Maggie Among the Seneca [Library Binding]

Robin Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1990 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Maggie Callahan sets out across the rugged Pennsylvania frontier in search of her Irish Aunt Franny. But the wilderness is filled with danger -- Maggie is taken captive by a band of Seneca Indian warriors, and forced to travel north with them along the war trail.
Afraid for her life and desperate to escape, Maggie must find a way to survive in the Seneca village at the trail's end. The Seneca ways are strange to Maggie. Theirs is a world of the hunt and the harvest, of ferocious wolves, of war paint and spirits, where no one understands her words, no one knows her name is Maggie. Yet it is also a world of majestic beauty, of harmony among a people, and the surprise of love. When this new life is threatened and Maggie is faced with a devastating loss, she begins to see just how much of her the Seneca have claimed.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

It is the summer of 1778, and 16-year-old Maggie Callahan is traveling through central Pennsylvania in search of her aunt and uncle, her only surviving family. She was first introduced in The Bread Sister of Sinking Creek (Lippincott, 1990), and this book doesn't tell readers how Maggie arrived in these woods alone. She is captured by the Seneca, adopted by them, given to a Seneca in marriage, watches him die from a wolf attack, gives birth to a baby, runs away from a British officer who tries to recapture her, loses her baby to an old mysterious Indian woman, and fights bitter cold and near starvation in making her way back to her aunt, whose tavern on the Allegheny she manages to find. So many things happen to Maggie that there is little space for anything else, and her strength through all of these adversities borders on the unbelievable. Also, three other main characters are not given the development they need. Frenchgirl, another adopted Seneca, is given only casual consideration, even though she is pivotal to Maggie's life in the tribe. Firefly, Frenchgirl's brother and Maggie's husband, is a completely mysterious character. He is described as blond and blue-eyed, but readers are not told if he is Frenchgirl's natural brother--and if he is, why he can't speak English as she can. And an eccentric old woman appears to be nothing more than Moore's device to take Maggie's baby from her so she can make a clean break from the Seneca. The prose is flawed, and many of the descriptive phrases are overdone. Although the book's relatively easy reading level makes it accessible to middle-grade readers, many of the events will be lost on them, or will be beyond their emotional ken. --Jane Marino, White Plains Public Library, NY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Robin Moore, whose family has lived in the Pennsylvania mountains for two hundred years, makes his living as an author and storyteller.Since 1981, he has presented more than two thousand programs and workshops at schools, museums, and festivals. His programs combine both traditional and original North American stories with demonstrations of old-time living skills.Before turning to storytelling, Robin served as a combat soldier in Vietnam, earned a journalism degree from Pennsylvania State University, and worked as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor.He now lives with his wife, Jacqueline, and their children, Jesse and Rachel, in a stone farmhouse on a small patch of land in Montgomery County, just north of Philadelphia.Mr. Moore is also the author of MAGGIE AMONG THE SENECA, the sequel to THE BREAD SISTER OF SINKING CREEK.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 104 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (September 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0397324561
• ISBN-13: 978-0397324569
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,375,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterfully spun tale, July 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Maggie Among the Seneca (Library Binding)

I read this book for the first time after the author gave an assembly at our school. He kindly donated a copy of this work to our library. It's the second book in a trilogy, the first being The Bread Sister from Sinking Creek, also a wonderful book.

Maggie Among Seneca tells the tale of Maggie who is desprately tring to find her way to her aunt after the last members of her immeadite family sicken and die. On her journey to locate her, Maggie and her party are captured by a band of Indians and taken to their camp. She is able to befriend a girl who had been taken captive by the same tribe several years before, and who kindly explains everything that goes on for the bewildered Maggie. When she learns to fit in, she meets with both love and heartache, but ultimately still dreams of finding her family.

