Reviews (13)

A vision quest into the past...
Agnes Herne is a Mohawk Indian living in Boston attending college when she begins to start getting visions from this girl named Mary. All she knows is that the visions are somehow connected to the girl she read about in the book "Witch Child"(Sorceress's prequel)named Mary Newbury. Agnes soon begin to suspect Mary is the woman in the legend of the white woman who joined the people and was a very skilled healer. Agnes decides to return to the Mohawk Indian reservation where she could get advice from her aunt, also a healer. Soon she goes on a powerful vision quest that will conclude Mary's story, the story of a girl who beat all odds and used her special powers to become a healer.

This was a fitting ending to Witch Child. Mary's ending wasn't exactly how I expected it to be but it was nice to find out about all the other people at Beluh and how the quilt where the original diary was found got to the museum. A definite must read for Witch Child fans!

A journey to the past....
Agnes can't understand why the story of Mary Newbury in the book Witch Child is calling to her. The story sounds familiar to Agnes, a Mohawk Native American. When she contacts the email address, she doesn't known that she is about to learn first hand what happened to Mary at the end of Witch Child. With help from her family, Agnes is about to travel through the story of her heritage, and learn exactly what Mary means to her people.. and more importantly, her family. DO NOT read this book without reading Witch Child first... you will miss so much! The two books create a wonderful story that will move you, you might even want to have tissues for both stories.

A horrible sequel to a bad begining
After reading the tediously slow-paced Witch Child, I have no idea what possessed me when I decided to read Sorceress. Even more vague than the first book, Rees somehow creates an atmosphere that always had me wishing she was talking about something else. The style greatly varied from witch Child, which was written in the first person about Mary. Sorceress switched from being about Rees (I assume), to being from the perspective of a Native American girl who has "visions", to being from Mary's perspective, as the one being "viewed" so to speak. Throughly confusing, and dissapointing, I would not reccomend this book to anyone. Stop at the first book, while you still can.

It was ok I guess
This was a huge disapointment after Witch Child. First of all, I did not like the way the story was broken up, I always wished I was reading a different part of the book. The author did not use magic well at all, I liked it much better when it wasn't obvious if the character was a witch or not. I think Witch Child should have been left by itself, it leaves the reader the imagine the ending, and the plot in this book seemed to drag on and on.

Pretty Good
I think Witch Child was much better. I would have liked it better if it had just Mary's story, but I think it was interesting how the two stories fitted together. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What's the most beautiful thing you know about horses?
It's forty below in the Northwest Territories of Canada - so cold the ravens won't fly & Richard can't go outside. He decides to ask his family & friends the question that became the title to this book. Their answers bring a whole other world into light. Brilliantly illustrated by George Littlechild from the Plains Cree Nation, this humorous quest of a youngster's mind during a long winter's day, brings out the silly & the insightful. Makes a lovely gift! ... Read more

Book Description

Her name was Seepeetza when she was at home with her family. But now that she's living at the Indian residential school her name is Martha Stone, and everything else about her life has changed as well. Told in the honest voice of a sixth grader, this is the story of a young Native girl forced to live in a world governed by strict nuns, arbitrary rules, and a policy against talking in her own dialect, even with her family. Seepeetza finds bright spots, but most of all she looks forward to summers and holidays at home. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderful
This book was very interesting. It showed how Martha Stone kept memories of the ranch she lived on while away at school. These memories took her through the horrible school year where friends were seldom. ... Read more

Book Description

In the year 1754, the stillness of Charlestown, New Hampshire, is shattered by the terrifying cries of an Indian raid. Young Miriam Willard, on a day that had promised new happiness, finds herself instead a captive on a forest trail, caught up in the ebb and flow of the French and Indian War.
It is a harrowing march north. Miriam can only force herself to the next stopping place, the next small portion of food, the next icy stream to be crossed. At the end of the trail waits a life of hard work and, perhaps, even a life of slavery. Mingled with her thoughts of Phineas Whitney, her sweetheart on his way to Harvard, is the crying of her sister"s baby, Captive, born on the trail.
Miriam and her companions finally reach Montreal, a city of shifting loyalties filled with the intrigue of war, and here, by a sudden twist of fortune, Miriam meets the prominent Du Quesne family, who introduce her to a life she has never imagined. Based on an actual narrative diary published in 1807, Calico Captive skillfully reenacts an absorbing facet of history. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A great book.
Elizabeth George Speare's "Calico Captive" might not be as suspenseful as her "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," but it is still very good. As the excellent review from 12/1/99 pointed out, this story is very loosely based on the true captivity narrative of Susannah Johnson. The focus of the book is on Mrs. Johnson's younger sister, Miriam Willard, who was just 14 at the time she and her older sister's family were captured by Abenaki Indians in 1754, but Ms. Speare increased her age to 16.

This book has adventure and romance, and makes for a great fast-paced read. It also deals with how cultures and religions clashed on the 18th century frontier: New England farmers vs. Abenaki warriors, Puritanism vs. Roman Catholicism, and English vs. French. A wonderful historical novel for young readers, and interesting history.

This is a great book!
I loved this book, it sweeps you along with it, you can just feel what the characters are feeling, its a great book. What makes it so special to me though, is that I am alot like muriam,(even down to her talent for dressmaking!) I can totaly relate to what she feels,and (relate to) how she has no friends in the begining. She is a very human charicter, no doubt I would have done just as she did in her shoes. The reason I say this is that one of the people that left a review of the book and panted a picture of her being selfish, caring only (mostly) for parties, fashions, ect. But I would think better of her, knowing what it feels like to be the kind of person she is. But, summing up, Elizabeth George Spear is a great author, and it is amazing to me that she made alot of this up!

