War of the Eagles (pb) [Paperback]

Eric Walters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998

During World War II near Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Jed comes to better understand and take pride in his British and native Tsimshian ancestry through caring for an injured eagle at a military fort and losing his Japanese Canadian best friend to an internment camp.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-Jed Blackburn's English father is in Europe flying fighter planes for the RAF during World War II. Jed lives with his mother and grandmother, Tsimshian Indians, on the west coast of Canada. He and his mother work at an army base, where Jed, with the help of his best friend Tadashi, is nursing a bald eagle back to health after it was shot by soldiers at the base. The boy's world is severely shaken when Tadashi's family, and the entire Japanese-Canadian community, is sent to detention camps in central Canada after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This is not primarily an action-adventure story. Its strength lies in Jed's growth through the course of the novel. He confronts racism directed at him because of his native heritage and at the Japanese-Canadians, the complexity of friendship, and his own cultural identity. At the same time, he must deal with a world conflict that has taken away his father and his best friend. Jed's mother and grandmother are strong and intelligent characters who help him come to terms with these issues. A well-written and engaging book.
William C. Schadt, Glacier Park Middle School, Maple Valley, WA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551430991
• ISBN-13: 978-1551430997
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #649,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Loaded with inaccuraccies, October 3, 2005

By 

Kenneth Campbell (British Columbia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: War of the Eagles (pb) (Paperback)

Well-intentioned with some engaging characters, but the level of research in an historical novel exploring different cultures is very poor. The most significant errors are in the author's understanding of First Nations cultures. He seems confused between Haida and Tsimshian (they are very distinct) and puts forward some absurd notions. eg. "Both the Tsimshian and Haida believe in many things. [well, who doesn't] When a Tsimshian dies, if he's led a good life, he comes back to earth as an eagle or a raven or another one of the creatures of the forest or ocean." This is simply preposterous and an insult to Tsimshian people by its ignorance. One more laughable example: Quite a bit is made of the main character hunting rabbits. Well, if the author had done a modicum of research he would have found that rabbits do not exist on the north coast, and that the hunting scenes in the book would have been impossible.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for kids who've loved Paulsen's Brian books, March 30, 2004

By 

Julia Walter (Cobleskill, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War of the Eagles (cl) (Hardcover)

Jed is half Tsimshian and half white, his best friend Tadashi is Japanese, but what they both are to themselves is Canadian. But the practices and laws of their country don't agree just before the beginning of Wold War II in remote Prince Rupert Sound on the British Columbia coast. Meanwhile they're working at an army base and nursing a wounded bald eagle back to health. It's an understated, perfect little book, particularly for boys who are interested in action-- and who would appreciate the issues of identity of boys go through.