Sunday, May 22, 2016

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

By Source, Fair use,
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4096937
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare has adventure, adversity, and the difficult merging of two cultures. Twelve year old Matt holds down the homestead in Maine in the 18th century while waiting anxiously for his parents and family members to arrive. His adventures include getting injured. Native Americans nurse Matt back to health and eventually help Matt through a long summer and fall. After Matt's family fails to show up by September the Native American Chief invites Matt to migrate with the Indians to the winter hunting grounds, but Matt has faith that his family will return before winter. Matt readies the cabin for the winter, harvests the small amount of crops that he grew, and waits and hopes for his family as the lonely, cold winter sets in.

This book would be great to read to second grade on up. By 5th or 6th grades, students should be able to read on their own. This book is a Caldecott award winner.