Wonderful book!
I got this to read to my kids while we learned about the French Indian War. It was absolutely marvelous. It gave you a wonderful feel of the times and the struggles the early settlers faced. It was the story of a family captured by Indians and separated in a time of war. It tells of hope kept alive while they go from one crisis to the next waiting to be reunited. It is mostly the story of a young girl trying to grow into a young woman in a strange place and foreign culture and her decision to follow her heart.

Coming-of-age classic
I read this book 25 years ago, and my daughter just finished it. Teenage selfishness and bravado give way to maturity, loyalty, and strong sense of self. A wonderful book.

Really Good!
This book is great. I read this after Witch of Blackbird Pond, and that still remains my favorite, but this one is really good. The story starts on the typical plotline of girl get's captured by Indians, she even the red hair of the girl's in other stories that are similar. It all changes around when Miriam arrives in Montreal. Forgetting that she is a captive, Miriam allows herself to be sucked into a whirlwind of parties and social activities. This can be kind of bothersome if you prefer noble heroines, but if you like ones that are realistic and with faults, Miriam will be a favorite. After all, she has been without companionship for months, and living a colonial life on the wilderness is not fun and games. When she gets kicked out onto the streets, her struggle get's worse. Not only does she have to help her sister come to grips with the loss of her children, she also has to work in a hostile situation, since she is English. Courted by the dashing, handsome, and rich Pierre de Laroche, you see her slowly forget about the truly noble guy she left back in Charleston. The one thing I thought wasn't really great, was that the character of Phineas Whitney wasn't developed enough to compete very well with Pierre de Laroche, but that was the only thing I wasn't completely happy about. I've read it 5-6 times. I'd recommend it to anyone.
By the way, if anyone knows much about Elizabeth George Speare, I would be interested in knowing more about her. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Exciting and Educational
As a lover of historical fiction and a student of colonial North America, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Originally written in 1946, "Madeleine Takes Command" is a true story of the 17th century Canadian frontier. With her parents away, it is up to 14 year old Madeleine de Vercheres and her two younger brothers to lead the defense of a small outpost against a surprise Mohawk attack. Based on actual events, this book gives us comfortable moderns a harrowing glimpse into the rough and perilous past.

The characters are charming, sympathetic, and perfectly in keeping with those real people described in the Jesuit Relations and other primary sources of the time period. Though Madeleine is truly a courageous figure, at no time does she become "Xena, warrior princess," performing impossible feats of physical strength. Instead, she is able to preserve the family homestead with quick thinking, tireless energy, steady resolve, self-denial, an optimistic spirit, and devotion to family.

This Bethlehem reprint is attractively presented and includes a dozen or so illustrations. It's perfect for kids ages 10 and up, and also an enjoyable read for an adult. It makes great supplemental reading for the study of colonial North America and is highly recommended to homeschooling parents.

Just a lovely book. Please read it!
I was very impressed with this book. The story is strong, exciting and not a bit sentimental or over done. Madeleine is a wonderful heroine.

MADELEINE VERCHERE'S story is based on a true account of colonial French Canada of the 1690's. 14-year-old Madeleine is left alone with two younger brothers at the Verchere family's fort and few others when the Iroquois Indians attack. We follow the brave and determined stratagems of Madeleine and her small circle.

The qualities of courage, self-sacrifice, familial love and devotion abound. (Doesn't the mere mention of those chararacter qualities make you feel desperate for our current generation??)

Usually at the end of a book I'll say "yea, that was a good book but I would change this or that to make it better" I honestly can't think of anything I would change in this master re-telling of Madeleine Verchere.

I wish Ethel C. Brill had written a dozen other books. She is a sharp writer and this is an excellent book. ... Read more

Book Description

Saxso is fourteen when the British attack his village. It’s 1759, and war is raging in thenortheast between the British and the French, with the Abenaki people—Saxso’speople—by their side. Without enough warriors to defend their homes, Saxso’s village isburned to the ground. Many people are killed, but some, including Saxso’s mother andtwo sisters, are taken hostage. Now it’s up to Saxso, on his own, to track the raiders andbring his family back home . . . before it’s too late. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Winter People
This is a truly fasincating story told in a different perspective, through the eyes of a Native American. The novel shows us a totally opposite side of the stories and documents recorded and still used today in life. After I finally finished reading "The Winter People", I had an unique and new perspective towards the Abenakis. You will too, and I still do, hold a strong respect towards these people and their way of life.

Highly Reccomend this book
I found this to be both an easy to read book, and historically accurate as well. Bruchac is an amazing writer, and teaches many lessons while the the story is told. This book should definately be read by middle school-high school students because it will help teach about both the native peoples and the Seven Years war, and help to wash away some of the stereotypes that have plagued native peoples for many years.
Justin ... Read more

Book Description

The small golden statue of the Hindu elephant god, Ganesh, hardly resembles an all-knowing Granter of Wishes. But Ganesh is more powerful than he looks, and he’s about to send a young girl on a magical adventure of self-discovery.

It’s 1978, and Maya Mukherjee is the only brown-skinned middle schooler in her tiny Manitoba town. Born in India and raised in the land of moose and snow, she feels neither Indian enough for Indians, nor Canadian enough for Canadians. She longs to fit in, and she yearns for Jamie Klassen, the local bad boy with the John Travolta strut.

