Watcher in the Piney Woods

by Elizabeth McDavid Jones

Book Overview

In 1865, nearing the end of the Civil War, Cassie Willis is venturing in the piney woods near her home when she discovers a deserter. Does he mean harm to her family? Cassie must figure out what his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1584850906
• ISBN13: 9781584850908
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: American Girl Publishing Inc
• Length: 145 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.7" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Mistery in the Civil War

The time is 1865, near the end of the Civil War. In a devastating letter from General Johnston, 12 year old Cassie learns that her 14 year old brother Jacob was killed while fighting in the Civil War. Devastated Cassie tells herself that the letter is lying. That Jacob is not dead. Is it true that Jacob is dead or has there been some mistake? So she decides to return to the secret thicket she and Jacob loved and shared. While she is there she stumbles upon a soldier's button, which leads to an encounter with a deserter. The deserter threatens her and tries to kill her but she escapes. At the same time, someone has been stealing from her family's farm. She has to find out who the robber is.My opinion on this book is that it is very well written mystery. If you stop at almost any chapter you will get suspense. My favorite part is when Cassie finds our what happende to her brother Jacob. This is one of the best books I've ever read.

I love mysteries!

This is-by far- my favorite History Mystery! Cassie Willis is learning to "do without" materal things. However, when she and her family gets a disterbing letter saying that Jacob, her favorite brother, has died, Cassie runs away to Jacob's "secret fort"; there she meets a crazy deserter who threatens her family. After a while, Cassie begins to forget about it. Until somethings start to go missing. Is it the desserter? Or somone eles?

The Watcher in the Piney Woods review

It's during the Civil War and Cassie's father and brother have gone to war to fight. Later Cassie and her father get a disturbing letter. Cassie is so angry and upset that she runs into the woods where she and Jacob used to go. She sees a figure in the woods and decides to ignore it but when things mysteriously vanish from her house she wonders if the person in the woods might be causing all of this. Will the person in the forest cause more harm? Will he try to steal agian?

Civil War Suspense

Set in Virginia in early 1865, "Watcher In The Piney Woods" is the story of twelve-year-old Cassie Willis and her family. With Cassie's father and oldest brother away fighting for the South, keeping the family farm going has been a struggle. Then, the family is devastated when a letter arrives informing them that Jacob, Cassie's brother, has been killed. Cassie goes into the woods to be alone, but is grabbed by a deserter who is using her secret thicket for his hideout. Cassie escapes, but not before the man threatens Cassie and her family. After that, things begin to disappear from the farm, and Cassie gets the ominous feeling that somebody is watching her.This is one of the better books in the "history mystery" series. Out of the eight we've read, my daughter says she rates this one second only to "The Smuggler's Treasure". I'm not surprised. A threat of real danger is established early in this story, and the tension is maintained throughout most of the book. The reader is kept wondering what is going to happen next, and that makes for a fun and entertainig read. As with the other stories in the series, this one also has something to teach about the history of the time and provides good role models for young readers. It's a good book for kids, and I recommend it highly to both kids and their parents.

A mystery set during the end of the Civil War.

Keeping their small Virginia farm running throughout the four long years of the Civil War has been difficult for twelve-year-old Cassie Willis and her family, especially after her father and her oldest brother Jacob leave to fight the Yankees. In the final days of the war, the family is devestated to learn that Jacob has been killed in battle. Overcome with grief at the death of her favorite brother, Cassie runs off into the woods to be alone. There, she encounters a deserter from the Confederate army who threatens her and her family. Then things start vanishing from the farm. At first, Cassie is sure the deserter is responsible. Then she and her other older brother, fourteen-year-old Philip, discover a young Yankee soldier who has escaped from a Confederate prison, and they decide he's to blame. Only the evidence begins to point to someone completely different than either of them could imagine. I highly reccomend this to those who read and enjoyed the other books in this series. It was exciting and suspensful, and the main character, Cassie, was very brave and resourceful.