Book Review of "The Sign of the Beaver"

The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare

5 stars!!!

Description: Picture a log cabin, rifle and a clearing, lots of wilderness, and one twelve-year-old boy guarding the homestead until the rest of his family arrives. Living alone for one short summer sounded easy enough, but when complications arise and young Matt finds himself making an impromptu treaty with the local Indian chief, he gets into more than he bargained for. Suddenly thrown into comradeship with an Indian boy, the two grudgingly resign themselves to sticking it out... but soon Matt finds out that the discoveries packed into one short summer are beyond anything he could have imagined.

Concerns: Some Indian customs (Attean seeks the spirits).

Summary: Half the fun of this book is discovering Attean's way of doing things, whether carving fishhooks out of sticks or greasing down a bow with oil skimmed off leftover stew. Although they got off to a rocky start, the two boys' mutual distrust grows into an unlikely friendship, and their adventures in the wilderness are not to be missed. As Matt realizes, life on the frontier makes Robinson Crusoe look like a sissy!