Then Maya’s beautiful cousin Pinky arrives from India bearing the scent of sandalwood and her most coveted possession–the statue of Ganesh. When Pinky steals Jamie’s heart, Maya pleads with Ganesh to remove all obstacles to her dreams, a wish that backfires in hilarious and painful ways. She must journey across continents to find the truth, her culture, and herself.

In this delightful debut, Anjali Banerjee offers a fresh perspective on universal hopes and dreams, as narrated by an insightful girl with an irrepressible imagination. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A unique story with a dream-like quality
Wendy Lamb Books, 2005. Born in India and raised in Manitoba, Maya struggles to find her identity as the only brown-skinned kid in school. When her beautiful cousin, Pinky, arrives from India bearing a statue of the god Ganesh and proceeds to steal the boy Maya wants, Maya prays to Ganesh to remove all of her obstacles-with unintended consequences. A unique story with a dream-like quality that shows a young girl embracing her culture and learning about herself.

Great reading for all ages
I loved this book!I'm an adult, but even so I raced through this story.Maya is a wonderful, spunky character, who's warm, funny, and very real.I would follow her through a thousand more adventures.The writing is vivid and beautiful, full of metaphors and colorful descriptions.I'm looking forward to Anjali Banerjee's next book!

Something for everyone
A respected literary figure once proposed the question, "Why must all the good things belong to the past?"With her debut novel, Maya Running, author Anjali Banerjee places that somber notion squarely where it belongs - at the end of the emotional queue alongside disheartened, dispirited and despondent.

Although published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House created to appeal to children and young adults, Maya Running has a great deal to offer those of us not in Generation Y.Baby boomers (like me) and Gen Xers (like my grown children) can find pleasure and profit in this charming novel.Think The Color Purple by Alice Walker or The Bluest Eyes by Tony Morrison then add a touch of sweet and dash of late twentieth century savvy, and you get the story of Maya Mukherjee, a Canadian born girl of Indian descent searching for her identity.

From first page to last, I was enchanted with Ms. Banerjee's original and unique narrative voice, the delectable unification of teenage humor, hope, awe and envy.Her characters are clearly drawn and the relationships effectively established.When I read the book, Maya's challenges and successes strolled pleasantly beside me, unhurried and unforced, a testament to Ms. Banerjee's workmanlike pacing of story, plot and dialogue.

All good things do not have to belong to the past.Maya Running reminds old folks that no matter how packaged or marketed, there's still plenty of simple joy in the here and now. Remember the last time your rode in a limousine with the windows down?

William Schroder
Author of Cousins of Color
www.cousinsofcolor.com
... Read more

Book Description

"When his family nemesis, the evil trapper George Burton, suddenly reappears after a long absence, young Ben Macdonald runs off in fright and soon finds himself being whisked down the Red River in a rowboat without any oars.His father and brother, finding Ben gone and convinced that Burton has gotten him, set off in a desperate search.Meanwhile, Ben drifts into Lake Winnipeg and the home of the Cree tribe, whom he has been brought up to fear.Will Ben ever be able to elude Burton and safely navigate his way through dangerous Indian territory to find his way home?This suspenseful survival story, rich in historical and natural lore, is sure to satisfy the legions of fans of the first story about Ben and his family, Incident at Hawk's Hill, and to appeal to new readers as well." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Review for Return to Hawk's Hill
Return to Hawk's Hill by Alan W. Eckert is one of my favorite books. I think this book can be read or listened to by all ages. The book tells the story through the eyes of the family, Ben and the villagers. While reading the book, you will find yourself comparing what they did in a certain situation with what you would have done. The main theme is the conflict of what people think of others when they act, talk and do things you find are strange.
The story begins with Ben's brother and sisters going home and thinking of what had happened before (read Incident at Hawk 's Hill to understand) when George Burton shows up. Ben feeling like an animal caught runs..., finds a boat..., is found by an Indian boy and brought back to the Indian boy's village, fills fear, lonely and then love. Return to Hawk's Hill is a book you can't stop reading until it's done.

Return to Hawk's Hill
I chose to read this book.... I was looking for a novel that seemed interesting. I also wanted to read a book with a different genre from most of the other books I've read...
The main character in this story is a young boy named Ben Mac Donald. Ben Mac Donald has two older sisters,... . and one older brother. Ben is the youngest of the four and also the quietest. He seems to be on the reserved side and it seems like he enjoys being home alone, and keeping to himself. Ben is also fascinated with nature, and loves to go and frolic with the wildlife on the prairie. At one point in the story, Ben even stays with a mother badger in her den...
I really enjoyed this book and I found it very interesting. I love the adventures that he goes on. Sometimes the adventures he goes on are to save the lives of others, other times it's to get away with his own. I give this book a score of 4+/5-; because the book just pulled me in I couldn't put it down. I really enjoy adventures both in books and in real life, and this book had plenty of adventures to keep me reading. I hope to read the next volume of this book series titled Incident at Hawk's Hill and experience more heart racing adventures that Ben Mac Donald goes on. Hopefully, none too dangerous though.

