Chickadee (Birchbark House Series #4)

by Louise Erdrich, Louise Erdrich (Illustrator)

Overview

Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, Chickadee is the first novel of a new arc in the critically acclaimed Birchbark House series by New York Times bestselling author Louise Erdrich. 

Twin brothers Chickadee and Makoons have done everything together since they were born—until the unthinkable happens and the brothers are separated.

Desperate to reunite, both Chickadee and his family must travel across new territories, forge unlikely friendships, and experience unexpected moments of both unbearable heartache and pure joy. And through it all, Chickadee draws from the strength of his namesake, the chickadee, to carry him home.

Chickadee continues the story of one Ojibwe family's journey through one hundred years in America. In a starred review, School Library Journal proclaimed, "Readers will be more than happy to welcome little Chickadee into their hearts."

The paperback edition includes additional material, such as an interview with the author and activities.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060577926
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/27/2013
Series:	Birchbark House Series , #4
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	71,373
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Louise Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, is the award-winning author of many novels as well as volumes of poetry, children’s books, and a memoir of early motherhood. Erdrich lives in Minnesota with her daughters and is the owner of Birchbark Books, a small independent bookstore. 

Louise Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, is the award-winning author of many novels as well as volumes of poetry, children’s books, and a memoir of early motherhood. Erdrich 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

Set around the same time period as the ever-popular Little House books, the Birchbark House series has become a classic narrative in its own right. Delightful.

Brightly

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

★ “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)

GLOWING PRAISE FOR THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE SERIES:“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

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

New York Times Book Review

Why has no one written this story before?

ALA Booklist (boxed review)

GLOWING PRAISE FOR THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE SERIES:“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)

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

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

★ “A beautifully evolving story of an indigenous American family. ” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ “Erdrich’s storytelling is masterful. Readers will be more than happy to welcome little Chickadee into their hearts.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“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

“Set around the same time period as the ever-popular Little House books, the Birchbark House series has become a classic narrative in its own right. Delightful.” — Brightly

“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

GLOWING PRAISE FOR THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE SERIES: “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)

“[A] lyrical narrative. Readers will want to follow this family for many seasons to come.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Readers who loved Omakayas and her family in The Birchbark House (1999) have ample reason to rejoice in this beautifully contstructed sequel … Hard not to hope for what comes next for this radiant nine-year old.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ “Erdrich’s charming pencil drawings interspersed throughout and her glossary of Ojibwe terms round out a beautiful offering.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

★ “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)

★ “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

“Erdrich’s captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Set around the same time period as the ever-popular Little House books, the Birchbark House series has become a classic narrative in its own right. Delightful.

Brightly.com

"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

Erdrich continues the saga of Omakayas and her family, who now embark in 1866 on a life-changing search that takes them from Minnesota's North Woods to the Great Plains in this fourth book of The Birchbark House Series. Omakayas is now a young mother with lively 8-year-old twins named Chickadee and Makoons. When the tribe's bully, Zhigaag, calls Chickadee a "weakling" who's "scrawny like his namesake," grandmother Nokomis reminds him that "[s]mall things have great power." After Makoons tricks Zhigaag, his oafish sons avenge their father by hijacking Chickadee to the Red River Valley. Chickadee's family searches desperately until they reach Pembina on the Great Plains. Meanwhile, resourceful Chickadee escapes and survives with help from his wee namesake until he runs into his Uncle Quill driving an ox cart of furs to sell in St. Paul. Quill and Chickadee travel with fellow traders on the Red River ox cart trail, arriving in Pembina to find Makoons seriously ill. Chickadee and Makoons extend Omakaya's story to the next generation as her Ojibwe family transitions from its native woods culture to life on the plains. Realistic black-and-white spot art provides snapshots of Chickadee's adventures. A beautifully evolving story of an indigenous American family. (map; glossary & pronunciation guide of Ojibwe terms) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews