Gift of the Bear [Paperback]

Edward Abbott faces moral peril as he aids Johnny Bear, confronting prejudice and a harsh colonial law.Gift of the Bear is a middle-grade novel set in the New England colonies in 1755. This timely and little-known story of our countrys colonial past mirrors the life and trauma of immigrants today. At the onset of the French and Indian War, Edward Abbott befriends an exiled boy, Johnny Bear, who has been separated from his family during the deportation of French Acadians in Nova Scotia. Edward is deeply moved when he learns about the horrors of the Acadian expulsion and vows to find his new friends family. He teaches Johnny Bear English and helps him cope with townspeoples prejudice and discrimination. He learns it is against the law for Acadians to leave their assigned town, then hears of a plan to farm out Johnny Bear as a slave. Edward must choose between obeying the law or saving his friend from a dire fate.GIFT OF THE BEAR is a 208-page, middle grade novel set in the New England Colonies at the onset of the French and Indian War. England and France are fighting for sole possession of the eastern seaboard of Colonial America. Thousands of French Acadians are deported from their homeland and scattered throughout the thirteen colonies.In 1755, Edward Abbott of Massachusetts befriends an exiled French Acadian boy who has been separated from his parents at the time of their deportation from Nova Scotia. This story depicts the tragedy of ethnic cleansing, the resilience of displace people and one brave boy who dares to help.Colonial history is taught in fourth grade social studies in the US. This title was written by an elementary education teacher. .US