The Sign of the Beaver

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade historical adventure
• Originally Published: 1983
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 770L; grades 4-7
• Structure/Length: 25 chapters; approx. 135 pages; approx. 3 hours, 11 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: In 1768, 12-year-old Matt Hallowell must live independently in the Maine wilderness until his father, mother, and siblings return. He quickly discovers that help from newfound friend Attean, an Indigenous Penobscot boy, and Attean’s tribe will prove crucial to his survival.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Relocation of Indigenous groups; use of dated language no longer considered appropriate in the novel and in connected resources (e.g., “Indian”)

Elizabeth George Speare, Author

• Bio: 1908-1994; raised in Massachusetts; attended Smith College and Boston University; taught high school English; became a historical fiction novelist for young people after marrying and raising a family; received the Newbery Award for The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1959); received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now the Children’s Literature Legacy Award; 1989)
• Other Works: Calico Captive (1957); The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958); The Bronze Bow (1961); The Prospering (for adults; 1967)
• Awards: Newbery Honor Book (1984); Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Overcoming the Dangers of the Forest
• Reaching Out to the Enemy
• Friends Becoming Brothers