A GOOD BOOK!
This sequal to Incident at Hawk's Hill was a great book. It was nice to find out that Ben MacDonold did well in school. When the familie's adventure starts, they didn't know that it would lead to a friendship with indians. This book was full of incredible suspense and action. ... Read more

Book Description

Eva lives in an Inuit village in northern Canada. In the winter, people search along the bottom of the seabed beneath a thick shelf of ice for mussels to eat. Eva usually helps her mother, but for the first time, she’s going to go by herself. She soon gathers a pan full of mussels. But then, her candle goes out, and the tide threatens to return! When she is finally safe with her mother, Eva proclaims, "That was my very last first time walking alone on the bottom of the sea." An ALA Notable Children’s Book, Very Last First Time comes from one of Canada's most distinguished storytellers and an award-winning illustrator. "A unique experience for young listeners and an intriguing introduction to another culture." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books "An extraordinary picture book experience." — The New York Times Book Review ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Educational and enjoyable
It has been said that a good children's book is a good read for people of any age. This book is another example of the truth of that statement. It teaches people who don't live in the northern tundra on the seashore about what their life is like, and it does so in a way that you enjoy the learning.

My five year old son loved it; we read it over again a number of times. But the reason I knew it was such a good book was that I didn't dread reading it after several times. In fact, I looked forward to it.

Beneath the Ice.....
"Eva Padlyat lived in a village on Ungava Bay in northern Canada. She was Inuit, and ever since she could remember she had walked with her mother on the bottom of the sea. It was something the people of her village did in winter when they wanted mussels to eat. Today, something very special was going to happen. Today, for the very first time in her life, Eva would walk on the bottom of the sea alone..." So begins Jan Andrews' tale of a young girl's first trip alone through the thick winter ice. In painstaking and intriguing detail she describes Eva's adventure; cutting a hole in the ice at low tide, descending to the dark ocean floor below, lighting candles to illuminate the sea bed, collecting mussels, and exploring this beautiful hidden world..... Ms Andrews' engaging tale, filled with history, mystery, drama, and suspense captures the imagination, and is rich in imagery and magic. Illustrator, Ian Wallace's quiet, dreamy artwork, in soft, textured tones, pulls the reader beneath the ice and right into the story. Perfect for youngsters 5-9, Very Last First Time is a fascinating and evocative experience that shouldn't be missed, and works well as part of a unit introducing the Inuit culture and way of life, or as a stand-alone for story time.

Amazing Time
The possibility of gathering mussels under the ice at low tide was absolutely amazing to me. I had never heard of such a thing or imagined it. What a wonderful world we live in! Andrews writes of young Eva's solo walk on the bottom of the sea and she does an intriguing job of it.

The illustrator,Wallace,enriches and expands the written story through his detailed pictures of the village and native life on Ungava Bay.

I hope Andrews & Wallace collaborate again and soon!

Wonderful - a genuine adventure for young girls.
This is one of the best books for young girls that I have come across. A young Inuit girl is sent under the ice at low tide to collect muscles for the family.. this time by herself. She gets distracted, the candles burn out leaving her in darkness just as she starts to hear the water returning. What an adventure. I buy this book as a gift whenever I need a present for a beginner reader girl. ... Read more

Book Description

Pierre, the 14-year-old hero of The Broken Blade, spends a winter with the North West Company in the wilderness of French Canada. The canoe-men build a camp beside an Ojibwa village, and Pierre learns the deep-winter survival skills and secrets of the fur traders and trappers. Surviving in close quarters with the repulsive bowman Beloit is a challenge, but friendship with an Ojibwa brave opens up a rich new world to Pierre.
... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Great Story
I normally don't like when books are assigned in school, but this one turned out to be a great story. Lots of adventure, exitement, and good description. I'd recommend it to everyone.

An ok book...not that interesting
Wintering is about Pierre, a thirthteen-year-old boy, boy spends the summer of 1800 paddling and portaging a canoe twenty-four hundred miles into the French Canadian wilderness. When He is fourteen-year-old he becomes an hivernant who traps and trades furs with a crew in the North. He had to spend months in closed quaters with a teasing bowman and his leader that trys to push pierre into reading in english. Pierre becomes really close friends with an Ojibwe, who welcomes Pierre La Page into the his family.
If you like French and understand French, adventure, love the wild, and like Indians then Wintering is the book for you.

Wintering is another fine adventure!
In contrast to The Broken Blade, the most gripping parts of Wintering take place within Pierre La Page, fourteen-year-old and hivernaut. As Pierre grapples with grief he makes many decisions about the sort of man he will become. His friendship with Red Loon, his view of himself as a scholar, and his dawning understanding that people may be more than they seem all point to the path ahead, should Durbin continue it. There is less trader lore, but in its place is a glimpse into the daily routines of Native Americans of the North.

This is such a fine adventure that it has even received rave reviews from my fussiest middle school readers.

A Must Read
Wintering is a must read book for anyone who loves tales of wilderness adventure and growing up. Though I would recommend reading The Broken Blade first, this story works perfectly well as a stand-alone tale, too. The setting and the characters--especially the evil Beloit, who grows remarkably in depth from Durbin's first book--are depicted with vivid realism. Adults will enjoy this story as much as younger readers will.

A sequel that surpasses the orginal
A continuation of the story of a young voyaguer begun in THE BROKEN BLADE, this book is even better than the orginal. Filled with irony, surprise, and emotional truth, it shows what it takes to become a winterer or hivernant with the North West Fur Company at the turn of the 19th century. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

i love the book
this is a really good book i loved it just awsome one. I think they should do another one about when our elders went through. ... Read more

Book Description

Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest pass on their legends and their history through totem poles. Children will discover many fascinating facts about these legendary "storytellers;" such as what the poles mean; and much more. The text isengaging and the beautiful illustrations have the look of woodcuts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Nice Little Book for a Very Young Audience
This is a nice little book that is written for a VERY young audience. Although it claims to be for grades 1-3, it is, in my opinion, appropriate for grades K-1.

