The Arrow Over the Door

By Joseph Bruchac

Book Overview

For young Samuel Russell, the summer of 1777 is a time of fear. The British Army is approaching, and the Indians in the area seem ready to attack. To Stands Straight, a young Abenaki Indian scouting for King George, Americans are dangerous enemies who threaten his family and home. When Stands Straight's party enters the Quaker Meetinghouse where Samuel worships, the two boys share an encounter that neither will ever forget. Told in alternating viewpoints, The Arrow over the Door is based on a true story.

Illustrated by James Watling.

"Thoughtful and eminently readable." (School Library Journal)

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0141305711
• ISBN13: 9780141305714
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 7 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 5

Customer Reviews

Arrow that hits the mark

I read this book to my daughter as we studied the formation of the thirteen colonies of America. The gracious and touching story of the Quaker family brought home to us some of their views and ideologies in a far better way than a essay on the matter would have done. Reading the cameo of the Native American boy and his world painted thoughtfully in the story, we felt like we had been given a tiny peek into their world of thoughts, values and ways. The interaction between the Native Americans and the Quakers then came as a beautiful culmination to the build up and we came away feeling like we had been there. A well written and thought-provoking book. I would read it again.

Bruchac At His Best

Native American literature is such a new genre but it will be a thriving one if THE ARROW OVER THE DOOR is any indication. Joseph Bruchac is an Abeneki Indian who is both rediscovering his family's culture and teaching us all about the peaceful acceptance of others through out the pages of this book. Samual, a young Quaker, and Stands Straight, a young American Indian, have seperate lives which are on an inevitable path towards each other. Their meeting and the way in which they handle themselves shapes the immediate fate of their communities. The book is based on an actual event and offers much to readers of all ages.

Historical fiction at its best!

Both of the little-understood groups featured in this book, Quakers and Native Americans, are portrayed with depth and understanding in this short account of a true 1777 incident near Saratoga, NY. The incident - in which Quakers were gathered in silent worship when a tribal group recruited to fight for the British came upon them - has been passed on orally among Quakers and others, although it has remained tainted by old conceptions of the "savage" Indian. This book corrects those faults and re-tells the story in more accurate detail than has been done previously. Though written for children, adults will also be rewarded in historical understanding and modern sensibilities by reading this wonderful book.