The Runaway

Gr 2-4–The “Crow Stories” trilogy that began with The Outlaw and was followed by The Ranger concludes here. Illustrations in somber tones, in ink and watercolor, with newspaper clippings and posters from the mid-1800s, capture the dramatic setting of a boy facing the challenge of survival in a world of death and disease. A cholera outbreak has claimed the life of his mother, leaving the titular character to hitch a ride on a passing wagon to search for his sister who left him at the story’s start. From city to wilderness to farming settlements, the boy survives clutching a locket with a picture of himself and his sister. His determination is noteworthy, and their eventual reunion is satisfying and heartfelt. This book, closing out the story, works with the opacity of the other two titles to render a compelling whole. Vo’s stealthy building of character and setting will not fail to move older readers who engaged with the first books; new readers will want to go find those after they have read this one.