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heidipolkissa82's review
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mimela78's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Digital audiobook performed by Anna Fields.
Book two in the Birchbark House series which is about an Ojibwa tribe’s life on their island in Lake Superior in the mid-19th century. Omakayas is the young girl who narrates this book, which chronicles a year on the island that is today known as Madeline Island.
I love how Erdrich depicts these people and their way of life. Not everything is pleasant or easy, but there is room for joy and happiness, for children to explore and learn. I loved the various adventures (and misadventures) Omakayas, her younger brother Pinch and cousin Two Strike, a girl who is every bit as strong and fierce as any boy her age, get into. It is two years after book one, and Omakayas is growing up. At age nine she has more responsibility to help with the necessary tasks of tribal living. Her intelligence, courage and spirit are recognized by the elders, and her friendship with a white girl, whom she calls “the Break Apart Girl” because of her tightly corseted waist, will be important to them all as they face the changes to their way of life.
Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa, and she spoke to various Ojibwa elders about the significance of Madeline Island. Events depicted are historically accurate. The text version includes Erdrich’s pencil drawing illustrations. I will definitely continue reading this series.
Anna Fields does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and her diction is clear enough that even younger children will not have trouble following the story.
Book two in the Birchbark House series which is about an Ojibwa tribe’s life on their island in Lake Superior in the mid-19th century. Omakayas is the young girl who narrates this book, which chronicles a year on the island that is today known as Madeline Island.
I love how Erdrich depicts these people and their way of life. Not everything is pleasant or easy, but there is room for joy and happiness, for children to explore and learn. I loved the various adventures (and misadventures) Omakayas, her younger brother Pinch and cousin Two Strike, a girl who is every bit as strong and fierce as any boy her age, get into. It is two years after book one, and Omakayas is growing up. At age nine she has more responsibility to help with the necessary tasks of tribal living. Her intelligence, courage and spirit are recognized by the elders, and her friendship with a white girl, whom she calls “the Break Apart Girl” because of her tightly corseted waist, will be important to them all as they face the changes to their way of life.
Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa, and she spoke to various Ojibwa elders about the significance of Madeline Island. Events depicted are historically accurate. The text version includes Erdrich’s pencil drawing illustrations. I will definitely continue reading this series.
Anna Fields does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and her diction is clear enough that even younger children will not have trouble following the story.
grvhppr's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
the_herbal_carnivore's review
4.0
"Here, after all, was not only danger but possibility. Here was adventure. Here was the next life they would live together on this earth."
larrie_berrie's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
smallafterall's review
3.0
DNF. Was reading this one to O. after he read its predecessor The Birchbark House at school. This one never caught fire for us, so we returned it to the library before finishing. I was glad to hear his thoughts about the book he read at school that were generated by starting this one, though.
heidisreads's review
5.0
Great second book in The Birchbark House series. I've fallen into a friendship with these characters and I cherish it! Audiobook was very well-read!
kamckim's review
5.0
I enjoyed this book even more than the first book in the series. THE GAME OF SILENCE is a true coming of age novel, perfect for middle grade readers. Again, there are so many things to compare and contrast with the Little House series. This set is a healthy balance to other American narratives that have lately been eschewed by the "library world." I very much enjoyed the stories within a story that are shared by Nokomis (grandmother), and the way that Erdrich weaves together a community. She can do it with adult novels as well as YA books, and I don't think anyone who casually picks up one of her books will read it without coming away a better person.
readsewknit's review against another edition
4.0
In this second installment of the middle-grade Birchbark House series, Omakayas learns her family may be forced to leave their home, as the Ojibwe are being pushed west.
This was an enjoyable audiobook, and I hope to continue working my way through the series and see Omakayas grow up and face new and different challenges. In this, she welcomes a new sibling and struggles with peers. She also gains a dog and grows in confidence.
This was an enjoyable audiobook, and I hope to continue working my way through the series and see Omakayas grow up and face new and different challenges. In this, she welcomes a new sibling and struggles with peers. She also gains a dog and grows in confidence.