Sign of the Beaver OR Witch of Blackbird Pond

[CookIslandsMommy]

I am working through picking 4 books for in depth literature study for our 2016 school year (starting January). 

My daughter is 10 years old. Here are the books so far. 

 

1. Sign of the Beaver  

 

2. The Witch of Blackbird Pond

 

3. Johnny Tremain

 

4. Amos Fortune

 

5. Number the Stars

 

 

I can only pick four. Initially I was thinking the choice may be between Sign of the Beaver and Witch of Blackbird Pond. 

I have never read these books, so...

 

If you were to pick your top 4 - which would they be?

 

Thanks!!

Sherid in Australia

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I didn't read the beaver one, but I found the blackbird pond one VERY boring.

 

 

[Tanaqui]

Neither. Blackbird has some glaring historical inaccuracies that bugged me a lot even as a kid, and Beaver is racist.

[busymotherof4]

Both were enjoyable books but I probably wouldn't use either for in depth literature study.

[Lori D.]

I was thinking you recently posted about historical fiction for study of U.S. history?

 

In case this helps you decide: of your list, #1-4 are all set in the United States -- either Colonial or Revolutionary War times -- so they fit well together historically. #5, Number the Stars, is the "oddball', as it is set in Holland during WW2.

 

In answer to your question, I would probably save Number the Stars for a 20th century world history study, AND substitute for BOTH Sign of the Beaver AND The Witch of Blackbird Pond in order to get some more works with female protagonists. ;) JMO! :) Best of luck, whatever you decide. Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

Sign of the Beaver

1700s Colonial setters Native Americans; boy protagonist; a type of "survival" story (boy is left to keep the cabin and farm up while his father goes to get the mom and sister, and survives due to the assistance of a Native American boy and his tribe). I have DSs who LOVED the boy survival / Native American aspect of this book. Note: some have charged that there is stereotyping of Native Americans in this work, as well as most works written by non-Native authors. See this article for details.

 

Possible alternatives of 1700s U.S. with Native Americans and a female protagonist:

- The Courage of Sarah Noble (Dalgliesh) -- gr. 4-6 reader (this book also gets called out for stereotypes)

- Naya Nuki: The Girl Who Ran (Thomasa) -- gr. 4-8 reader -- takes place in the very late 1700s

- The Double Life of Pocahontas (Fritz) -- gr. 4-7  reader -- takes place in the early 1600s

- I am Regina (Keehn) -- gr. 5-8 reader; takes place in the mid-1700s

- Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison (Lenski) -- gr. 5+ read-aloud; takes place in the mid/late 1700s

 

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

1680s, Puritan Colonial US settlement. Okay, I just have to admit it; I have never cared for this book. I really dislike the revisionist view of the characters -- the female protagonist is anachronistically feminist, but even worse, is annoyingly teenage-self-absorbed. And I get SO very weary of the one-dimensional portrayal of male church-leaders as self-righteous, bigoted, cultish "patriarchs". sigh. I'm sure the intent of the book was good, which was to delve into the ideas of fear and accusations in an isolated community and how that can lead to horrible consequences (which really did happen with the 17th century Salem Witch Trials and hanging of several women as "witches"), but I DO so wish this book could have really dug into the complexities instead of stereotyping… But, that is just how this book strikes me; I know this one is a huge favor of many. :)

 

Possible alternatives:

- Calico Bush (Field) -- gr. 5-8 reader; 1750s, girl protagonist is an indentured servant to a Colonial US family

- The Cabin Faced West (Fritz) -- gr. 4-7 reader; 1780s, girl protagonist, pioneer/settler family in the woods

- The Journeyman (Yates) grade 5-8 reader; early 1800s (so, early U.S. history), boy protagonist; a lovely, quiet book

Edited May 10, 2016 by Lori D.

[happypamama]

DD liked Witch of Blackbird Pond. I have not read it. We both read Beaver, and it was a pretty enjoyable story, although I'm not going to comment on its accuracy or lack thereof. I believe she also liked Amos Fortune, but again, I have not read it.

 

Number the Stars is not very long. I loved it. DS1 liked it okay, but I think he found it depressing. It IS sad in some parts, very sobering overall.

 

Now, Johnny Tremain. That's one of DD's favorite books, but she was about we've when she read it.

 

Of Beaver and Blackbird, I think I'd go with Beaver. I think it would make more sense to a kid.

[CookIslandsMommy]

Thanks again for the help. 

Yes Lori, it is me!  I am trying to match up some of the American history historical fiction we will be using and picking 4 of them to go alongside with Progeny Press /L-I-T guides for each term of the 2016 year. 

WW2 is generally covered in quite a few American HIstory curriculum syllabus hence why I was including the Number the Stars book. 

 

It seems of course people can have quite varied ideas on whether the books are good or not. I decided to buy the books and try and read them first b4 mid January when school starts here. 

 

Being Kiwi in Australia I am completely clueless about American HIstory but it looks so interesting and it will be such a great year doing this!

 

As always: thank you to those who relied. Huge cyber high five!

[Lori D.]

It seems of course people can have quite varied ideas on whether the books are good or not. I decided to buy the books and try and read them first b4 mid January when school starts here. 

 

Great idea! :) I know that's time-consuming, but really, it's the best way to know whether or not a book is a good fit or not for YOUR family! :) We can only let you know what worked/didn't work (and hopefully why) for each of our own families. :)

 

Yes Lori, it is me!  I am trying to match up some of the American history historical fiction we will be using and picking 4 of them to go alongside with Progeny Press /L-I-T guides for each term of the 2016 year. WW2 is generally covered in quite a few American HIstory curriculum syllabus hence why I was including the Number the Stars book. 

 

Ah-ha! Now I see. :)

 

I did a quick look at the Progeny Press guides, and these would also fit with your US History focus and might work for your DD's age/abilities:

 

Upper Elementary guides

- Sarah Plain and Tall -- late 1800s (?); pioneer focus; female protagonist; lovely book

- Little House on the Prairie -- late 1800s; pioneer focus; female protagonist

- In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson -- 1940s post WW2; immigrant experience; female protagonist; a favorite book here

- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever -- 20th century

 

Middle School guides (I'd probably do whichever is chosen as a read-aloud together with a 10yo)

- Johnny Tremain --  late 1700s Revolutionary War; male protagonist

- Island of the Blue Dolphins -- 1800s; Native American survival story; female protagonist; a fascinating book

- Carry on Mr. Bowditch -- late 1700s/early 1800s; naval navigation and sailing; male protagonist; we loved this book -- but people seem to either really like it or really dislike it ;)

- Anne of Green Gables -- early 1900s; female protagonist; Canada, not US, but such charming characters and story, be sure to read this book with your DD some time in the next few years :)

- A Wrinkle in Time -- 1980s/contemporary times; female protagonist; sci-fi with some very Christian images and themes; maybe do this in 1-3 years along with The Giver and Tuck Everlasting (and Enchantress from the Stars (Engdahl) and The Green Book (Walsh)) for a great middle school speculative fiction unit!

 

If your DD enjoys discussion and is a bit advanced in discussing ideas/themes in literature and in life, you might also consider Tuck Everlasting (setting is 1899, rural US small town) -- although, it's really NOT a historical fiction work but a speculative fiction work, with the US time/setting being rather incidental to the main plot and themes of the book. If you don't do it this year to connect with your US History studies, definitely do it somewhere by 8th grade. It's a super book for thinking about/discussing, while being an easy read. :)

 

Of the PP middle school guides, I would save these books for about 7th/8th grade:

- The Bronze Bow

- Maniac Magee

- Bridge to Terebithia

- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

- Across Five Aprils

- Tom Sawyer

- The Giver

 

 

BEST wishes in both your History and your Literature studies! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited November 30, 2015 by Lori D.

[Aurelia]

Neither. Blackbird has some glaring historical inaccuracies that bugged me a lot even as a kid, and Beaver is racist.

 

 

Yep.  :iagree:

 

For Native American characters, Scott O'Dell (Island of the Blue Dolphins, Sing Down the Moon, The Black Pearl), Louise Erdrich (The Birchbark House, Chickadee) and Kenneth Thomasma (Naya Nuki, Om-Kas-Toe) are good writers who don't stereotype like Speare does . Erdrich and Thomasma are at least partially NA themselves, IIRC. All of them have more books than I've listed here, but they are the most popular/well known. Island of the Blue Dolphins has been a required book in the local elementary schools here for decades.

