The Sign of the Beaver

Rating:
Summary: Exelent book.
Review: I read it with my 12, 10 and 7 years old children. We loved it. The children got a greater appreciation about the Native American's respect for nature. They learned that economic progress has had its consecuences. We live in the West, so my children learned about the environment of the east (big forest, the autum in the east, etc.) This book is also about friendship, respect of differences and appreciation of people with different backgrounds. This book can be used as Historical fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Kind of boring
Review: My teacher read to us and I thought it was kind of boring. It didn't have any action it didn't make any sense. I do not recomend it. I gave it 2 stars.

Rating:
Summary: One of the gretest books I've ever read
Review: A boy named Matt is left alone for over a month. While Matt is out hunting one day, a bear atacks his house. When he gets back every thing is mangled. Matt is trying to live off of fish, when he remembers about the bee tree. He climbs it and takes some honey. The bees start atacking until he finds water to hide in. He is rescued by an indian boy and his grandfather. From then on the indians bring Matt gifts of food medicines and other nececaries. In exchange matt teaches an Indian boy (Attean) how to read. At first Attean rejects to everything Matt tries to teach him, but as time moves on Matt and Attean and Matt do become friends. Matt reads Robin Curusoe every day and Attean teaches Matt something new about the forest every day. I will leave the rest for you to find out about on your own, bust is an outstanding book.

Rating:
Summary: Critical Reading?
Review: In reading everybody else's reviews of this book, I see that nobody has seen the negative way that Native women are portrayed. This book is set in a period where there was little contact with Europeans. Prior to contact, and in the early stages, women held influential positions within their tribe. They, and their work, was seen as important, not demeaning. In Sign of the Beaver, the women and their work are belittled. Repeatedly, they are called "squaw" by both Matt and Attean. Squaw is a derogatory word. It is highly improbable that Attean would have feelings of disdain for the women in his tribe, and it is highly unlikely that he would use the white man's word "squaw" to refer to them. Matt, perhaps, but certainly not Attean. While many argue it is a good adventure/survival story, I think we must step back and think about that appraisal.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: One of the many classics of illustrating how to survive in nature. This book was incredible! The whole story is uplifting and at the same time makes you feel a little closer to your surrondings. This book reviews the old Indian culture and how they lived out in the woods for so many years of thier lives. They are a great help in teaching the little boy how to live out in the forest on his own.

Rating:
Summary: Every chapter is full of action and it is funny.
Review: The Sign of the Beaver is an awesome book! It is about a boy and an Indian. The boy's dad had to go away with his mother and sister to the town so they could have their new baby. The boy's job is to take care of the cabin in the wilderness and grow their crops and keep them fresh. He learns to make a bow and arrows so he can shoot his dinner. In the middle of the story they fight a bear. The best part of the book was when Attean and Matt went to Attean's village. They played a game where they have bones with one side red and the other sides not red. You throw up the bones, and if they fall on the ground all red side up, then you win. Matt lost and had to give away his only shirt. Later the Indians gave it back to him. A fourth through sixth grader book.

Rating:
Summary: Try not to fall asleep!
Review: This book was one of the most BORING books I've read in my life! Its about some boy in Maine and his dad leaves and he waits 7 weeks for him. Some indian boy, Attean meets him, and they become friends. HAVE ALOT OF CAFFINE IF YOU READ THIS BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: Great-fascinating-energy-filled!
Review: I really enjoyed reading about Matt and Attean and life in Massachusetts in Colonial times. The story came to life for me and I was eager to read the next chapters. I was sad when the story ended. I was impressed by Ms. Spear's ability to tell young readers about Native American culture and customs. Don't take my word for it, read it!!!

Rating:
Summary: Boring, boring, boring!
Review: The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth Speare was one of the dumbest and most boring books that I have ever read in my whole life. It's about a boy who befriends and accompanies a native boy named Attean and his tribe on many adventures. The boy, Attean, becomes his daytime companion and together they learn about each other's culture. When Matt's father still doesn't return from picking up his family to bring them to their new home, Matt starts to worry. But when Attean's tribe ask him to accompany them on their hunt, Matt is forced to make one of the most important decisions of his lifetime. Should he stay and wait for his father, even though he might not come, or should he go with the tribe? This book does give really good information. It is also sort of a suspense book and hard to guess what is going to happen next in certain parts. Stay away from this book if you can, but if you have to read it, just get it over with fast.

Rating:
Summary: Adventurous!
Review: We read this book. This is what we think! It was spectacular because of the great adventures the boy went on. If anyone is interested in hunting, we recommend this book. It's the bomb.