Robin Moore tells the story very well, in a manner which had me wishing that I had not read it, so I could read it all over again for the first time. Many of my freinds who I coaxed to read this book have the very same opinon, and we are all looking forward to the third book in the trilogy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this super book!!!!!, February 9, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Maggie among the Seneca (Hardcover)

Maggie Among the Seneca by Robin Moore is a great book! This book starts out with Maggie and her friend, Old Jake Logan. They are drained and exausted and have been traveling for four days! They are heading towards Ohio River Country. Maggie is an Irish, sixteen years old red head. Her hair as red as the fire burning that night. She wore a short blouse and dress, and an apron with her knife tucked into the waist band of her apron . My favorite section is when Maggie gets stolen by two Seneca men.

Maggie's aunt Frannie and uncle Thomas are the only family she has she hopes her dad is still alive. Maggie is a caring girl and also cares for nature. Maggie's alive when the Indians are.

Oh-no! Trapped! Maggie's so scared after a couple of months pass as Maggie is in the Seneca. In the winter of Maggie's second year there she meets Frenchgirl . Frenchgirl was captured by the Seneca warriors too and so was her brother Firefly. Maggie whose new name Redwing was forced to marry Firefly . A few months later after Firefly died Maggie had a baby who she called Owl Hoot . I can't tell you the rest you'll have to read it on your own.

I'd recommend this book to a friend because it's an outstanding book with excruciating detail. This is one of the best books I've ever read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes surprises.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAGGIE AMONG THE SENECA, November 11, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Maggie among the Seneca (Hardcover)

I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO NEED A FREE BOOK REPORT FAST SO HERE IS ONE.

It is the summer of 1778, and 16-year-old Maggie Callahan is traveling through central Pennsylvania in search of her aunt and uncle, her only surviving family. With her aged friend Jake. The person who takes care of her. Furthermore when they almost reach there destinations her and Jake are taken captive by Seneca Indians. While traveling along the war trail Jake manages to escape.
After living among the Seneca Indians Maggie is adopted by them and given to the Seneca in marriage to firefly Frenchgirl's brother. Frenchgirl is other captive who can also speaks English and helps Maggie out. While Maggie is out on a hunt for food her and firefly wait for Frenchgirl and the other Indian to come back with the boar they rap there self in the fur of an animal they had killed early that day. While sleeping together in the fur wolfs come and attack them. Not being able to move because of the fur becoming frozen. Firefly foot is bit off. And ends up dies on the boot ride home in Maggies arms.
A few months after fireflys death Maggie find out that she is pregnant with firefly's baby. She gives birth to a baby boy which is named hoot owl.
When a British office notice Maggie red hair he try's to recapture her. But now Maggie has become custom to her Indian ways and wished to stay among the Indians. While running from the British officer she comes a pone the mysterious Indian woman whom the Indians call Ragpicker. Maggie has only seen her while making the fires at night for firefly journey She is called Ragpicker because she goes though the Indians garbage to survive . The British officer tell Ragpicker to take the baby and for Maggie to come with him. Ragpicker takes the baby but Maggie still gets away. Now she doesnt know where Frenchgirl or any of the other Indians are. And Ragpicker does not come back with Hoot owl .Maggie must try to find her way back to her aunt and uncle house to survive.
Maggie fights bitter cold and near starvation in making her way back to her aunt franny house. She mostly live on pine needle tea. Finally after having many heart ships. Maggie finds the tavern on the Allegheny and now know when Jake escape from the Indians he didnt die but made it back to her aunts house were he lays there sleeping now.
In over all I really found myself glued to this book. I just couldnt put in down. I believe they explained many events well. So many things happen to Maggie and her strength through all of these hardship borders on the unbelievable. Although there was a few things that stump me. Like Firefly, Frenchgirl's brother and Maggie's husband, is a completely mysterious character. He is described as blond and blue-eyed, but readers are not told if he is Frenchgirl's natural brother--and if he is, why he can't speak English as she can. This is over all a five star book in my eyes and cant wait to read a follow up book on Maggie.
Writing by Alisha L. Somma