Customer Reviews

The Beaded Moccasins: The Story of Mary Campbell

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was really disappointed that this book was so short; I could have read on and on about Mary Campbell. I just loved reading as she transformed from a petulant, selfish brat to a person who put the good of her family and community before her own needs. "The Beaded Moccassins" does not simplify this transformation by making judgements about Europeans or Indians, instead it shows this transformation as something that occurs out of sense of maturity and a desire to belong. A coming of age story as well as the story of an Indian captive.

As I said before I wish it had been longer. It only covers the first year or so of what turned into a six year long captivity. It would have been great to see the person Mary became among the Indians at age 18, and how she and both her families, white and red, reacted to her return to the whites.

I grew up near the area where most of this book takes place.(I am a native of Cleveland, Ohio.) Yet I never heard of Mary Campbell before I read "The Beaded Moccassins." I enjoyed this book so much that the next time I go back to Ohio for a visit, I plan on taking some time to visit that cave where Mary spent her first winter among the Indians.

On the morning of her twelth birthday, angry with her mother and sick and tired of pioneer life, Mary Campbell storms of her family's log cabin home on the Pennsylvania frontier. She runs into the woods and starts picking berries, planning to appologize to her mother. Then, Delaware Indians come out of nowhere and take Mary captive. They also take Mary's neighbor, Mrs. Stewart, and Mrs. Stewart's little son, Sammy. Mary is miserable. The Indians force her to march with them to their new home in Ohio, a journey that takes weeks. Then, they expect her to replace the dead granddaughter of their tribe's leader. How can Mary act like total strangers are her family? Mary wants to escape but its impossible. Will Mary ever find a way back to her family, or will she remain a captive forever?

This is a great book about a girl who gets captured by Delaware Indians I loved it sooo much I suggest it to anyone who loves to read about pioneer life!

This is a wonderful and historic story, especialy interesting to children who live in Ohio and can visit the cave where Mary lived. However, just be aware that a two year old child is scalped because he can't keep up and cries too much. My daughter was VERY upset by this, especially because she has a two year old sister! You know your child best: if your child is a sensitive one, consider waiting a few more years for this story or prepare him/her ahead of time or read it together.

You move somewhere you do not want to and then are made to do more chores than your brother and then to top it all off, you get captured by the Delaware Indians then work for them in there garden are made their daughter only because theirs died! Well you would find these details in the book The Beaded Moccasins.
This historical fiction was about a girl named Mary Campbell. She was just turning 12. She loved her family but they would bug her sometimes. Mary came from Fairfield, Connecticut and was made to move west to Ohio. Her dad called it westering. I think she was brave and courageous. Mary always wanted to be outside and never work hard. She was kind of selfish until she was captured. For example when she was made to work in the garden and last in that cold winter with just a dress and leggings. She really started to feel that she did something that she could never fix and she should have not ran out into the field and disrespect her mother and that where she lived before was much better than where she is now.
There were many good details and interesting settings. For example the Campbell's farm was set on fire by the Delaware Indians just to capture Mary. Also Mary felt very lonely and afraid of life. She needed to be more courageous. The Delaware made the boys jump into the ice covered river to make them stronger so she tried it and her Grand father whipped her so hard. I didn't like one part of the book because the Delaware killed Mrs. Stewart's baby because it would not stop crying. But over all the novel was very intense and kept me on the edge of my seat.

This book was one of the most popular on the shelf for independent reading this year, with both male and female middle school students. Perhaps it was because it is based on an actual event. Perhaps the straight forward language used by the author appealed. Whatever the reason, as a teacher, I make note of any book that motivates students to read, and this one did.

While reading this book, I found it was difficult to understand what Mary's true feelings were. Sometimes, she would struggle with herself about her Delaware "family" and whether she loved or hated them. She changed her mind so often that it was hard to know what I was supposed to think. I also thought that Mrs. Stewart's character was hard to follow. When her son Sammy was first killed, she had no desire to stay with the tribe, but she stayed with then even so. She also went mad in the middle of the story, when she thought that a log was Sammy. Strangely enough, she soon recovered when traded to Sequin, a Frenchman, even though she did not love him. In all it was a very impressive and descriptive story about a girl my age.

i love this book i think it is so good. i would really suggestb reading it. i really enjoyed it. the book is a little sad scary and a little gross. but it is really really really really really really really good. i can really picture it and really understand what they are saying. i love love love love it. i am in 4th grade and we are reading it. my teacher is reading it to us out loude and we have are own book to follow along.

I THINK BEADED MOCCASINS IS A GREAT STORY FOR ADVENTURURES. THERE ARE SOME SAD PARTS. BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE END IT WAS WORTH IT. THER WERE SOME PARTS WHERE I COULDN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN.

I highly recommend Beaded Moccasins. I planned to read this to my 7-year-old. It's a bit long (and no pictures) for that age, but in another couple of years, I know she'll read it (and love it) herself. A good story for a girl to digest, it imparts a lot of history and humanity too. It would make a great mother-daughter read, as theres a significant layer here that deals with mother-daughter and other woman-to-woman relationships.