Eckert, Allan Books

Blue Jacket: War Chief of the Shawnee

Allan W. Eckert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

One of the best 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the best books I have read that is factual. Anyone that reads this book will get a real education without propaganda on the life and ways of the early Native American and how they were treated. Only one book better by the same author that I have read 5 times is The Frontiersman. If you get Blue Jacket, The Frontiersman is a must have too.

Excellent Book Shows the Other Side of the Story 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I ran across this book while researching the story of Mary Neely's capture by the Shawnee, and I found it fascinating that a white settler would actually seek to be captured, embrace the Indian way of life, and eventually become the Chief of the Shawnee Nation. Allan Eckert writes this book without lecturing, but you get a real sense of the injustice that was done to these tribes and the multitude of agreements that were signed that were not worth the paper they were printed on. The book is written simply and straight-forward enough to use at middle school or high school level, but it contains enough factual information to be of use to adults as well. Eckert writes the story in an entertaining fashion also, which makes it easy to keep reading. I only wish it had been longer.

Incident at Hawk's Hill

Allan W Eckert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 56 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Encore 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This little boy was stranded all alone out on the prairie, and the only other helpful being there was a badger. Ben, a 6 year old boy can act like animals as if he was their brother. He picks an animal, then can follow it for hours acting like it, and making noises like it. But one day, when he was mocking a chicken he wandered too far. When he noticed it was about lunch time he turned back to go home, but there wasn't a house in sight. Clouds rolled over and a thunderstorm broke out. Ben raced around for cover. He tripped in a large tunnelish hole in his scurry. Without further ado he wrenched himself in. The next morning, he dug himself through the rest of the tunnel, to find himself in a huge chamber, and to his surprise there was a badger there. Throughout the next two months Ben lived with this badger, acting like it and becoming more like it everyday. When his brother finally found him though, he was reluctant to go home. Later after he realized where he was, (home) his badger came back, who he saved by throwing himself over her before she was shot by his father. The next day while the badger was chilling in the sun by the house, the mean neighbor arrived, thinking that the badger was trespassing, he shot her. When he was about to burry her, he realized that she was still breathing, taking her back in the house, Ben could only hope that she would live. This book was filled with action, fun times, and sad events.
There was for sure a ton of action. Ben was here, Ben was there, where wasn't he? His badger would be trapped, she would escape, and then Ben would get lost. Later Ben would be found, but his badger pops in, what doesn't happen to Ben anyway?
This book had many, many fun times in it. Ben would dance around after discovering that she's breathing (the badger). And then Ben would jump for joy that he lived, because of the wonderful badger.
Even though this book was good, it was very sad. The badger's pups died. Ben almost died from starvation before the badger helped him. The badger's mate dies, and then the badger almost dies herself.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I think anyone could too, for it was sad, yet happy, and filled with action!
Anne.L.

Editorial Review:

A shy, lonely six-year-old wanders into the Canadian prairie and spends a summer under the protection of a badger.

Return to Hawk's Hill: Sequel to the Newbery Honor-Winning Incident at Hawk's Hill

Allan W. Eckert

Amazon Price: $14.39 List Price: $15.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $0.20

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Review for Return to Hawk's Hill 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Return to Hawk's Hill by Alan W. Eckert is one of my favorite books. I think this book can be read or listened to by all ages. The book tells the story through the eyes of the family, Ben and the villagers. While reading the book, you will find yourself comparing what they did in a certain situation with what you would have done. The main theme is the conflict of what people think of others when they act, talk and do things you find are strange.
The story begins with Ben's brother and sisters going home and thinking of what had happened before (read Incident at Hawk 's Hill to understand) when George Burton shows up. Ben feeling like an animal caught runs..., finds a boat..., is found by an Indian boy and brought back to the Indian boy's village, fills fear, lonely and then love. Return to Hawk's Hill is a book you can't stop reading until it's done.

Editorial Review:

"When his family nemesis, the evil trapper George Burton, suddenly reappears after a long absence, young Ben Macdonald runs off in fright and soon finds himself being whisked down the Red River in a rowboat without any oars. His father and brother, finding Ben gone and convinced that Burton has gotten him, set off in a desperate search. Meanwhile, Ben drifts into Lake Winnipeg and the home of the Cree tribe, whom he has been brought up to fear. Will Ben ever be able to elude Burton and safely navigate his way through dangerous Indian territory to find his way home? This suspenseful survival story, rich in historical and natural lore, is sure to satisfy the legions of fans of the first story about Ben and his family, Incident at Hawk's Hill, and to appeal to new readers as well."

