11 used & new from $14.80

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Hidden Roots
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Hidden Roots (Paperback)

~ (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


5 new from $15.13 6 used from $14.80

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Library Binding, May 8, 2008 $14.99 $14.99 --
  Paperback, January 31, 2006 -- $15.13 $14.80

Special Offers and Product Promotions


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Dark Pond

The Dark Pond

by Joseph Bruchac
3.4 out of 5 stars (5)  $6.99
Rain Is Not My Indian Name

Rain Is Not My Indian Name

by Cynthia Leitich Smith
4.5 out of 5 stars (19)  $11.55
Becoming Naomi Leon

Becoming Naomi Leon

by Pam Munoz Ryan
4.6 out of 5 stars (54)  $6.99
Skeleton Man

Skeleton Man

by Joseph Bruchac
4.1 out of 5 stars (65)  $5.99
Weedflower

Weedflower

by Cynthia Kadohata
4.2 out of 5 stars (14)  $5.99
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-Small for his 11 years and the last picked for playground games, Harold doesn't much care that he's friendless. His mother is also a loner; his father works at the paper mill and everything about his job makes him angry--chemicals spilling into the Hudson, the gnashing cogs of machine Number Three that will rip off a limb if you're not careful, and the double shifts that never bring in enough money. Life is hard in this upstate New York town during the early 1960s. Harold knows that his family has secrets; some are too threatening to make sense of while his mother tries to hide others. Uncle Louis visits mostly while his father is at work, showing Harold the wonders of this Adirondack wilderness. Bruchac's story takes its roots in the 1930s Native American sterilization program known as the Vermont Eugenics Program. This chilling reality haunted the Abenaki people, threatened their annihilation, and drove them into hiding for three decades. As Harold learns near the end of the story, his family, victims of that program, escaped to New York and claimed a French heritage. "Uncle Louis" is actually his mother's father. This purposeful but discerning book will prompt discussion and further research into the plight of the Native people from the Green Mountain State. Yet within this historical framework of the shameful deeds of man, pride and integrity hold the family together.--Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


Product Description

Eleven-year-old Sonny and his mother can't predict his father's sudden abusive rages. Jake's anger only gets worse after long days at the paper mill -- and when Uncle Louis appears. Louis seems to show up when Sonny and his mother need help most, but there is something about his quiet wisdom that only fuels Jake's rage. Through an unexpected friendship with a new school librarian, Sonny gains the strength to stand up to his father, and to finally confront his mother and uncle about a secret family heritage that may be the key to his father's self-hatred.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 9-12
  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (February 1, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0439353599
  • ISBN-13: 978-0439353595
  • Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #840,686 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #70 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Bruchac, Joseph
    #95 in  Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Prejudice & Racism > Nonfiction

More About the Author

Joseph Bruchac
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Joseph Bruchac Page

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:    (0)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully written story, August 21, 2005
This review is from: Hidden Roots (Hardcover)
Bruchac crafts a moving story of a young boy's experience in a troubled home. Sonny's father, Jake, is plagued by episodic anger and is a wife batterer. The reasons for Jake's behavior and ultimately, sadness, are revealed near the end of the book. Sonny's mother and Uncle Louis provide the nurturing that Sonny needs as he navigates adolescence including the difficulties of being bullied and excluded at school. Uncle Louis becomes Sonny's true life teacher as he is exposed to both the mysteries and extraordinary beauty in nature. Bruchac's descriptions in these scenes are to be treasured.

The only failing in Bruchac's book is the odd addition of eugenic experimentation as the source for the explanation of the family `secret'. This plot twist is unnecessary and disrupts the wonderful flow of the story as Sonny discovers his true ethnic heritage. The reader would be helped if Bruchac could explore the history of eugenics in Vermont within a different story that provides a more complete explanation of what happened and who was affected. Tagging this on to `Hidden Roots' without a more thorough treatment is unsatisfying to curious readers.

Overall however, "Hidden Roots" is a beautifully written story.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4.0 out of 5 stars Hidden Roots Review, March 23, 2009
This is a fantastic book. I really like Bruchac's writing. The afterwords, which includes the historical details that the book is based on, is fantastic for anyone looking to teach about contempory native peoples. There is, also, lots of good information on the Abenaki's, which is excellent for teaching about New England and some Canadian native peoples.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   


So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)



 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.