Similar book to Sign of the Beaver for 7th grade boy?

[happypamama]

Okay, my 7th grader is going to use Notgrass's America the Beautiful this year. The text is maybe a little easy for him, but the info looks great, lots of tidbits about different things. So I got some of the literature to go with it. The first one is Sign of the Beaver. I just recalled and double-checked -- the family is expecting a baby, and at the end, we learn that the baby died at a few days old. No thank you, that's just a little too close to home for this year.

 

So, any recommendations for something in the same time period that would appeal to a 7th grade boy? He likes most everything.

[maize]

Johnny Tremain is set in the same time period, though the themes are different.

[happypamama]

Johnny Tremain is set in the same time period, though the themes are different.

That's also on his list, but for a little later in the year. :)

[sweetpea3829]

My Side of the Mountain

 

Hatchet  

[happypamama]

My Side of the Mountain

 

Hatchet

Oooh, Hatchet! Thank you -- I forgot that one. Garga suggested that to me, and I have it and keep meaning to check it out. He loved My Side of the Mountain and will read its sequel later next year.

[CAtoVA]

The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter (setting circa 1760's)

 

Not involving Native Americans: Carry on Mr. Bowditch

Edited July 15, 2017 by chiefcookandbottlewasher

[Farrar]

What's more important - the themes or the time period? I can think of other books that take place just before the American Revolution, like, say Night Journeys by Avi or The Fifth of March by Ann Rinaldi, both of which would be fine for most 7th graders. But the themes are radically different from Sign of the Beaver. Most of the books I can think of with the same themes are more modern, like the aforementioned My Side of the Mountain.

 

Another direction to go might be that it's a problematic book in terms of portrayal of Native Americans. So you might consider reading something that does a better job. I know that Joseph Bruchac has some historical fiction that might be closer to the period, like The Winter People, though I've not read that one specifically.

[Lori D.]

Native American titles, by a Native author:
- Children of the Longhouse (Bruchac) -- Mohawks; pre-white contact; early 1700s (?)
- The Winter People (Bruchac) -- 1750s, early French-Indian War
- Arrow Over the Door (Bruchac) --  1777, Revolutionary War, white Quakers/Native scouts for the British
- Om-Kas-Toe (Thomasma) -- Blackfoot; pre-white contact; early 1700s (?)
- Naya Nuki (Thomasma) -- true survival story; 1800
- The Birchbark House (Erdrich) -- 1840s; awareness of whites, but avoiding contact

European/Native clash:
- Walk the World's Rim (Baker) -- 1500s, focus on Spanish conquistadors in US Southwest
- The King's Fifth (O'Dell) -- 1500s, focus on Spanish conquistadors in Mexico/US Southwest

books where a white character is integrated into a Native culture; 1700s French & Indian War setting:
- I am Regina (Keehn) 
- Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison (Lenski) 
- A Light in the Forest (Richter)

Edited September 19, 2020 by Lori D.

[happypamama]

Farrar, I think time period more than theme. He will be covering other similar themes in other books later, so it's the pre-Revolution/colonial period that I'm most wanting. I do recall that maybe it's not the best for Native Americans, so thank you for the other suggestions to check out! I think that would give him a perspective that Mr. Bowditch and Johnny Tremain will not.

 

This is the proposed list that I have -- some are because Notgrass uses them, and some I added myself (He may not get through all of them, and that's okay too.)

 

Sign of the Beaver

Carry on Mr. Bowditch

Johnny Tremain

The Captain's Dog

Amos Fortune, Free Man

Tom Sawyer

Brady

Bound for Oregon

Across Five Aprils

Blue Willow OR No Promises in the Wind

On the Far Side of the Mountain

The Terrible Wave (about the Johnstown flood)

Bud, Not Buddy

Story of My Life: Helen Keller (maybe)

A Wrinkle in Time (maybe, unless I find a more specifically mid-to-late 20th century book)

Basher 5-2

 

LoriD, your list has several I've not heard of. Many thanks!! I will check them all out!

[CAtoVA]

Yes, A Light in the Forest : )

 

Thanks for that list Lori!!!!

Edited July 15, 2017 by chiefcookandbottlewasher

[Lori D.]

