The Sign of the Beaver: A Newbery Honor Adventure of Survival and Friendship on the Frontier

It was a great way to learn about life in the Maine colony between earlier settlers and the indigenous tribes. Our class loved the plot twist at the end, and how Matt and Attean went from untrusting partners to true brothers. Still a great historical fiction.

If you’re looking for a read aloud or a gift idea for a 10+ aged boy, I highly recommend this book! This was our first read aloud, so my son protested the idea at first, but after only the first chapter, he didn’t want me to stop reading. This book made us laugh & cry - we truly didn’t want it to end. It’s going to be hard to beat this one.

I read the sign of the beaver by Elizabeth George speare. 9/29/2025 The book is about a boy named Matt who waits in a lodge for his father. Then meets the Indians and befriends a boy named Attean. My favorite part is when Matt throws a dead rabbit at a bear. I think other kids should read this because it’s dramatic and emotional.

I am the father of 6 young boys and trying to read ahead of them... Wish me luck. This was a really enjoyable to read. The good points: encouraging account of a young man trying to be industrious taking care of himself and preparing a place for his family. He repesents himself well as events turn poor, and still has a spirit of doing his best. The bad: heavy on the "white guilt" for how the Indians were treated. It happened, but not sure it is my personal fault. Funny observation: for all the high and mighty outlook of the author, she (accidentally?) included "indian-guilt" for how they treated women (semi-dismissive... identifying menial tasks as "squaw work"). So i guess everyone gets thrown under the bus so it's ok. Spoiler alert (if you are a young person, please honor the request to stop reading now - if your parents let you read this you would enjoy it more to not see what's is coming) two things concerned me: the boy allows a wandering hobo-type to stay the night in his cabin with him. The hobo ends up robbing him so I hope a lesson is shown, but you may want to review where "stranger danger" comes in. Also, there is the account of the death of an expected baby at the end of the book which may weigh heavy if that relates to your personal story and I could see it making the book too heavy for some kids.

Matt and his father have gone ahead of the rest of the family to build a cabin on their new land in Maine. Now, his father is returning to Massachusetts to get Matt's mother and siblings, leaving Matt to guard the new home and garden. Matt's dad expects to be gone only seven weeks. What could happen in that time? First, someone steals the gun that Matt's dad left behind for him. Then Matt meets some of the Indians in the area. The chief wants Matt to teach his grandson, Attean, to read English. Attean is two years older than the twelve-year-old Matt, and Matt looks up to him. As the weeks progress, Attean begins to show Matt how to live off the land. Will that help Matt survive until his family returns? While this book isn't as famous as the author's two Newbery Award winners, it's still a great read. The characters of Matt and Attean are so real, and watching them change step by step is captivating. Even though I've read this book several times, I had a hard time putting it down on my latest reread. Really, this is two coming of age stories, Matt's and Attean's. But underneath that is the story of race relations in 1768 Maine. There are so many layers to the story, which is part of what makes it easy to get into the story. If you are looking for more books b Elizabeth George Speare, definitely pick this one up. You'll be captivated before you know it.

What a well written and fun book! We thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as a family. We watched the movie afterwards. The movie (as always) wasn’t as good as the book. The kids loved learning how Matt took care of himself while his dad was gone. Such a great book!

Yes… good. good. I’d read it. It was fabaglamurse. Matt is a chill guy, so is the dog. It’s good.

Matt and his father aim to settle uncharted Maine. Matt’s father is set to go get the rest of the family in Massachusetts. Matt will be on his own for six weeks. The six week voyage turns out to be more than 4 months. During this time Matt has to face many dangers natural and man made. However he soon discovers that someone has been watching over him. Is this new comer friend or foe? At the age of 12 Matt has to make thought decisions that mean life or death in this unforgiving world of Natives, animals, and beasts! I have read this book 12 times! It gets better each time. Worth 5 stars! Please read!

My boys loved this book. Every chapter kept us entertained. The history lesson was a bonus.. I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare. This was an engaging story throughout. Intriguing, relatable characters to get to know, along with vivid descriptions of the forests and landscape. A compelling, heartwarming read, and one I found difficult to put down. Charming. Highly recommended for young adults, and even adult readers.

Einwandfrei

Este libro lo compre en inglés p,por qué es una lectura fácil. Para practicar lectura en inglés, el libro llegó a tiempo.

This book is wonderful! There’s also a movie if your interest continues beyond the book