Each page has a nice watercolor drawing/painting, and from 1 to 3 sentences in fairly large type.

It has a limited vocabulary and simple sentence structure that would make it appropriate for the K-1 student who is using the book as a learn-to-read assignment. However, if you are reading it to them, I think most children above the age of 6 would feel insulted and/or bored if this was read aloud to them.

For example: "They hunted deer and bear. They used animal skins for clothes." And on another page: "Look at this totem pole. It belongs to the Eagle group. Do you see the eagle at the top?"

Of course, there are also some general sorts of inconsistencies that are noted in the industry review above, but these aren't really all that much of a problem. In my experience, most kids will just king of pass right by these sorts of things and don't really notice them and aren't bothered by them.

Overall, this is a good book for what it does. If you want a fairly low-level book for the K-1 crowd, then this book will work just fine. ... Read more

Book Description

The Algonquins are a great family of tribes who were widely spread across the North Central, Northeastern, and Middle Atlantic United States and Canada. Among them are the Lenapé, the Blackfoot, the Cree, the Micmac, the Ojibway, the Pequot, and the Wampanoag. A number of the tribes vanished in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and their stories with them, for not until the late nineteenth century were many tales written down. In Turtle Island, Jane Curry retells twenty-seven such tales from a selection of tribes across the ancient Algonquian homelands.

Here are stories of shapechangers, of magic and mystery, of heroes and tricksters, of how the world was made, and of why crows are black and beavers have broad tails. Animals and humans are of equal importance, sharing the world around them, sometimes as friends, sometimes as opponents.

Skillfully retold by a master storyteller and with evocative illustrations that reflect the customs and culture of the Algonquins, this is a special book for all who, like the Algonquins, enjoy a good story. ... Read more

Book Description

In a series of 21 paintings Shilling re-creates the faces of his Ojibway people – unforgettable for the suffering under the quietness, the courage, and dignity in the pain. He accompanies the art with a poetic text as compelling as the paintings – and writes of sleep and dreams and death, and of his use of color to fight off fear and darkness. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Ojibway Dream
Not a children's book but children would enjoy its bold colors, strokes and hidden images. This book is a mini galary of the works of great native Canadian artist, Arthur Shilling. If you collect art this is important. If you follow aboriginal art this book is a 'must have.' Anton Hart ... Read more

Book Description

Originally published between in 1978, these legends of the Haida people of British Columbia feature the wise and enterprising Mouse Woman, a narnauk (supernatural human - animal shape-shifter) who takes the form of both a mouse and a grandmother. Mouse Woman's role, as Christie Harris's carefully researched and respectfully told legends tell, was to keep order between other narnauks and humans. Both a teacher and a nurturer, the ever-watchful Mouse Woman keeps a particularly close eye on young people. When they are tricked into trouble (often by other narnauks), she uses tact and her own brand of trickery to set things right. A unique and wonderful character, the ingenious Mouse Woman convinces the young people to change their ways themselves with only a little bit of direction from her. This reissue of the original text features the striking original black-and-white line drawings of Douglas Tait. With a new and more contemporary look, these compelling stories hold appeal for fans of the legendary Harris and all readers drawn to legends and folktales. ... Read more

Book Description

Deerfield, Massachusetts is one of the most remote, and therefore dangerous, settlements in the English colonies. In 1704 an Indian tribe attacks the town, and Mercy Carter becomes separated from the rest of her family, some of whom do not survive. Mercy and hundreds of other settlers are herded together and ordered by the Indians to start walking. The grueling journey -- three hundred miles north to a Kahnawake Indian village in Canada -- takes more than 40 days. At first Mercy's only hope is that the English government in Boston will send ransom for her and the other white settlers. But days turn into months and Mercy, who has become a Kahnawake daughter, thinks less and less of ransom, of Deerfield, and even of her "English" family. She slowly discovers that the "savages" have traditions and family life that soon become her own, and Mercy begins to wonder: If ransom comes, will she take it?
... Read more

Reviews (24)

The Ransom of Mercy Carter
This book is about an 11 year old girl's life when she is taken captive by Indians.This is during the war between the French and the English.Mercy Carter is woken up by indian noises and her family is taken captive.They must walk to an Indian camp and leave their homes in Deerfield, Mass.While walking, Mercy's sister and stepmom get killed because of their crying.Many others are depressed.Mercy meets a little boy named Daniel,whom she cares for during the long walk.She gets to know an indian named Tannhahorens,which means,"he splits the door."

When they arrive at the camp, many are separated from their families.Mercy longs for her father, who was away during the capture.She lives with Tannhahorens' wife, Nistenha.She starts to enjoy life there because she gets to eat.It's pretty gruesome how she enjoys not wearing clothes.During her life there she prays in her mind for god to watch her.She also prays for her brothers to be safe.All this time she is hoping for ransom.

One day a priest from Deerfield brings news. The french allowed him to come to the indian camp.Mercy and her friend, Joseph, come up excitedly. The priest,Father William, is appalled because they are naked and demands to see his daughter, Eunice.It is that day that made Mercy realize how indian she had become.She had made many friends and learned like an indian.She had figured out the indian language.When she goes to town to buy things with her family, she sees her cousin Mary,who has become french.Mary barely recognizes her and her adopted father calls Mercy a savage.