 

The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder is considered almost required reading for girls in my area. They are usually required to read at least one of the first three - Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, or On the Banks of Plum Creek. I liked Big Woods best, and DD prefered Plum Creek. Prairie is the best-researched, though. 

 

I don't really have a favorite book for WW2, but one of my all-time favorites iss Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself. It's a semi-autobiographical account of the author's life around age 10, set in the 1947. The family is Jewish, and I think it gives a good feeling for what it was like to live at the time without being overbearing. (Pre-civil rights movement - when the family takes a train from New Jersey to Florida, Sally doesn't immediately understand why the black family had to change train cars, for example.)

 

So my 4:

Johnny Tremain

The Birchbark House or Little House in the Big Woods (preferably both, they are set in roughly the same time period, but from opposite perspectives)

Amos Fortune

Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself 

[Tanaqui]

Thinking on it, a surprising number of my historical fiction for kids books feature Jewish protagonists. So now that I've thought, I would suggest swapping out your colonial choices for Pickpocket's Tale or Out Of Many Waters, both of which take place in very roughly the same time period (you know, the 150-odd years of the colonial period....) and are fairly well-written.

 

And then maybe I'd add in War Comes to Willy Freeman and Dragonwings, which I guess means more than 4 books when we add the ones you already have. Whoops.

[Junie]

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is one of my favorite stories ever.  Maybe you could read it and research inaccuracies in the book.

 

I also loved Amos Fortune.

[Kat w]

I agree with PP . there are so many more good books to choose. My big kids read both of those. And they are the ONLY 2 my oldest didn't go back and read a second or third or fourth time.

 

I vote:

 

Neither lol

 

Pick something else. Sooook mny other good ones IMO.

[Julie of KY]

To answer your question, I'd pick Sign of the Beaver as it's an easier (more enjoyable) read. To "study" literature it is helpful to start with something that you enjoy reading (but don't ruin your very favorite books by "studying" them).

 

Whether or not you want to do these books or swap them for something entirely different is up to you.

[kiwik]

I was going to say don't use favourite books for study.  Use ones that are enjoyable but not going to be a favourite.

[luuknam]

Sign of the Beaver

However, there is also a fair amount of stereotyping of Native Americans in this work, as well as most works written by non-Native authors. See this article for details.

 

From that article:

 

"Any book that promotes the attitude that non-American Indian students are superior to Indian students, can dislike them without reason, and can mock their ways and culture only serves to alienate the American Indian students from the class. The Sign of the Beaver is guilty of all of these attitudes."

 

I strongly disagree with this excerpt from that article.

 

The book (imo) does not promote the attitude that non-American Indian students are superior to Indian students at all. It's the most recent audiobook we listened to in the car, so it's fresh in my mind, and the book shows how Matt, the prejudiced white boy, learns that in fact, maybe the Indians are superior to him. I can't think of any direct quotes, but Matt becomes thoroughly impressed by how helpless he was after his gun was stolen (by a white guy) and how many skills the Indians have and how resourceful they are, and in reading Robinson Crusoe to Attean, he discovers how racist RC is and how messed up the world view he grew up with is.

 

Yes, the Indians speak broken English - because they're not native speakers, and they don't spend all day immersed in learning English - why would they speak fluent English? Yes, the book describes the painted Indian faces looking ghastly when Matt is sitting at the campfire. That's because the book describes how Matt sees things, not objectively. And Matt changes his views the more he learns about the Indians the more he participates.

 

The only thing I agree with is Attean making some comment about "squaw work" being for women - which may or may not be historically accurate (there are a lot of Indian tribes and not all functioned the same)... but it's a very minor issue in a book, that (imo), encourages kids to think about the way they view other cultures and to not just copy prejudices from others while not knowing much about the other culture/without understanding the other culture. At the end of the book, Matt's parents finally arrive (months late due to typhus etc), and Matt is enthusiastically telling them about Attean, his Indian brother, and how much he learned from them and how the Indians are good people. And Matt is also feeling conflicted about his family having moved to Maine, as Attean's tribe decided to move 'west' because their hunting grounds were getting too small because of white settlers.

 

Really, I'd suggest reading the book and making up your own opinion about it rather than basing it on that review. My kids (5 and 8) both liked the book, but I think a 10yo would still like it (and certainly get a lot more out of it than a 5yo).

