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Children's Fiction Native Canadian

Warbird

by (author) Jennifer Maruno

Publisher
Dundurn Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2010
Category
Native Canadian, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, Pre-Confederation (to 1867)
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781926607115
    Publish Date
    Sep 2010
    List Price
    $9.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459716759
    Publish Date
    Sep 2010
    List Price
    $8.99

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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 9 to 12
  • Grade: 4
  • Reading age: 9 to 12

Description

Etienne is called on an adventure in the new world… In 1647, ten-year-old Etienne yearns for a life of adventure far from his family farm in Quebec. He meets an orphan destined to apprentice among the Jesuits at Fort Sainte-Marie. Making the most impulsive decision of his life, Etienne replaces the orphan and paddles off with the voyageurs into the north country. At Sainte-Marie, Etienne must learn to live a life of piety. Meanwhile, he also makes friends with a Huron youth, Tsiko, who teaches him the ways of his people. When the Iroquois attack and destroy the nearby village, Etienne must put his new skills into practice. Will he survive? Will he ever see his family again?

About the author

Jennifer Maruno began her publishing career with award winning educational materials for The Peel District School Board and the Ontario Ministry of Education. She is one of the authors of Explorations, a mathematics program for Addison-Wesley of Canada, and worked with TVO in developing teaching materials for the television show Mathica's Mathshop. For her contributions to educational writing, she received the Federation of Women Teachers Writing Award, the National Council of Teachers Award of Excellence and The Award of Merit from the National School Public Relations Association. She holds a Masters of Education, Principal's and Primary Specialists certification and is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature and the Humber School of Writers summer program.Her short stories have appeared in a variety of children's magazines in Great Britain, United States and Canada. Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Jennifer came from a book loving family. She worked as a library helper in the old red brick library on Victoria Avenue while attending Valley Way Public school. Her childhood ambition was to have a book with her name on the spine sitting on the shelf.Her first children's novel, When the Cherry Blossoms Fell won nominations for the Hackmatack and Young Readers of Canada Awards.Educator, researcher and author, Jennifer Maruno knows stories provide much more than entertainment. From the pages of Canadian history, she creates novels empathetic to those who have experienced the darker side of our past. Maruno's understanding of the importance of cultural identity has brought When the Cherry Blossoms Fell, Cherry Blossom Winter and Cherry Blossom Baseball based on the Japanese Internment and Warbird a novel of early Jesuit life among the Huron people.Details of Kid Soldier, Jennifer's fourth novel for children, come from her father's diary. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces under age and set out for England. Enroute Britain declared war. Totem, the story of a boy seeking his identity from the confines of a residential school, was written at a time most necessary to Truth & ReconciliationJennifer lives in Burlington, Ontario with her husband spending her time weeding her David Austin roses, writing and reading to grandchildren.Laurel Keating is an award-winning artist whose illustrations are familiar to Newfoundlanders. With an eye for detail and sympathy for all living things, Laurel brings her characters to life with warmth and humour. Children have delighted in her rich and colourful illustrations in Find Scruncheon and Touton (1 and 2) and Yaffle's Journey and Full Speed Ahead: Errol's Bell Island Adventure. She lives in scenic Portugal Cove, which she has called home all her life.

Jennifer Maruno's profile page

Editorial Reviews

...a very fun adventure story with convincing period details, a strong main character and a lot of historical interest.

CM Magazine

Librarian Reviews

Warbird

Life on a quiet farm in Quebec in 1647 leaves Etienne dreaming of adventure. Seizing an unexpected opportunity, he runs away to Fort Sainte-Marie to apprentice with the Jesuits. There he befriends a Huron boy and learns much about their way of life. After witnessing Iroquois enemies attack his friends, Etienne decides to return home, bringing valuable pelts and useful information to help his struggling family.

An author’s note briefly describes some of the history on which the story is based.

Caution: Scenes of violence including war, fire and murder make this book unsuitable for some readers. While the Huron characters are portrayed in a positive light, their Iroquois enemies are not. Some characters reflect the negative attitudes towards Aboriginal culture prevalent at the time.

Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2012-2013.

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