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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
This is my second Helen Frost novel in a week and I have to say that I am hooked. This author is thoughtFUL and thought-provoking. That she gives such attention to the shape of her poems is remarkable...not only is she telling a poignant and important story but she also captivates her reader with the flow of the words and the layout of the page.
Anikwa, a member of the Kekionga tribe, and James, an American child of a frontiering-family are good friends despite language barriers. At age 12, the world is to both of them about fishing and hunting and exploring the woods. The year is 1812 and as an adult you read each page with a heavy heart, knowing nothing fair or just is going to happen to Anikwa and his tribe. Frost tells this story of westward expansion with compassion for both sides of the fight. Middle grade readers will love this friendship despite the "us vs. them" and Ohioans in particular will be interested in learning more about the Miami tribe.
Anikwa, a member of the Kekionga tribe, and James, an American child of a frontiering-family are good friends despite language barriers. At age 12, the world is to both of them about fishing and hunting and exploring the woods. The year is 1812 and as an adult you read each page with a heavy heart, knowing nothing fair or just is going to happen to Anikwa and his tribe. Frost tells this story of westward expansion with compassion for both sides of the fight. Middle grade readers will love this friendship despite the "us vs. them" and Ohioans in particular will be interested in learning more about the Miami tribe.
The book is billed as written like poetry. While I did enjoy the book, there wasn't anything poetic about it, except that it was written in the shape of a poem. It sort of seems like a gimmick to me- whereas the writing was good enough to stand alone in a shorter book. Interesting coverage of the war of 1812 which was accessible to kids.
4th grade booktalk
Told in poems, Salt takes place during the War of 1812 and focusses on the friendship of two twelve-year old boys: James Gray, a white boy who lives near Fort Wayne, and Anikwa, a member of the Miami tribe of Native Americans. The two boys spend much of their time in the forest together, hunting and tracking animals, teaching and supporting each other across the barrier of their races and languages. But as the war moves closer and close to the boys’ homes, their friendship begins to become strained as each boy struggles to understand the conflict in terms of their own culture, and then their friendship. The conflicts between Anikwa and James, stemming from the war and the racial issues between white settlers and the native tribes, are not unique to the War of 1812 – these issues still exist today between friends of different races. For not only a great story about two friends, but a story about a piece of American history, check out Salt by Helen Frost.
Told in poems, Salt takes place during the War of 1812 and focusses on the friendship of two twelve-year old boys: James Gray, a white boy who lives near Fort Wayne, and Anikwa, a member of the Miami tribe of Native Americans. The two boys spend much of their time in the forest together, hunting and tracking animals, teaching and supporting each other across the barrier of their races and languages. But as the war moves closer and close to the boys’ homes, their friendship begins to become strained as each boy struggles to understand the conflict in terms of their own culture, and then their friendship. The conflicts between Anikwa and James, stemming from the war and the racial issues between white settlers and the native tribes, are not unique to the War of 1812 – these issues still exist today between friends of different races. For not only a great story about two friends, but a story about a piece of American history, check out Salt by Helen Frost.
The story of friendship is really very sweet.
My main issue was with the poetic form. It really didn’t serve much of a purpose. I get that it’s supposed to look like the American stripes and a Native American design, but that was legitimately all it was. The entire thing read like sentences in paragraphs that were just made to look like these images. It was frustrating and pointless after the first few pages. When you are reading poetry, regardless of age, you do expect the words to be powerful enough to feel. I think the book fell flat the majority of the time on that front.
There were a few chapters that made me feel the kick to the stomach. You’d just think that a book about this topic would manage that more often than a couple of pages. Eh.
My main issue was with the poetic form. It really didn’t serve much of a purpose. I get that it’s supposed to look like the American stripes and a Native American design, but that was legitimately all it was. The entire thing read like sentences in paragraphs that were just made to look like these images. It was frustrating and pointless after the first few pages. When you are reading poetry, regardless of age, you do expect the words to be powerful enough to feel. I think the book fell flat the majority of the time on that front.
There were a few chapters that made me feel the kick to the stomach. You’d just think that a book about this topic would manage that more often than a couple of pages. Eh.
This was a hard topic to read about. The book is set in 1812 and is about the friendship between James, whose family lives near Fort Wayne in the Indiana Territory and Anikwa, a member of the Miami Tribe who has lived on that land for centuries. Their friendship is genuine but when the war between the American and British armies comes to their home, friendship may not be enough. While the story focus on one battle it is hard to enjoy the story knowing that things are not going to end well with in the long term for the Miami Tribe or any Native American Tribe. This is an educational historical fiction book but not a happy time in our nation's history.
2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge #22 A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, OR SPICY in the title
2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge #22 A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, OR SPICY in the title
I think that "Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War" was a beautiful story. I enjoyed it.
I was debating giving this book four stars, but I believe that this book deserves five.
Brief Summary:
Two twelve-year old boys are part of different tribes, and they are friends. The tribes are getting attacked, and one of the villages flees.
I was debating giving this book four stars, but I believe that this book deserves five.
Brief Summary:
Two twelve-year old boys are part of different tribes, and they are friends. The tribes are getting attacked, and one of the villages flees.
I am more and more appreciative of historical fiction novels that show both sides of a complex issue without stereotyping or overgeneralizing either side. Similar to Ghost Hawk, in its switches between a Miami narrator and an American settler narrator, it shows some nuances of the war of 1812, through the eyes of two twelve year olds.
Simple and easy read, but good for elementary age students studying this period in American history.
Interesting use of free verse poetry as well, could be a fun analysis of the difference in format between the two characters!
Simple and easy read, but good for elementary age students studying this period in American history.
Interesting use of free verse poetry as well, could be a fun analysis of the difference in format between the two characters!
This book will be my next read aloud at school. It's the story of an American boy and a Native American boy and their struggle to maintain a friendship during the time when British and American soldiers are fighting for land. It alternates on each page from each boy's point of view. Great book!
If I had been reading the book, rather than listening to it, I might have appreciated it more. As an audio production, I don't think it was successful. The narrators were flat, and the production didn't have a good rhythm, jumping back and forth between the two boys' point of view. When it comes to audiobooks, I'm very picky. I listen to them in the car on my morning and evening commute, so if something is not grabbing my attention, I am very quick to change to the radio. I did that often during this book. It just couldn't hold my interest for very long.