Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love

Review

Common Sense Media says

Gripping nonfiction graphic novel brings Old West to life.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this engaging, nonfiction graphic novel chronicles the career of Nat Love, a remarkable African-American cowboy who depended on his skills as a horseman and a marksman to survive the hardships of the Old West.

  • Educational value5
    African-American cowboys are not well-represented in most histories of the American West. Best Shot in the West puts former slave Nat Love, aka Deadwood Dick, front and center and follows his career as he breaks broncos, drives cattle, and encounters larger-than-life personalities like Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid.
  • Positive messages5
    Best Shot in the West explores the career of an extraordinary man who determined his own destiny in the American West, using his finely honed talents for marksmanship and horsemanship to survive amid great danger. It serves as a strong reminder that not only white people settled the Old West, and that African-Americans played a vital role in taming the frontier.
  • Positive role models5
    Nat Love is a man of many talents: a crack shot, a master horseman, a canny survivor of everything the American West throws his way. He endures great physical hardships but always seems to triumph without complaint. And when the Age of the Cowboy has run its course, he finds a way to start a new marriage and a satisfying second career.
  • Violence4
    Life in the Old West was dangerous and unforgiving. Nat endures stampedes, shootings, stabbings, and attacks by natives. A few discreet splashes of red in the painted pages are usually enough to suggest an injury or sudden loss of life. The depictions of bloodshed are unlikely to disturb any but the most sensitive readers.
  • Sex2
    When Love is captured by Indians, the chief gives him his daughter for marriage. The clear implication is that girl is under age, and Love escapes from the village before the exact nature of the "marriage" can be detailed.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Nat and his fellow cowboys spend a night carousing in Dodge City, but the impressionistic illustrations of the temptations to be found in the local saloons leave the details obscured.
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What's the story?

BEST SHOT IN THE WEST: THE ADVENTURES OF NAT LOVE follows the career of one of the pre-eminent African-American cowboys, from his childhood in slavery through his years of driving cattle and breaking broncos to his second career as a Pullman porter on the railroad. It includes battles with Indians and desperados, shooting tournaments, and encounters with Old West characters like Billy the Kid and Bat Masterson.

Is it any good?

 

Black cowboys usually get short shrift in tales of the Old West, but this engaging nonfiction graphic novel chronicles the eventful career of Nat Love, aka "Deadwood Dick." The authors dramatize key scenes from Love's life with economy and clarity and put his life into the greater context of the African-American experience. Randy DuBurke's fully painted art captures the energy and urgency of the story. Together, the McKissacks and DuBurke have produced a gripping illustrated biography of a trailblazer well worth young readers' attention.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how African Americans contributed to the exploration of the American frontier. Why do you think they are omitted from so many fictional depictions of the Old West?

  • Do you think Nat Love made the right choice when he left his mother and other family behind to pursue his career as a cowboy?

  • Why do you think the author chose to frame the main story about Love's career as a cowboy with scenes of him working as a Pullman porter on the railroad in his later years? 

  • This book is based on Love's autobiography The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known as "Deadwood Dick." Why do you think he chose to tell his own story? Do you think everything in it is the absolute truth?

This review was written by Michael Berry

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This review was written by Michael Berry
Topics:history
Authors:Frederick L. McKissack Jr., Patricia C. McKissack
Illustrator:Randy DuBurke
Book type:Non-Fiction
Genre:Biography
Publisher:Chronicle Books
Publication date:January 18, 2012
Number of pages:129
Hardcover price:$19.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):12 - 17
This review was written by Michael Berry
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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