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Eagle Feather
Eagle Feather owes a debt to his father's cousin, and must work it off during the summer. His father's cousin mistreats him, and finally Eagle Feather can bear it no longer and runs away. Can the eagle feather he finds along the way really give him the bravery to endure the long and hungry journey?
87 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
1 person is currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Clyde Robert Bulla
102 books99 followersBorn to be a Writer
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 11, 2022
Less a story and more a string of things that happen to a Navajo boy. At one point he agrees to live with and work for a cousin of his father. The new family is full of jerks who push the boy to his breaking point.
The narration is so spare and matter of fact it was hard to get close to the characters or get excited by any of the developments.
Knowing that the abusive residential school system was forcing assimilation on Navajo children at the time the book was written in the 1950s, I was uneasy reading a story by what seems to be a white author about a Navajo boy considering whether or not he even wants to go to school, as if it will even be his choice:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/us....
The narration is so spare and matter of fact it was hard to get close to the characters or get excited by any of the developments.
Knowing that the abusive residential school system was forcing assimilation on Navajo children at the time the book was written in the 1950s, I was uneasy reading a story by what seems to be a white author about a Navajo boy considering whether or not he even wants to go to school, as if it will even be his choice:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/us....
October 22, 2019
A nice traditional chapter book. Best used to bridge the gap between picture books and text-heavy chapter books.
December 11, 2022
Bonus star for childhood nostalgia. Yes, sharing the familiar story with my husband highlighted that it is kind of pointless, and as an adult today the sugar-coated propaganda about residential schools was uncomfortable, but I still appreciate the simple, basic, childishly exciting at times, story with a satisfying ending I read so many times as a kid.
December 27, 2019
I owned this book when I was in elementary school and must have read it ten times. The context is a Navajo boy named Eagle Feather that lives on the reservation with his family. They have a herd of sheep and goats and Eagle Feather tends to them, taking them out of the pen in the morning, herding them to the pasture for the day and then back to the pen for the evening. His family lives in a primitive Hogan and they are fairly isolated from all the other families.
During a trip to the distant trading post with his father, Eagle Feather is exposed to the school for members of the tribe. It is so far from his home that it would be necessary for him to live at the school while classes are in session. At first, Eagle Feather expresses reluctance to go to school but then finds it interesting.
When Eagle Feather damages the truck of his cousin Crook Nose, he must go live with him and watch over his sheep and goats in order to pay for the damage. It is not a happy experience, for Eagle Feather is not treated well and is also underfed. Things reach a climax when he is told that he cannot go to school when classes start.
Originally published in 1962, this book is a reasonable representation of life on the Navajo reservation for an early adolescent boy in that time period. In my case, it was a story that was interesting and one of my first exposures to the area of multicultural studies.
During a trip to the distant trading post with his father, Eagle Feather is exposed to the school for members of the tribe. It is so far from his home that it would be necessary for him to live at the school while classes are in session. At first, Eagle Feather expresses reluctance to go to school but then finds it interesting.
When Eagle Feather damages the truck of his cousin Crook Nose, he must go live with him and watch over his sheep and goats in order to pay for the damage. It is not a happy experience, for Eagle Feather is not treated well and is also underfed. Things reach a climax when he is told that he cannot go to school when classes start.
Originally published in 1962, this book is a reasonable representation of life on the Navajo reservation for an early adolescent boy in that time period. In my case, it was a story that was interesting and one of my first exposures to the area of multicultural studies.
April 27, 2022
Fancy review here: https://bookdevotions.com/book-review...
Another quick win in the kids' department. My boys are at the perfect age for Clyde Robert Bulla novels. These books are short, lean, and exciting. I'm mixing them into our homeschool read-aloud rotation, and even though we mostly just read them for fun, they give me the chance to squeeze in some light history, vocab, and basic reading comprehension skills.