The King Snake

Allan W Eckert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Interesting if you like snakes 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

In this book, you follow a king snake as it hatches, goes on its first hunt, and winds up in life threatening situations. The simple vocabulary and short length of the book makes it more ideal for kids. It's also very specific on the species of prey the king snake feeds on, so you might wind up learning about frogs or whatever as well. It is very interesting and informative, but may seem boring to those who want a more action-packed story.

Editorial Review:

A very special young adult nature novel about the life and adventures in survival of a North Carolina king snake, from the time of his hatching until he becomes adult. The story shows the way he lives, how he catches and eats his prey (including other snakes, even poisonous ones), his value in the balance of nature and the fascinating events of his life, shedding new light and understanding about the lives of snakes, which, despite their value to man, are so often misunderstood and deliberately killed just because of what they are or what they are perceived to be.

Johnny Logan: Shawnee Spy : A Novel

Allan W. Eckert

List Price: $14.95 By: Little Brown and Company Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $1.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Another Fine Eckert Historical Novel 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Allan Eckert's "Johnny Logan: Shawnee Spy" tells the story of a Shawnee Indian boy named Spemica Lawba and his brief but interesting role in history.

Born in 1774 to the older sister of Tecumseh in the Shawnee's central Ohio village of Chillicothe, Spemica Lawba is thrust into a world turned upside down for the Indians who are desperately fighting for their land and for their very survival against an ever increasing flood of white settlers pouring into the Ohio Country. An American militia force from Kentucky, led by General Benjamin Logan, attacks Chillicothe in 1786, burning the town to the ground and taking the young Spemica Lawba prisoner. Logan later decides to adopt the Shawnee and gives him the name Johnny Logan. Following the end of hostilities in the Ohio Valley, Johnny is returned to his native people, but soon finds himself at odds with his former family. When Tecumseh begins to stir up the tribes against the United States before the outbreak of the War of 1812, Johnny decides to prove his loyalty to the Americans by serving as a spy against his own people.

Eckert's historical novels are always good and a delight to read. They also can help to introduce little known history to a much wider audience. This book was long out of print, but is thankfully available again. Recommended as an addition to his Winnging of America series, and to his great books "Dark and Bloody River" and "A Sorrow in Our Hearts".

Editorial Review:

Captured at the age of twelve by a U.S. General he comes to regard as father, Johnny Logan, a nephew of the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, eventually rejects the ways of his tribe and becomes an American spy during the War of 1812.

The Dark Green Tunnel

Allan W. Eckert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I LOVED this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book was wonderful! It is the story of the twins Lara and Barnaby and their cousin William (I think that's what his name was, I haven't read the book for a while) who go into the world of Mesmeria one day by following an owl through the Everglades, only to find that they're destined to save this land.This book is an incredible fantasy (take it from a fanatic bookworm) that I completely loved, and the sequel "The Wand: Return to Mesmeria" is just as good...

An imaginative fantasy quest through a C.S. Lewis world! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is the greatest book I have ever read...in other words, my most favorite of all books! It has absolutely everything I dream of in a fantasy novel: an entrance to another world; fantastic and outer-worldly creatures, characters and obstacles; an imaginative and original plot combining the elements of fantasy, fiction, adventure, mystery and suspense; and an almost perfect combination of surrealistic lands and characters. Even though this is the only book of Allan's that I have read, I believe that this is the most different from his others. No other novel I have read let me enter such an incredible world as this one or make my own imagination stronger than it had ever been before! To summarize this enchanted adventure, the two main adventurers-Laura and Barnaby-set off to a secret spot (known by their cousin and the third adventurer, William) in the Florida Everglades. As their small motorboat ventures further in, William's secret owl reveals a hidden passage trhough the side of the walls of the cavernous secret spot, just large enough for the boat. As they make their way through the dark green tunnel, a whole other world is discovered through these three children and an incredible adventure is about to begin! There is only one problem...Laura and Barnaby are twin brother and sister...and in this new world, twins are forbidden

Editorial Review:

This is a fantasy, a la C.S.Lewis, about twins (boy and girl) who find their way into a parallel world in which there are strange creatures, strange people, strange topography, and evil kings and warlocks trying to rule the entire land of Messmeria. The twins join the "good" forces to help overcome the evil ones.