 

The only other book I've read is Number the Stars, which, btw, takes place in Denmark iirc, not Holland (though it's possible I remember wrong, but being from Holland I think I would've remembered it if it took place in Holland). I wasn't overly impressed by it, but, being from Holland, I've read quite a number of WWII books as a kid (no, no recommendations, my favorite one hasn't been translated into English afaik). I read Number the Stars years ago for a Children's Literature class, so I don't recall much about it, other than just my 'meh' feeling. FWIW, I read about half of Anne Frank's diary when I was 10yo and I was also 'meh' about that (which, btw, *does* take place in Holland).

[estelleblue]

From that article:

 

"Any book that promotes the attitude that non-American Indian students are superior to Indian students, can dislike them without reason, and can mock their ways and culture only serves to alienate the American Indian students from the class. The Sign of the Beaver is guilty of all of these attitudes."

 

I strongly disagree with this excerpt from that article.

 

The book (imo) does not promote the attitude that non-American Indian students are superior to Indian students at all. It's the most recent audiobook we listened to in the car, so it's fresh in my mind, and the book shows how Matt, the prejudiced white boy, learns that in fact, maybe the Indians are superior to him. I can't think of any direct quotes, but Matt becomes thoroughly impressed by how helpless he was after his gun was stolen (by a white guy) and how many skills the Indians have and how resourceful they are, and in reading Robinson Crusoe to Attean, he discovers how racist RC is and how messed up the world view he grew up with is.

 

Yes, the Indians speak broken English - because they're not native speakers, and they don't spend all day immersed in learning English - why would they speak fluent English? Yes, the book describes the painted Indian faces looking ghastly when Matt is sitting at the campfire. That's because the book describes how Matt sees things, not objectively. And Matt changes his views the more he learns about the Indians the more he participates.

 

The only thing I agree with is Attean making some comment about "squaw work" being for women - which may or may not be historically accurate (there are a lot of Indian tribes and not all functioned the same)... but it's a very minor issue in a book, that (imo), encourages kids to think about the way they view other cultures and to not just copy prejudices from others while not knowing much about the other culture/without understanding the other culture. At the end of the book, Matt's parents finally arrive (months late due to typhus etc), and Matt is enthusiastically telling them about Attean, his Indian brother, and how much he learned from them and how the Indians are good people. And Matt is also feeling conflicted about his family having moved to Maine, as Attean's tribe decided to move 'west' because their hunting grounds were getting too small because of white settlers.

 

Really, I'd suggest reading the book and making up your own opinion about it rather than basing it on that review. My kids (5 and 8) both liked the book, but I think a 10yo would still like it (and certainly get a lot more out of it than a 5yo).

 

The only other book I've read is Number the Stars, which, btw, takes place in Denmark iirc, not Holland (though it's possible I remember wrong, but being from Holland I think I would've remembered it if it took place in Holland). I wasn't overly impressed by it, but, being from Holland, I've read quite a number of WWII books as a kid (no, no recommendations, my favorite one hasn't been translated into English afaik). I read Number the Stars years ago for a Children's Literature class, so I don't recall much about it, other than just my 'meh' feeling. FWIW, I read about half of Anne Frank's diary when I was 10yo and I was also 'meh' about that (which, btw, *does* take place in Holland).

 

My family just read Sign of the Beaver for school, and I agree with the above quote 100%. My children and I loved that book, and cried at the end together. I would recommend it. 

Edited December 3, 2015 by julielovesafrica

[Amy M]

I've read four of them, not having read Amos Fortune. I didn't think Sign was racist. I read Witch as a girl (probably 12?) and loved it, though it took a bit to get into it. Read it again as an adult, and was a bit bothered by the portrayal of the Puritans as mean to the girl, overly harsh. Still liked it. When I first read your title of your post, I thought "depends on if her student is a boy or girl." :) IOW, if you have a daughter, read Witch. But maybe 10 is a bit too young to appreciate it. ? But all your other choices were boys except for Number the Stars. I do think that some of the other recommendations here are too young for 10 yo, e.g. Courage of Sarah Noble, Cabin Faced West, and Sarah Plain and Tall. But Naya Nuki or Mary Jemison would work fine. What about Strawberry Girl by Lenski? Is there a guide for that one?