After a while, Mercy's family learns to trust her. Mercy decides to take advantage of their trust to ask to go to town to buy gifts.She leaves with some indian men including Tannhahorens. She meets some french sailors who seemed nice enough to take her aboard, in return for her Catholic cross necklace.Just as Mercy begins to think she's safe, a sailor tries to grab her.Tannhahorens appears and pokes his hand with a knife.Behind Tannhahorens was an army of indians, so the sailors do not fight.

Tannhahorens dies a while after that.One day someone shows up to ransom the children.Mercy wants to yell out where she is, but Nistenha stops her.She lets Mercy decide if she wants to leave and Mercy decides to stay.

Summary of the book, by chapters, great book!4-9
CHAPTER FOUR
CONNECTICUT RIVER
MARCH 2, 1704
TEMPERATURE 10 DEGREES

Ruth is getting mad at everybody for what they did or should have done. She gets a knife from an Indian and tries to kill herself but the Indian stops her. Mercy tells Eben to ask Indians his name cause they like it. Indians were deciding who deserved captivity, not life. Being property was an honor. Mercy and Eben learn 21 words of the Indians language by the night. Eben is sent to get firewood and he understands and is happy, cause he will be warm and they can dry their clothes. Indians found 20 moose under the snow and cooked it up. The people were so hungry that they ate it half-raw, because they didn't have the patience to cook it. Sally Burt is the only one that is let to walk with her husband because she is eight months pregnant. Ruth is getting mad because Eben and Mercy are learning the Mohawk language, and that they just left their town behind them. She also keeps talking about ransom. A word they must cherish. Mercy says Eben has to make friends so they don't kill him, cause otherwise he will be next. Mercy now has an Indian name, her name is Munnonock. Mercy is wondering why they came to Deerfield, she thinks that they might need children. Mercy is turning into and Indian because she is getting interested in the language.

CHAPTER FIVE
LEAVING THE Connecticut River
MARCH 8,1704
TEMPERATURE 40 DEGREES

Mercy is realizing that he is an Indian and she is letting her parents down. Everybody starts going in different directions. Mercy stays with Eben, Sarah, Joseph, Ruth and Eliza. Indians can't find food but they don't worry, only the prisoners worry. Mercy tells Ruth that her name, Mahakem, means "Fire eats her". Joe and Eben search for food while the girls stay by the fire. Eben and Joe go south with masters with bows and arrows because arrows were quicker to reload then guns and they are quieter. Eben shoots a rabbit with the arrow but on the way back Eben has to carry a deer's carcass on his back. Ruth wants to escape; she doesn't want to be a slave. Ruth slips over a cliff but is hanging on and her master, otter, pulls her up then she pushes him over the edge. Ruth then goes down and saves him and says that she didn't want to do it, but she doesn't want to be like you.

CHAPTER SIX
ST LAWRENCE RIVER FRENCH CANADA
APRIL 10, 1704
TEMPERATURE 44 DEGREES.

They meet a priest who praises to the Indians then tells them that's they will be all right and that they will be sold to good French families. Father Meriel buys Eliza. Mercy begs to go with him and realizes the priest is a nice guy. He goes around and blesses everyone except Ruth gets mad at him and tells him not to do it again. Mercy gets to stay in a house and eats warm food and gets washed and treated stays warm. Sally Burt has a baby boy and she bit down on a cylinder piece of wood to absorb the pain. Indians bring many gifts for the baby. Baby is baptized in four different languages; English, French, Mohawk and Latin.

CHAPTER SEVEN
KAHNAWAKE
APRIL 20,1704
TEMPERATURE 56 DEGREES

Married couples would live apart but while she slept they would do what married couples do right in front of everybody. Nistenha wouldn't let Mercy and Ruth speak English. Eben and Sarah are sold to people in Lorette. Eben now looks like and Indian. French and Indians start exchanging gifts to celebrate what they are already did, with the war. Mercy gathers corn berries, nuts, and squash in a basket with Nistenha. She is told it was done very well. Ruth gets a new name, its Spukumenen meaning "let the sky in". The reason they went to Deerfield was to get prisoners so they could exchange Batiste with them in Boston. Batiste was caught sinking English ships.

CHAPTER EIGHT
KAHNAWAKE
AUGUST 1704
TEMPERATURE 75 DEGREES

Its summer and children are playing and not wearing clothes. Mercy was swimming and made moccasins and learned how to make neat things. They would use beer grease to keep the mosquitoes away. Joseph is being adopted and is going to become catholic. Joseph is telling Mr. Williams about how the Indians are his family and Mr. Williams tells them how they should not listen to the priest, not to become catholic, and not to say prayers. Mercy realizes that it doesn't matter what language she speaks just as long as she keeps the commandments.

CHAPTER NINE
MONTREAL
OCTOBER 1704
TEMP 55 DEGREES

Mercy is finally going to see the city and its decided that she gets a new name. Her new name, meaning "flying legs" is Gassinontie. It is so because she ran since she could walk. Mercy meets her cousin and Mary says that Mercy has become a savage and turned into an Indian. Mary's parents want to buy Mercy but Nistenha says no. Mercy runs into Eben and Sarah. Eben is fine but Sarah wants her home. She has been adopted by a French family and she wants ransom. They already have a husband picked out for her. If she is to marry she will marry into the religion, which she does not want to do. Eben tells Sarah that he loves her and he will marry her. She says yes and starts crying tears of joy. They wonder if they will be allowed to, and if so when will it happen.

