Steinmetz, Karen. The Mourning Wars.

Steinmetz, Karen. The Mourning Wars.
Roaring Brook Press see macmillan children's pub 2010 230p 18.99 978-1-59643-290-1 E-BN


Eunice Williams was a Puritan girl in the Deerfield, Massachusetts area of New England. One night Indians pillaged the town and took hostages. This book is Eunice’s story is about her survival in an A’onote tribe.
This is a very well written and researched story about a young girl who is taken hostage by an Indian. During the raid she watched her mother be ignored by her father as she struggled to survive the forced marches. This detail was a major factor later when her father came to find her.
Eunice was lucky enough to be adopted by an Indian family who had lost their daughter. She was adopted into the tribe and became their daughter. In reading this novel, readers will gain great deal of understanding about the Indian way of life during this period in American history. The author shows that the life Eunice led with the Indians was peaceful and full of love as a family unit. However, on the other hand it showed that the father ( a preacher) was a very self-centered individual. Eunice became aware that the only reason he wanted her to return to civilization was to enhance his standing with the church.
As years past, Eunice did open communication with her brothers and sisters who had be ransomed from the Indians.
This is a book to be read and enjoyed. It would fit very nicely with colonial American history units. McNeil, Linda

Howard, Ellen. The Crimson Cap.

Howard, Ellen. The Crimson Cap.
Holiday House 2009 197p 16.95 978-0-8234-2152-7 ms/jr Eleven-year-old Pierre Talon leaves his family to join LaSalle’s expedition to find the mouth of the Mississippi River. Because he cannot refuse the honor, he heads into an adventure that will change the lives of many and give readers an insight into the hardships of settling our New World. Pierre Talon was responsible for his mother and sisters since his father disappeared. They were part of LaSalle’s expedition, funded by Louis XIV of France to settle the New world in France’s name. The expedition suffered many setbacks when they lost their ships and couldn’t find the mouth of the Mississippi River. The remainder of the expedition set up a settlement but they were stressed by illness and Indian attacks. Pierre fills the gap as provider for his mother and siblings when their father disappears. As a 10 year old he finds that he has a way of communicating with the Indians and other s. This is why he is so valuable to LaSalle when he takes off in search of help for the settlement. Pierre’s mother dresses him in some of his father’s clothes. Of which was a red wool cap that he will keep throughout the story. The group struggle not only with the harshness of the land but also the power struggle between the men. LaSalle is murdered and many of the men scatter. Pierre falls deathly sick and is taken in by the friendly Hasinai Indians. In time Pierre, with his Indian friends, returns to the settlement only to find devastation. He then set out on another endeavor to find his missing siblings who have been taken captive by a group of Indians. The red cap that Pierre has cherished throughout his travels serves him well when it is the one thing that allows his siblings to recognize him as their brother. It is a story of hardship and self enlightenment for someone growing up during the period of exploring the New World. McNeil, Linda