On 7/14/2017 at 8:10 PM, happypamama said:

Farrar, I think time period more than theme. He will be covering other similar themes in other books later, so it's the pre-Revolution/colonial period that I'm most wanting. I do recall that maybe it's not the best for Native Americans, so thank you for the other suggestions to check out! I think that would give him a perspective that Mr. Bowditch and Johnny Tremain will not.

This is the proposed list that I have -- some are because Notgrass uses them, and some I added myself (He may not get through all of them, and that's okay too.)

Sign of the Beaver
Carry on Mr. Bowditch
Johnny Tremain
The Captain's Dog
Amos Fortune, Free Man
Tom Sawyer
Brady
Bound for Oregon
Across Five Aprils
Blue Willow OR No Promises in the Wind
On the Far Side of the Mountain
The Terrible Wave (about the Johnstown flood)
Bud, Not Buddy
Story of My Life: Helen Keller (maybe)
A Wrinkle in Time (maybe, unless I find a more specifically mid-to-late 20th century book)
Basher 5-2

Not that you asked us to vote, but... 😉 I'd go for The Winter People. It's a similar time-frame as Sign of the Beaver (1700s Colonial) and about Native American characters. And best of all, written from an actual Native perspective 🙂 -- something that is missing from your current list. 🙂

And, you also didn't ask for opinions on your book list, but... ;):

Bound for Oregon and Blue Willow are VERY young -- gr. 4-5 level. The Stout-Hearted Seven (Frazier) is a very similar story as Bound for Oregon, also based on a true family but written at a gr. 7 and up level. 

Alternatives for the 1930s Depression -- in addition to No Promises in the Wind, which looks interesting -- and these 3 also have a female protagonist, like Blue Willow:

- Esperanza Rising (Ryan), about a Mexican female protagonist and from a Latina author
- Out of the Dust (Hesse), which is written for middle school and up, and is in verse form
- A Year Down Yonder (Peck), humorous/off-beat, with a female protagonist and written in first person point of view

Edited September 19, 2020 by Lori D.

[eagleynne]

There's always The Ransom of Mercy Carter (Cooney). It's set during per-revoluitionary times and has both Native American/White conflict AND assimilation.

 

   I don't know your family's situation or what might prove upsetting, but in The Sign of the Beaver the baby passing is only mentioned once, right at the end of the book. When the father, mother, and younger sister finally arrive at the cabin Matt asks his father where the baby is and his father tells him it only lived a few days. He then tells him not to mention it to his mother yet because she is still upset about it. Matt wishes he'd known so he could have hidden the cradle sitting out. And that's it. The book goes back to talking about what an adventure the trip to the cabin must have been for Matt's mother and sister. This all takes place in the last couple pages of the book.

[pitterpatter]

Notgrass has these as alternative literature suggestions for units 4-5. Would either work?

 

Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry, published 1947, childhood biography of an important American painter, set in Pennsylvania in the 1740s (Units 4-5)

 

Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare, published 1957, based on a true story of a family captured by Indians, set in New Hampshire and Canada in the 1750s (Unit 5)

 

https://history.notgrass.com/faq/what-alternate-literature-goes-with-america-the-beautiful/

[happypamama]

There's always The Ransom of Mercy Carter (Cooney). It's set during per-revoluitionary times and has both Native American/White conflict AND assimilation.

 

I don't know your family's situation or what might prove upsetting, but in The Sign of the Beaver the baby passing is only mentioned once, right at the end of the book. When the father, mother, and younger sister finally arrive at the cabin Matt asks his father where the baby is and his father tells him it only lived a few days. He then tells him not to mention it to his mother yet because she is still upset about it. Matt wishes he'd known so he could have hidden the cradle sitting out. And that's it. The book goes back to talking about what an adventure the trip to the cabin must have been for Matt's mother and sister. This all takes place in the last couple pages of the book.

I know. It's possible he might not be heavily affected by it, and normally, I would just gloss over it and move on. But we just lost a premature baby in January after a three week fight in the NICU, and we have an unused car seat we bought for our baby sitting in the attic, so I am just really not wanting to have them read things that could put the loss of their little brother front and center again. Not this year.

 

I will look up The Ransom of Mercy Carter -- thanks!

Edited July 15, 2017 by happypamama

[happypamama]

 

Notgrass has these as alternative literature suggestions for units 4-5. Would either work?