The Court-Martial of Daniel Boone

Allan W. Eckert

Amazon Price: $19.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Backinprint.com Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $11.91

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent Account of the Little-Known Trial of Daniel Boone 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

This is Allan Eckert's novelization of the little-known incident of the military court-martial of that famous Kentucky frontiersman, Daniel Boone. Boone was a legend in his own time, a well respected hunter and frontier soldier and was said to be as able in the woods as any Indian.

In February 1778, Boone has been leading a party of 27 men from Fort Boonesboro who were captured by Shawnee Indians while making salt at the Blue Licks. Boone was adopted into the tribe and given the Shawnee name Sheltowee (Big Turtle) and spent several months living and hunting among the Indians before finally escaping back to Booneboro just in time to help fend off a siege of the isolated fort by the British and Indians. After the battle, Boone was accused of treason and complicity with the enemy by several of his enemies, especially Col. John Bowman, who served as prosecutor in the court martial proceedings against him. Boone shows that he can be as sly and sharp in the courtroom as he is in the wilderness.

Most people know only the myths and legends about Daniel Boone and this book does a great service by providing insight into the reality of the man, as well as presenting an intersting and riveting true story.

Editorial Review:

This young adult historical novel is based on an exciting and little known incident in the life of the famed Kentucky frontiersman Daniel Boone when, after being captured by Shawnee Indians and subsequently adopted into their tribe, he then escapes and returns to Boonesboro, only to find himself charged with treason and court-martialed. In a brilliant display of ability, Boone defends himself at the trial and gradually the truth about what really happened emerges. A fascinating glimpse of Kentucky's pioneer period as well as a penetrating look at frontier courtroom justice. Recommended by the Library Journal.

The Crossbreed

Allan W. Eckert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Elegant and wonderful 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I first read this book in the 3rd or 4th grade, and I am very grateful that I did. I believe I have read this book over 7 times, and will probably read it seven times more. Although the book has one of those odd "young adult" classifications, it reads quite well for an adult. It also, in my not-so-unbiased opinion, has withstood the test of time (originally published in 1967 or thereabouts). If you or your children have a love of cats, wildlife, America and/or adventure, or if you are already familiar with Eckart's inimitable narrative style, check this book out. You'll almost certainly have to buy it used, but fortunately, Amazon has several links available to do this. Special thanks to Allan Eckart himself, not only for writing this moving tale, but also for personally helping me to find a used copy. All in all, a much-cherished piece of my childhood.

Editorial Review:

This young adult nature novel tells the story of the life of a crossbreed cat—the offspring of a mating between a large feral female house cat and a much larger wild bobcat. The story follows the adventures of the cat from the time of his birth in southern Wisconsin, his precarious and near-fatal experience in a flash flood, a rescue by a young boy who adopts him and their accidental separation in an incident which takes the cat far away to Arkansas, where he is hunted and mistreated by many people as he gradually travels overland toward home.

Song of the Wild

Allan W. Eckert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Beautiful and well written 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

A lovely children's story that is thoughfully written. A must for lovers of nature and for people who feel a bond with life. I read it as a child and the story still haunts me. Highly reccomended if you can find it!

A timeless classic book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I was introduced to this by as a teenager, and it remains one of my all time favorites. For children of all ages, and for people who just want to 'belong', you'll find that sometimes being different is truely a gift.

Editorial Review:

A young boy's remarkable ability to transfer his consciousness at will into any living organism and to share what it experiences proves to be an exhilarating but bittersweet gift.

Blue Jacket: War Chief of the Shawnees

Allan W. Eckert

List Price: $7.95 By: Landfall Press Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $1.57

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great Literature, Not Great History 1 out of 5 stars.
12 of 15 people found this review helpful.

Allan Eckert is unquestionably a fine writer. However, he is not a great historian. Eckert chooses to ignore certain source material and emphasize dubious or even discredited sources in order to mold the story of Blue Jacket into his own chosen image of Blue Jacket. As one prior review has stated, recent DNA evidence indicates that Blue Jacket and the Swearingens were not related. While this DNA evidence was unvailable at the time of publication of this book, there is other evidence which refutes Eckert's claims. If Eckert would have taken advantage of available source materials, he would have discovered that the real Blue Jacket was much older than the white boy who allegedly became the chief. In addition, no one who ever met the chief and wrote about him ever mentioned his whiteness. In the case of other Indians who were racially white, this fact is constantly mentioned by white observers. In sum, Eckert is a fine writer of literature based on (some) historical evidence, but his historical accuracy is, at best, questionable.