BIBLIOGRAPHY
Erdrich, Louise. 2012. CHICKADEE. New York. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-06-057791.
PLOT SUMMARY
The inseparable twins, Makoons and Chickadee, are loved by their family. One day as the family is working on making maple sugar a mean man insults Chickadee for his size to which his brother did not like. He takes matters into his own hands and plays a devious trick on the man in his sleep. With a target on his back, the man’s two big and strong son’s capture Chickadee in his sleep and kidnap him. The devastated family sets out to find him. He questions himself wondering if he will become their servant but manages to break free from their possession. Chickadee found guidance by his namesake and help from other animals, leading him to find his Uncle, working the Oxen carts, who kept him safe and helped him return home. Upon arriving home, the family is overcome with joy to their answered prayers of reuniting with their beloved Chickadee, especially his twin brother.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story is set in the Northern Part of Minnesota in the year 1866. They go out to hunt their food and near-death experiences can cause them to go without. The characters are believable and explicitly described wearing clothes made of deer hide with fringe and moccasins and spoke the language of Obijbwemowin, appropriate for their Ojibwa lifestyle. Their lifestyle is mentioned throughout with brief explanations and the glossary and pronunciation guide at the end of the book help clarify the words and their meanings. A map with the events the family experienced gives a great addition to the setting of the story as well as accuracy to the historical elements of the story in their journey from their native lifestyle to life on the plains. The theme of family life is present throughout the story as well as survival which every character experiences in their quest to find Chickadee. The Native American lifestyle is filled with adventure and in this book their family evolves with multigenerational members sharing their wisdom and giving their namesakes importance to guiding them in their journeys. The theme of courage and to believe in oneself, a timeless and universal theme, is present throughout the historical fiction novel.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)/AWARDS
Booklist, 08/01/12
Horn Book Magazine, 09/01/12
Horn Book Magazine, 04/01/13
Kirkus Reviews starred, 07/01/12
School Library Journal starred, 09/01/12
Booklist, (August 2012 (Vol. 108, No.22)): “The focus is on the way-of-life details as much as the adventure and on the daily, logistical drama of how the family moves from all that they have known to the Great Plains.”
Horn Book Magazine (September/October, 2012): “ Readers will absorb the history lesson almost by osmosis; their full attention will be riveted on the story, whether it’s Chickadee escaping his (ultimately buffoonish) captors or riding with his uncle Quill in an oxcart train bough for Saint Paul or surviving a viscous mosquito attack or calmly picking baby snakes off the sleeping, phobic Quill.”
School Library Journal (November 1, 2013): “ Erdrich eloquently imparts Ojibwe stories, history and knowledge, and, as in the previous books, her own illustrations add charm to the stories.”
CONNECTIONS
This historical fiction story is a great read for the upper elementary audience. There is not too much information and the separation of the twins shows how powerful the bond is between them and their family as well.
A great extension to this book could be to research History of the 19th century related to the Great Plains, North American Indians and Ojibwa Indians.
This book also opens with a hand drawn map of the journey and events the family experienced, so researching the area during this 19th century time and comparing it to a most recent map can show a good compare and contrast activity for the reader.
More Books by Louise Erdrich:
Erdrich, Louise. THE PORCUPINE YEAR.(BIRCHBARK HOUSE, BOOK 3) ISBN 978-0-06-029787-9
Erdrich, Louise. MAKOONS (BIRCHBARK HOUSE, BOOK 5) ISBN 978-0-06-057793-3
Erdrich, Louise. THE GAME OF SILENCE (BIRCHBARK HOUSE, BOOK 2) ISBN 978-0-06-441029-8
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