of Reeve's exciting life capturing criminals. Nelson writes, "But Bass was as right as rain from the boot heels up. He couldn't be bribed." I would use this textbook in a unit study with other books that highlight this time in American history (Indian territory 1875-1900). The book that came to mind while I was reading was True Grit. While that book might be for older students, another similar fiction story would be a nice pairing. Only one photograph of Reeves was included in the book, but there were many eye-catching illustrations to support the text. The author included a timeline, glossary, suggested readings and websites, and additional information about Indian Territory to support comprehension of the text.
What do You think about Bad News For Outlaws: The Remarkable Life Of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal (2009)?
This is a true story that reads like a tall tale. Bass Reeves was one amazing man!
—readinggirl
Why hasn't someone made a movie about this man???
—bianka
