Eagle Song

Fourth-grader Danny Bigtree misses his life on the Iroquois "res" (reservation) when his family moves to New York City. There's he's either ignored or mocked by his classmates. Abenaki author-narrator Joseph Bruchac delivers his own work with a warmth and poetic style that befits the story and characters. He also shares some Iroquois words and their English meanings. When Danny's dad comes to address his class in school, he tells them about Aoinwahta, a hero who helped various tribes find peace among themselves. The visit helps the kids better understand Danny's life, and they slowly begin to accept him. This timely story should offer much to young listeners, particularly those who feel lost or left out. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

March 3, 1997
It's a shock for fourth-grader Danny Bigtree to move to Brooklyn from his Mohawk Nation reservation: suddenly he has no friends, and his classmates taunt him, asking him where his war pony is and telling him to go home to his teepee. After his charismatic father makes a class visit to talk about Iroquois culture, his peers begin to warm up to him. Bruchac, author of numerous books with Native American themes, weaves into the story the legend of the great peacemaker Aionwahta, who united five warring Indian nations into the Iroquois Confederacy and turned an enemy into an ally. Can Danny be, like Aionwahta, an agent of peace, and find a way to transform the school bully into a friend? This appealing portrayal of a strong family offers an unromanticized view of Native American culture, and a history lesson about the Iroquois Confederacy; it also gives a subtle lesson in the meaning of daily courage. Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 7-9.

April 1, 2012
Gr 2-4-Joseph Bruchac packs a lot into this modern-day story (Puffin, 1999) of a young Mohawk boy who has been transplanted from the reservation, where he felt at home, to Brooklyn, where he is an anomaly, taunted and teased by students in his fourth grade class. Danny Bigtree's father, an ironworker on skyscrapers, is a strong influence on the young man. When Danny comes to him for advice, his father teaches him about his culture; the Iroquois legend of Aionwahta, the peacemaker; and the Iroquois Confederacy which strongly influenced our American forefathers. Danny's father visits his class and shares the same stories with the students. This visit paves the way for Danny to make peace with his classmates and helps him stand up to the bullies. There are many subplots woven throughout the story. Danny dreams of a falling eagle, and later his father is badly injured in a fall at work. An old friend of Danny's, a Seminole native, apparently joins a gang in an attempt to fit in at his school. The legend of Aionwahta, the strongest section of the book, is read with the most expression and emotion by Bruchac. While there are many lessons inherent in the book, the main story of a young man who struggles to live in two cultures and maintain his identity is strong, and his courage in the face of bullies will be cheered.-"MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools, Binghamton, NY"

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