00008724

The part I liked best was the retelling of the Native American folklore. The story focuses on coping and surviving through change and challenge.

Lexile: 680 ( )

3 stars

I found this book interesting and sad.

When fourth-grader Danny Bigtree and his family move to the city from their Mohawk reservation in upstate New York, he quickly finds that he is the odd-man-out at his Brooklyn school. Not sure how to make friends, or how to deal with the ridicule of his peers, Danny turns to his father's stories of the Iroquois peacemaker, Aionwahta, for inspiration.

An engaging story of a young boy struggling to find his way in a strange new environment, Eagle Song is a brief chapter-book that should appeal both to newly urbanized American Indians, and to any young reader who has experienced the trauma of a move. As always, Joseph Bruchac delivers an authentic story that stays true to its specific cultural roots, while offering a message that will resonate with a broader readership. ( )