Wow! Fantastic!
In need of a good read? Try reading Ransom of Mercy Carter. You need to read this book to find out a copious amount of detail about the Mohawk way of life. This book was well-written. This book is about a girl named Mercy who lived back in the olden days. Her town (Deerfield, Massachusette)was destoriedby Mohawk Indians. She then goes on a journy to French Canada. She dreams of ransom. Will it ever come?¿ Ransom of Mercy Carter keeps you reading forever.

main chactors in the ransom of mercy carter
Charters

Mercy: strong willed adjustable, caring. Mercy shows she is caring when she already has a toddler to carry and picks up other toddles to carry as well.

Tannhahorens: protecting caring not evil; he proves that not against other skin colors when even though Mercy and the other captives are white he still protected them and loves them as if they were Indian.

Ruth: rude, has to have her own way, true to her own realign. She shows this when all though out her captivity she wont speck their langue ,pray with them are take to cultures.

Snow walker: a girl who lives with mercy: patient true to herself helpful and nice: she is nice to all the white captives including mercy. And teaches her about Indian life.

Natasha: caring loving for all, smart, understanding. She shows she understands that even when mercy tries to escape she does not get mad or even yell at her about it.

Joseph: An other white captive who also adapts to Indian ways very quickly. He is a friend of mercy who helps her out in till he goes to live with the France people.

Spukumenen's: a priest that is praying with the Indians in the church that is located in the village
by : Alisha Somma

THE RANSOM OF MERCY CARTER!
THE RANSOM OF MERCY CARTER!

Mercy Carter lives in Deerfield, Massachusetts a English colonies. In is 1704, when the threat of an Indian attack is very actual. But the Deerfield towns man believed with the weather so bitterly cold not even Indians would brave the freezing temperatures. But the townspeople were wrong and didn't take into consideration that the French, with whom the English are at war, could and will aid the Indians.
During the night, with soldiers sleeping right in the houses with the Deerfield man, the Indians and French attack Deerfield, taking children away from their parents and loved ones, also taking some adults and randomly killing other's and their children. Forced to march over 300 miles to a Kahnawake Indian village in Canada, many could not survive the more than 40 days on the trail.
Mercy's emotions run high as she fights to survive and attempts to save some of the children. Including her younger sister who dies along the way. Though out the hole time she tries to find out if her brothers are alive and where they have been taken. She dreams of the time that ransom will come. However, as time goes by she is adopted into the tribe as a daughter and finds that her adoptive Indian family is kind and caring. They teach lots of stuff like how to be happy, but most important, she learns about love and living as one with nature and the earth.
Mercy Carter struggles with questions like can she come to know her new identity, especially after she learns that her father is still alive? Will her ransom come in time to save her and allow her to remain an English child? When indeed the ransom does come Mercy can not find her self to take it. she now knows she belongs with the Indians.
I thought this book was unbelievable I couldn't wait to turn the page to find out what happens next. And look forward to reading further books on this topic.

By Alisha Somma ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Highly Recommended - for kids, parents and gransparents!
The novel, written for kids 9 and over, is primarily about the upheavals that occur in the life of an Indian-Canadian family when the grandmother (Naniji) visits from India. The protagonist is Tara a lively and sensitive 15-year-old. She is initially resentful of her visiting grandmother because the grandmother seems to disapprove of Tara's mother's somewhat Western ways and indeed of the Canadian ways of the whole family: the kids don't know Hindi, nor about Diwali; they don't play the sitar and, worst of all, know nothing of the family's role and sacrifice during the Indian Independence movement.

This is too much for Tara: "This is the world I live in. But how do I fit? I'm not one of the true natives, the First Nations, and not one of the whites who marauded the globe colonizing, who tell the history of Canada from when they arrived. I'm too dark for the Samanthas and the rednecks, but not dark enough for Tolly, or Indian enough for Naniji, too Canadian, too Western. Always too something. Never just right."

Tara reads a paper at school about Naniji's role in the Indian Independence movement. The most evocative part of the book occurs when Tara alternates between wanting to read the paper to her class, and not wanting to because of how her friends will react to it and to her (how it will affect her acceptance within the group). She reads the paper anyway. As she had feared, some of her classmates do "shutter down" - close up by seeming to brand her as "other". But, unexpectedly, some of them actually congratulate her and thank her for introducing her to an aspect of history and of herself of which they had been unaware.

Her mother and Naniji are proud of her - that is, until Naniji hears Tara proclaim how she, Tara, is a "regular" Canadian. At this point Naniji "shutters down" because she cannot countenance the fact that her granddaughter is a proud Canadian - what of the family's heritage, sacrifice and history back in India? What of their allegiance to India?

"Naniji catches me staring and tries to smile. She's stiff, but it's not like before, with the criticism and disapproval and the hostility. Her eyes - they are hurt."

The resolution of the conflict within the family and within Tara's own mind is handled by Ms. Gilmore with great maturity and eloquence. She articulates opposing points of view with clarity and grace. Without talking down to the reader, she addresses sensitive issues such as race and color, assimilation and alienation, head-on. This is important especially because these issues are hardly ever addressed in a safe, non-ideological way, without putting one or the other side down as the victim or the aggressor, the turncoat or the conservative.

I highly recommend this book - not just for kids in this age group, but even for their parents and grandparents. In fact, I would go so far as to say this book should be made required reading for all kids (on any rung of the assimilation ladder) because it will create a better understanding and awareness of the inner script that guides our public lives.

To read more of this review, go to desijournal.com ... Read more

Book Description

To her small Eskimo village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When the village is no longer safe for her, Miyax runs away. But she soon finds herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness, without food, without even a compass to guide her.

