The Sign of the Beaver
Sale price
$958
Chapter Book · Ages 10–13 · 1983 · Est. 3.5 hour read

The Sign of the Beaver

By Elizabeth George Speare

A boy must survive alone in the wilderness after losing his only weapon.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 40,703 ratings
144 pages· 32,909 words· Est. 3.5 hour read
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Bookroo's summary

Thirteen-year-old Matt is left to guard his family's cabin in the wilds of 18th-century Maine. When a stranger steals his gun, Matt is left vulnerable and unable to hunt. His survival hinges on an unexpected friendship with Attean, a Native boy from the Beaver tribe. As Matt learns about Attean's culture, he faces the harsh realities of the changing frontier. Can Matt adapt and find his place in this new world, or will the wilderness claim him? Discover the challenges and alliances that shape his journey.

From the publisher

A 1984 Newbery Honor Book Although he faces responsibility bravely, thirteen-year-old Matt is more than a little apprehensive when his father leaves him alone to guard their new cabin in the wilderness. When a renegade white stranger steals his gun, Matt realizes he has no way to shoot game or to protect himself. When Matt meets Attean, a boy in the Beaver clan, he begins to better understand their way of life and their growing problem in adapting to the white man and the changing frontier.Elizabeth George Speare’s Newbery Honor-winning survival story is filled with wonderful detail about living in the wilderness and the relationships that formed between settlers and natives in the 1700s. Now with an introduction by Joseph Bruchac.

At a glance
Format
Pages
144
Words
32,909
Reading age
10–13
Audience
Young Adult
Lexile
770L
Themes & topics
Books about friendshipBooks about cultureBooks about historyBooks about race and ethnicityBooks about frontier and pioneer life
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The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
4.9
F&P level
~R
AR points
5
AR interest level
MG
AR quiz
138
Publication
Published
August 2, 2011
First published
April 27, 1983
Publisher
Clarion Books
Edition
Language
English
Type
Chapter Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9780547577111

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