 

Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry, published 1947, childhood biography of an important American painter, set in Pennsylvania in the 1740s (Units 4-5)

 

Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare, published 1957, based on a true story of a family captured by Indians, set in New Hampshire and Canada in the 1750s (Unit 5)

 

https://history.notgrass.com/faq/what-alternate-literature-goes-with-america-the-beautiful/

Ah, somehow I missed that they provide alternatives -- thanks! I'll check them out!

[happypamama]

Not that you asked us to vote, but... ;) I'd go for The Winter People. It's a similar time-frame as Sign of the Beaver (1700s Colonial) and about Native American characters. And best of all, written from an actual Native perspective :) -- something that is missing from your current list. :)

 

 

No, a vote is good! I will look at The Winter People. I remember reading A Light in the Forest and enjoying it; it was for a college US history class, so it hadn't hit my radar for my son. Now I have a few good options, so this has been really helpful!

 

And, you also didn't ask for opinions on your book list, but... ;):

 

Bound for Oregon and Blue Willow are VERY young -- gr. 4-5 level. The Stout-Hearted Seven (Frazier) is a very similar story as Bound for Oregon, also based on a true family but written at a gr. 7 and up level.

 

Alternatives for the 1930s Depression -- in addition to No Promises in the Wind, which looks interesting -- and these 3 also have a female protagonist, like Blue Willow:

- Esperanza Rising (Ryan), about a Mexican female protagonist and from a Latina author

- Out of the Dust (Hesse), which is written for middle school and up, and is in verse form

- A Year Down Yonder (Peck), humorous/off-beat, with a female protagonist and written in first person point of view

Yeah, I know a couple of those are very easy for him. He's a good reader but a slow one, and I thought a couple of easy reads might be okay for him because he will enjoy that he can finish them quickly. He also enjoys when he can share something with his little brothers (they'll be 3rd, 1st, and preK), so maybe I'll suggest that he read one of the easier books aloud to them. He's the kind of kid who will happily do whatever I assign, so I'm totally okay with the occasional too easy book if it's a good story.

 

But, I'm going to check out the others you've suggested too. I used the Notgrass list for convenience because I bought it for the history texts, but I don't think it's necessary to read the exact literature, so I'm totally open to making substitutions. I might just let him choose between a few. I just kind of panicked last night because I ordered Sign of the Beaver from the library because we start school in a couple of weeks, and then I remembered that I thought there was mention of the baby dying, and so now I am glad to have several other ideas to use instead. :)

[Lori D.]

On 7/15/2017 at 7:49 AM, happypamama said:

Yeah, I know a couple of those are very easy for him. He's a good reader but a slow one, and I thought a couple of easy reads might be okay for him because he will enjoy that he can finish them quickly. He also enjoys when he can share something with his little brothers (they'll be 3rd, 1st, and preK), so maybe I'll suggest that he read one of the easier books aloud to them. He's the kind of kid who will happily do whatever I assign, so I'm totally okay with the occasional too easy book if it's a good story.

In that case, absolutely! -- a variety of difficulty levels is a good idea! 🙂

On 7/15/2017 at 7:49 AM, happypamama said:

 I might just let him choose between a few. 

That's a good idea. Having a book basket and giving the student the choice is very empowering.

On 7/15/2017 at 7:49 AM, happypamama said:

... I'm going to check out the others you've suggested too....

...Sign of the Beaver... and then I remembered that I thought there was mention of the baby dying, and so now I am glad to have several other ideas to use instead.  🙂

And, I am smacking my forehead for suggesting The Stout Hearted Seven -- lots of deaths along the trail, including both parents of the 7 children. So scratch that off the list RIGHT now!  :eek:  Sorry about that! 

Edited September 19, 2020 by Lori D.

[happypamama]

In that case, absolutely! -- a variety of difficulty levels is a good idea! :)

 

 

 

 

That's a good idea. Having a book basket and giving the student the choice is very empowering.

 

 

 

And, I am smacking my forehead for suggesting The Stout Hearted Seven -- lots of deaths along the trail, including both parents of the 7 children. So scratch that off the list RIGHT now! :eek: Sorry about that!

Ack!! Thanks for that heads up! Yeah, we may just have to skip that one right now too. :)