Slowly she is accepted by a pack of Arctic wolves, Mid she grows to love them as though they were family. With their help, and drawing on her father's teachings, Miyax struggles day by clay to survive. But the time comes when she must leave the wilderness and choose between the old ways an(] the new. Which will she choose? For she is Miyax of the Eskimos--but Julie of the Wolves.

Faced with the prospect of a disagreeable arranged marriage or a journey acoss the barren Alaskan tundra, 13-year-old Miyax chooses the tundra. She finds herself caught between the traditional Eskimo ways and the modern ways of the whites. Miyax, or Julie as her pen pal Amy calls her, sets out alone to visit Amy in San Francisco, a world far away from Eskimo culture and the frozen land of Alaska.

During her long and arduous journey, Miyax comes to appreciate the value of her Eskimo heritage, learns about herself, and wins the friednship of a pack of wolves. After learning the language of the wolves and slowly earning their trust, Julie becomes a member of the pack.

Since its first publication, Julie of The Wolves,winner of thr 1973 Newbery Medal, has found its way into the hearts of millions of readers.

Winner, 1973 Newbery Medal
Nominee, 1973 National Book Award for Children's Literature
Notable Children's Books of 1971–1975 (ALA)
1973 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
Children's Books of 1972 (Library of Congress)
Children's Books of International Interest 1972 (CSD/ALA)
Gold Star List 1973 (ESLC)

Reviews (125)

Julie of the Wolves
Imagine a situation where wolves were your friends and family instead of people. And you learn to love your wolf pack. This is the situation in the adventurous book Julie of the Wolves, written by jean Craighead George. But one day changes everyones perspective.

It began when Julie's Aunt took her away from Kapugen, her father, to attend school and went to Barrow. Julie was thirteen and old enough to marry. Kapugen happened to meet Nusan, her mother-in-law, in that town. She had said that Julie had ran off and died. But Nusan didn't really know what had happened to Julie. Julie was gone for a very long time after all and most people thought that she died. But Julie was on the tundra with the gentle wolf pack and its kind leader, Amaroq, but Kapugen had killed him and Julie still had the painful memories of that day. But Kapugen always called her Miyax. He was the only person allowed to call her Miyax. Like most Eskimo-Julie has two names, English and Eskimo-Julie Edwards and Miyax Kapugen. But she wondered what would happen to her wolves.

After spending a long time with her pack, Julie picks up the wolf language. She howls and whimpers. And the wolves speak back. She knows what they're feeling by her own natural instinct. But not exactly what they're thinking. After a while, Julie decides to leave Kapu, her wolf and his pack, to go home and live with Kapugen. She is worried that her wolves will follow her and Kapugen finds then because he will shoot her wolves. "Kapugen is like all Eskimo hunters. He will say, 'The wolf gave himself to me'."-Julie of the Wolves.

Julie goes on an adventure to go and find her wolves. To try and make them understand to stay away from Kapugen or he will shoot them. She is very protective of her wolves because they saved her life. She wants them so badly to understand by her howls but they keep heading in her direction. Is Julie going to save her wolves before Kapugen finds them first? I would recommend this book for anyone who likes adventure and cliffhangers. It's a wonderful book to read if your mind likes to question and leaves you stranded.

Miyax's Great Adventure
Miyax's Great Adventure
Miyax, the main character, is thirteen years old and has to go and live with her aunt. She has an unexpected marriage to a boy named Daniel. She does not like her husband, Daniel. She decides to run away from her aunt and Daniel. She gets welcomed into a pack of wolves. Here she gets food and names the wolves. Miyax named the leader of the pack Amraque. She tries to survive in the Alaskan Wilderness with the wolves. Will Miyax survive in the Alaskan Wilderness? I like this book very much, because it is realistic fiction. Also because the climax is very exciting. If you read this book I am sure you will learn something. I learned that the wolves eat big chunks of meat and regurgitate the food for their pups. There is also a sequel to this book. It is called Julie Sky. If you read this book, I am sure you will like it.

Why on earth did this win a Newbery?!
I hated "Julie of the Wolves." By the time I finished, 15,000,000 questions were swimming in my head, one which was, "How on earth did this win the Newbery?" Although Part 1 was good, Part 2 was confusing, and Part 3 was the sorriest excuse for a Newbery award winner I have ever read.
I was expecting some grand tale which ended with the sentence, "And with that, Julie pulled up the covers of her new bed in San Francisco, closed her eyes, and went to sleep." Instead it was, "Julie pointed her boots toward Kapugen."
If you like books with weak plots and confusing sentences you must read four times to understand, then you'll love "Julie of the Wolves."

Why?
Back in 6th Grade I was forced to read this book for a school project. I was never the same. This book showed me that not all literature is good, and that some works are truly horrible. This is truly horrible. I can't understand how it could win any type of award, especially a Newberry. I am still confused as to the point of this book. Most of the time, it read like a boring textbook and what story there was was pitiful and weak. I could not feel any sympathy for the characters at all. I wish there was a rating lower than 1 star, because that's what this book deserves. I saw someone on Amazon selling it for a penny. It isn't even worth that.

Julie of the Wolves
Julie of the Wolves is a novel about a girl and a wolf pack, fighting against nature to survive. It is an inspiering book of how Julie fights for her life, and learns to live with a pack of wolves. It is a good book to read if you love adventures and the outdoors. It explains how well people can connect with nature. ... Read more