Malian's Song (The Family Heritage Series) (Hardcover)

by Marge Bruchac (Author)
Key Phrases: Council House

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 2–4—This story, based on an English attack on the Abenaki in 1759, is notable for relating a lesser-known piece of history passed down through oral storytelling. Before the raid, Malian lives a happy life with her family. All that is destroyed when the English set fire to the entire village and her father is killed. Grief stricken, the girl makes a Lonesome Song. Eventually, the people rebuild, but vow never to forget. The art captures the details of the child's life, including homes, dress, and daily experiences. An afterword describes the event and how it was passed along and "discovered" nearly 200 years later. The story is told by Malian, with the text appearing in boxes over the full-page illustrations. The colors are muted, creating a feeling of reflection. Although the book relates a devastating experience, many of the scenes are peaceful, and the use of the past tense distances readers from the violence. Recommend this to history or English teachers for use in oral-history units.—Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. Bruchac's story, which is based on oral history, will be useful in a classroom unit on Native Americans. A young Abenaki girl recounts the night in 1759 when British soldiers burned her village. Most but not all of the villagers escaped death, thanks to a warning from a Mohican scout who betrayed his British employers. The author weaves details about daily life--food, clothes, ceremonies, fishing--into the slightly fictionalized account. Abenaki words appear as well, with their meaning translated or made clear by the context. Somewhat murky, occasionally static illustrations add more information but not much drama. The plot, which is slightly disjointed, makes more sense after reading the three-page appendix, but as the appendix includes quotes from the time that refer to the Abenaki as "savages," the section might be best read in situations where discussion can follow. Kathleen Odean
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: August House (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0916718263
• ISBN-13: 978-0916718268
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #285,202 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended., October 7, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

A Vermont Folklife Center Book written by Marge Bruchac and illustrated by William Maughan, Malians Song is far more than a children's picturebook - it preserves a piece of American and Native American history, as passed down through the oral storytelling traditions of the Abenaki Indians. Set near Montreal in the mid-18th century, as Major Robert Rogers prepares a murderous raid on the St. Frances Abenaki community, Malian's Song follows the experiences of a young girl whose life is about to be abruptly transformed through the impending violence. She escapes, along with many others, yet leaves behind friends and family, and copes with the drastic changes in her life by creating and singing the Loneliness Song. Except for a few minor details, Malian's Song is almost entirely based directly upon research and oral histories of Major Rogers' infamous massacre and the resulting fallout. Highly recommended.

2.0 out of 5 stars Hmmmm..., December 13, 2006

By	M. N. McBain "Myric McBain" (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The pictures in this book were fantastic, but the writing was dull and confusing. I'm not certain kids would be terribly into this book. There were some Abenaki terms that were not explained terribly well and a lot of kids would find this confusing.

It's too bad, because this is some good oral history and it is a rare look at the Native side of the Saint Francis raid, but really the book doesn't talk about the raid aside from saying that it was happening. Not a lot of detail for kids, and not as good as it could have been.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What about the Abenaki raids on settlers? Hmmm?, September 4, 2008

By	M. Arndt (Crown Point, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is muddled in its story telling. But what I want to know is when the sequel will be written from the viewpoint of a settler child whose parents were murdered and scalped by Abenaki, and who was taken captive by them? And let's not forget the fate of the many brave Rangers on their return trip to Fort Number 4.