[.ca] The Sign of the Beaver (ISBN 1400084970)

From Amazon.com:
When his father returns East to collect the rest of the family, 13-year-old Matt is left alone to guard his family's newly built homestead. One day, Matt is brutally stung when he robs a bee tree for honey. He returns to consciousness to discover that his many stings have been treated by an old Native American and his grandson. Matt offers his only book as thanks, but the old man instead asks Matt to teach his grandson Attean to read. Both boys are suspicious, but Attean comes each day for his lesson. In the mornings, Matt tries to entice Attean with tales from Robinson Crusoe, while in the afternoons, Attean teaches Matt about wilderness survival and Native American culture. The boys become friends in spite of themselves, and their inevitable parting is a moving tribute to the ability of shared experience to overcome prejudice. The Sign of the Beaver was a Newbery Honor Book; author Elizabeth Speare has also won the Newbery Medal twice, for The Witch of Blackbird Pond and The Bronze Bow. (Ages 12 and older) --Richard Farr

Offensive steroetypes:
In doing research on the book, I came across several Native American organizations that find the content offensive. Looking at the book from their perspective, it was easy to see their point. This could be a useful piece of literature to open a discussion about bias and stereotypes. I suggest it be avoided as historical literature to teach young children about Native Americans. There are a growing number of other options available.

We love it!:
We first checked out this audio-tape out from the library when my son was 7. He loved it on that first long car trip, and we have checked it out 3 more times since then. Today, I bought it on Amazon.com for our trip this summer. If you have a boy (or girl) who likes to listen to stories, this is a great one. As a Mom, I like that the boy learns to survive, works hard, and shows respect for others and their culture......a great role model for young kids today.

The Sign Of The Beaver:
This is a good book. In the begining it is boring but keep on reading because it becomes fasinating. Matt's family leaves and Matt has to watch over the cabbin. Soon after they leave, a guy named ben came and stole Matt's gun. The Native American tribe (the beaver tribe) found matt and helped him. He becomes good friends with Attean (someone from the beaver tribe). But soon Attean and his tribe have to leave and they ask Matt to come with them and matt says.............Wait i'm not going to tell you how it ends if I told you it would be a total waste because the book is better. So read The Sign Of The Beaver and you'll find out. This book is an adventure book and also fun book. I just didn't want to put it down. So read this book and I hope you feel the same way I do!!

Horrible Put Down:
I hated this book so much! It was horrible. Nothing ever happend, it was one big bore! Don't read this book unless you are forced to. I would rather eat vetegtables than read this book . DO NOT READ !

Go stare at a brick wall, it is more exiting:
I hated this book. This kid has to stay at this cabin till his father comes back with his family. Then he meets this ben guy who takes his rifle so he can only eat fish. then he gets stuck in a tree and the bees come at him. Then he meets this attean dude and matt teaches him how to read. then attean killed a bear and matt helped. matt goes to this indian party and falls asleep eating bear meat. attean take him to a room. then the grandmother is mad cuz a white person slept in her bed. then atteans dog gets caught in a trap. Matt tells the tribe and the grandma helped so she was not mad any more. the indians decide to move away and they want to take matt with him. he does not go and he waits for his parents. they come and he is happy. I would not recomend this book to anyone.