The Sign of the Beaver

5 Responses to “The Sign of the Beaver”

1. Volkert Volkersz Says:
   August 12th, 2007 at 11:39 pm

   “The Sign of the Beaver” has been required reading for 5th grade students in our school district for over a decade, and it is one of the required titles that all the students–boys and girls–seem to read with pleasure. Since our 5th grade social studies curriculum covers the settlement and colonial period of American history, this story about Matt’s family homesteading in woods of Maine during this period fits in perfectly.

   While “The Sign of the Beaver” is an outstanding piece of historical fiction, it is also an exciting adventure story in the tradition of books like “My Side of the Mountain,” “Hatchet,” and “Island of the Blue Dolphins.”

   It’s been many years since I first read “The Sign of the Beaver,” so I decided to listen to the audio-book on 2 cassettes, read by actor Greg Schaffert. Schaffert does a great job of moving this adventure along at a swift pace, and bringing the main characters to life. As one young reviewer wrote here, this story makes a great read-aloud, and listening to the tapes would be an excellent option for students, or for teachers to play for an entire class.

   Through Matt’s friendship with Attean and his grandfather, chief of the Beaver clan, he learns to survive while his father goes to retrieve his mother and sister to bring them back to the cabin they built. Matt agrees to teach Attean how to read after they save him from life-threatening bee stings. In the end, Matt learns more from his native friend, than Attean does from him.

   While it is true that white people unfairly took land from the Indians, and this is a story that needs to be told, there were some subliminal messages I didn’t notice the first time I read this book. Although Matt has two books in his cabin, “Robinson Crusoe” and the Bible, he mainly sees the Bible as a bunch of exciting stories, and not as a source for his religion. So, while the Bible is not connected to any sense of spirituality, much is said about the ceremonial life of Attean’s tribe, and more specifically about his spirit quest for his manitou. So this book implies that Native American ways and spirituality are superior to the white man’s ways and religion.

   This is just a small observation, in an otherwise excellent book. It’s an exciting historical fiction adventure that students are bound to enjoy. It would work both within the context of studying early American history, or as part of a study on Native American life. As another student reviewer wrote here, this book leaves many unanswered questions, so it’s an excellent springboard to learning more about Indians in the past.

2. S. Silverman Says:
   October 22nd, 2007 at 2:43 pm

   A long-ago Newbery Honor book, this used-to-be boy found it enjoyable. Like so many other Newberys, the main character is a young person who finds himself alone without the support of family, in this case, with responsibilties for the newly built family home in Maine around 1770. Matt is taking care of the home he built with his father before his father left to fetch the rest of the family. The location is isolated and Matt finds himself having to fend for himself. He makes understandable, but problem-creating mistakes, and becomes involved in the life of a young Native American from the nearby tribe whose Grandfather rescued Matt from one of his mistakes (trying to get honey). As historical fiction, it stands the test of time better than Newberys that are contemporary when published, but don’t read well a decade or two later. A young reader willing and able to identify with Matt’s situation and adventures is going to find much pleasure here.

3. Robert Edward James Says:
   October 27th, 2007 at 10:39 pm

   Elizabeth George Speare specialized in historical novels foryoung people. “The Sign of the Beaver” is a classic tale of survival in the wilderness, as Matt must fend for himself while his family is gone. An excellent tale of friendship and learning between Matt and the Indian boy Attean, “The Sign of the Beaver” keeps the action going from start to finish. The novel doesn’t flinch from facing the fact that the Indians are going to lose the battle for dominance of the land, but neither does it disrespect their culture. I like “The Sign of the Beaver” even better than “The Witch of Blackbird Pond,” which has always bothered me a bit because the ending is a little too contrived (every girl ends up happily married, with no loose ends) and the picture of the Puritans is too cold. Any young reader with a hunger for adventure and learning will enjoy “The Sign of the Beaver.”

4. justine Says:
   November 3rd, 2008 at 4:02 am

   a similar story of contact from a girl’s perspective is trouble’s daughter.

5. fredward Says:
   November 17th, 2008 at 10:17 pm

   yu didnt give me the description of the book like i asked you bitches

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