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"Crows & Cards" by Joseph Helgerson

Author:

Joseph Helgerson

Publisher:

Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, New York, 2009

Reviewed by:

Kristine Wildner, Holy Apostles School, New Berlin, WI

A humorous piece of historical fiction, Crows & Cards provides an entertaining look at gambling and other amusements just before the Civil War on the Mississippi River and in St. Louis.  Twelve-year-old Zeb is sent by his father to work as an apprentice tanner with his uncle. On his riverboat journey to his uncle's home, a gambler, Chilly, approaches Zeb and offers to teach him how to help the rich share their wealth with the less fortunate.  Zeb is gullible and gives Chilly his last $70 to gamble away. Eventually moving into Chilly’s gambling house, Zeb helps to set up a mini-telegraph system wherein the boy hides in a cupboard and pulls on a wire to tell Chilly the cards held by the other players.  Eventually, Zeb becomes wise to Chilly’s real intent (to cheat people for profit), and he works out a scheme to capitalize on Chilly’s superstitions with a blind Indian chief to beat Chilly at his own game.  The remainder of the story tells of Zeb’s eventual escape with lessons of trust, honesty and hard work.

All the personalities of the characters work together, creating witty dialog which moves the plot forward. Zeb’s character matures as he moves from innocence to intelligent cunning.  The plot ends predictably.  Readers without an interest or background in Mississippi River or St. Louis history may have a difficult time making connections with the setting and characters.  Joseph Helgerson weaves the colloquial language of the time and place masterfully into the story directing readers to a glossary at the end to clarify unfamiliar terms.  Peter Deséve’s five pencil illustrations help the reader to envision the comedy of the characters and solidify the feeling of time and place in the reader’s mind. Ending with an author’s note, resources for further reading, and glossary, Cards & Crows offers readers a unique, fun look at the not-so-admirable aspects of westward expansion and technology. Recommended for boys in grades 4-7.