Parents' Guide to

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Lively biography of brave Black marshal in the Old West.

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

age 9+

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This lively biography brings Bass Reeves' story to light with vibrant writing, a wealth of resources, and a strong sense of time and place. Reeves had a long, successful career as a renowned lawman, but his story is overshadowed by such contemporaries as Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok. A glossary explains some "Western" expressions, such as dry-gulch, shooting irons, and tumbleweed wagon. Less patient readers might struggle with the unfamiliar expressions, but most kids will be drawn in by the sense of adventure. Author Vaunda Micheaux Nelson doesn't romanticize the Old West, instead giving a gritty account of the hard realities of the late 19th century.

Strong strokes in the colorful paintings by R. Gregory Christie underscore Reeves’ tough, larger-than-life presence.

Book Details

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