Makoons (Birchbark House Series #5)

by Louise Erdrich, Louise Erdrich (Illustrator)

Overview

In the sequel to Chickadee, acclaimed author Louise Erdrich continues her award-winning Birchbark House series with the story of an Ojibwe family in nineteenth-century America.

Named for the Ojibwe word for little bear, Makoons and his twin, Chickadee, have traveled with their family to the Great Plains of Dakota Territory. There they must learn to become buffalo hunters and once again help their people make a home in a new land. But Makoons has had a vision that foretells great challenges—challenges that his family may not be able to overcome.

Based on Louise Erdrich’s own family history, this fifth book in the series features black-and-white interior illustrations, a note from the author about her research, as well as a map and glossary of Ojibwe terms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060577957
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Series:	Birchbark House Series , #5
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	44,645
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	850L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Louise Erdrich is the author of fifteen novels as well as volumes of poetry, children’s books, short stories, and a memoir of early motherhood. Her novel The Round House won the National Book Award for Fiction. The Plague of Doves won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and her debut novel, Love Medicine, was the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. Erdrich has received the Library of Congress Prize in American Fiction, the prestigious PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She lives in Minnesota with her daughters and is the owner of Birchbark Books, a small independent bookstore.

Louise Erdrich is the author of fifteen novels as well as volumes of poetry, children’s books, short stories, and a memoir of early motherhood. Her novel The Round House won the National Book Award for Fiction. The Plague of Doves won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and her debut novel, Love Medicine, was the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. Erdrich has received the Library of Congress Prize in American Fiction, the prestigious PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She lives in Minnesota with her daughters and is the owner of Birchbark Books, a small independent bookstore.

Hometown:

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date of Birth:

June 7, 1954

Place of Birth:

Little Falls, Minnesota

Education:

B.A., Dartmouth College, 1976; M.A., Johns Hopkins University, 1979

Editorial Reviews

Why has no one written this story before?

ALA Booklist (boxed review)

The Birchbark House establishes its own ground, in the vicinity of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books.

New York Times Book Review

PRAISE FOR THE PORCUPINE YEAR: “Based on Erdrich’s own family history, the mischievous celebration will move readers, and so will the anger and sadness. What is left unspoken is as powerful as the story told.

Booklist (starred review)

The pleasures of reading the series are not unlike those of reading Laura Ingalls Wilder: Discovering an earlier time in our country through stories of the daily lives of children.

Newsday.com

Readers will absorb the history lesson almost by osmosis; their full attention will be riveted on the story. Every detail anticipates readers’ interest.

The Horn Book

In the fourth book in Erdrich’s award-winning Birchbark House series, the focus moves to a new generation. As always, the focus is on the way-of-life details as much as the adventure. Most affecting are the descriptions of Makoons’ loneliness without his brother.

ALA Booklist

Erdrich’s gifts are many, and she has given readers another tale full of rich details of 1850’s Ojibwe life, complicated supporting characters, and all the joys and challenges of a girl becoming a woman.

Horn Book (starred review)

03/01/2016
Gr 4–6—In the newest addition to this series, Erdrich continues her excellent storytelling relating more adventures of a small clan of Ojibwe in the 1860s. Eight-year-old Makoons, or Little Bear, recovers from his heartsick-induced illness (as described in Chickadee [HarperCollins, 2012]) and dreams a vision full of joy and sorrow. Makoons and his twin, Chickadee, travel with their family from western Minnesota to the Dakota Territory in search of "the generous ones"—buffalo. The two boys are full of mischief, inseparable as they hunt, explore, and grow. They are also a great help to their family as they call the buffalo when the adults begin to despair at having a successful hunt. Information about hunting, packing, foraging, and preparing food is incredibly detailed, but in no way tedious. The family work together tirelessly, knowing their survival depends on it. Ojibwe culture, language, and customs are interwoven throughout. Character development is a great strength in Erdrich's writing; she has a knack for creating humorous and endearing characters, and this story is no exception. Pencil drawings throughout, especially those of Makoons learning to ride a horse and hunt, help readers visualize the narrative. As the plot progresses, Makoons changes in a surprising way, bringing the heartbreaking fulfillment of his dream. This beautiful novel is quick moving and deeply affecting. VERDICT Readers will thoroughly enjoy following Makoons and learning about Ojibwe life.—Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI

School Library Journal

2016-04-13
In this fifth book of the Birchbark House series, Omakayas, her twin sons, Makoons and Chickadee, and their extended family adjust to life on the Great Plains following their 1866 migration from the Minnesota woods to Dakota Territory."Connected to each other by invisible strings of life," Makoons and Chickadee quickly discover life on the Plains belongs "to the buffalo" and "hunters of the buffalo." Eager to join the male hunters, the twins learn to hunt with bow and arrow while riding ponies. Disappointed to be excluded from the first hunt, they find consolation driving an ox cart to transport hides and witness the hunt. After adopting an orphan buffalo calf, the boys use their knowledge of buffalo language to play a pivotal part in another buffalo hunt. But this moment does not last. Aware the buffalo are fleeing westward to escape invading white settlers, the family relocates further west to a wooded place where they build a cabin and suffer loss, leaving readers wondering what the future holds. Laced with Ojibwe words (explicated in backmatter), Erdrich's simple text and delicate pencil illustrations provide a detailed, honest portrait of Plains life through the antics and experiences of two Ojibwe boys.A warm and welcome addition to the unfolding saga of a 19th-century Ojibwe family. (map, author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews