Danny Bigtree and his family were forced to move away from their Mohawk reservation in order to find work. Starting at a new school would be hard for anyone, but Danny is also the only Indian at his school in New York City and has to listen to kids call him chief and ask him about his Tipi everyday. The kids don’t care that Iroquois used to live in Longhouses so Danny doesn’t even bother to correct them.
Danny’s dad works as a steel worker and is gone for weeks at a time traveling from job to job. When he comes home early one day, Danny begins to explain to him how hard school is. His father tells him the story of the Iroquois peacemaker, Aionwahta, for inspiration and offers to visit Danny’s fourth-grade class to talk about the Iroquois culture.
Danny is both excited and nervous about his dad’s visit. What if the kids are mean and tease his father?
Will the kids continue to tease Danny even after his father explains the Iroquois culture to the class?
Joseph Bruchac is a master at sharing Native American culture in childrens and young adult literature. While the legend in this book is just as engaging as some of the others he has shared, the character development is lacking.This is a Puffin Chapters book and only 96 pages so the story is very quick. So much so, that the problem resolution seems rushed and even a little unrealistic. But, as short as it is, there is no reason not to read EAGLE SONG.