This particular book wasn't quite on par with the other two Bulla books we've read, and I wanted my star rating to reflect that so I don't forget. I was especially intrigued by this one because it's about a Navajo boy living in, gosh, I'd say the '20s or '30s, way out in a middle-a-nowhere desert area. It sounded SO much like where my husband grew up on the border of AZ and NM in the Navajo Nation. I was hoping it would have some geographical references and name-dropping, but it didn't. However, it could've easily been set in that area where we still visit frequently.
Eagle Feather is an 11-year-old boy who lives with his parents and two younger siblings. His job is to tend the sheep and goats and, thereby, help provide a modest living for the family. His life is small, but he's content. Then, things begin to change for Eagle Feather, and he's confronted with some tough choices, and he must have courage...you get the idea.
Bulla's stories are so fluff-free (you could call them bare bones, really) that it's easy for little kids to focus. The main character is usually confronted with an impossible choice, something that requires a lot of guts, and it's fun for me to ask my kids, "What would you do in that situation?" There are also always characters who aren't what they seem, and it's been neat to ask, "Do you think So-n-So is good or evil?" Because the story is so simple, it's possible to have these discussions with my 5- and 6-year-olds. They can usually defend their answers to me with examples from the text, and then I take heart and tell myself that getting my secondary ed teaching credential DID come in handy after all. Haha!
Another quick win in the kids' department. My boys are at the perfect age for Clyde Robert Bulla novels. These books are short, lean, and exciting. I'm mixing them into our homeschool read-aloud rotation, and even though we mostly just read them for fun, they give me the chance to squeeze in some light history, vocab, and basic reading comprehension skills.
This particular book wasn't quite on par with the other two Bulla books we've read, and I wanted my star rating to reflect that so I don't forget. I was especially intrigued by this one because it's about a Navajo boy living in, gosh, I'd say the '20s or '30s, way out in a middle-a-nowhere desert area. It sounded SO much like where my husband grew up on the border of AZ and NM in the Navajo Nation. I was hoping it would have some geographical references and name-dropping, but it didn't. However, it could've easily been set in that area where we still visit frequently.
Eagle Feather is an 11-year-old boy who lives with his parents and two younger siblings. His job is to tend the sheep and goats and, thereby, help provide a modest living for the family. His life is small, but he's content. Then, things begin to change for Eagle Feather, and he's confronted with some tough choices, and he must have courage...you get the idea.
Bulla's stories are so fluff-free (you could call them bare bones, really) that it's easy for little kids to focus. The main character is usually confronted with an impossible choice, something that requires a lot of guts, and it's fun for me to ask my kids, "What would you do in that situation?" There are also always characters who aren't what they seem, and it's been neat to ask, "Do you think So-n-So is good or evil?" Because the story is so simple, it's possible to have these discussions with my 5- and 6-year-olds. They can usually defend their answers to me with examples from the text, and then I take heart and tell myself that getting my secondary ed teaching credential DID come in handy after all. Haha!
November 19, 2024
This was a quick, lively read from Clyde Robert Bulla. You can find the 1953 Scholastic paperback edition at the Internet Archive ... for now, anyway.
It's main strength is that was illustrated by a Native American. Since most of the characters in this book were Navajo, that means the baddies, were, too. That's sure to tick somebody off.
The only thing I really didn't like about the book was that a Native American going to school in 1953 was seen as a good thing. That's historically inaccurate ... unless this was some special school.
So, I have mixed feelings about the book. But, as a reading experience, it was pretty good.
It's main strength is that was illustrated by a Native American. Since most of the characters in this book were Navajo, that means the baddies, were, too. That's sure to tick somebody off.
The only thing I really didn't like about the book was that a Native American going to school in 1953 was seen as a good thing. That's historically inaccurate ... unless this was some special school.
So, I have mixed feelings about the book. But, as a reading experience, it was pretty good.
March 24, 2024
Catching up on my Gr. 2 literature reads. As an adult, this one felt really clunky because it was written as a beginner's chapter book. The main character goes through interesting things, but I wish it hadn't used the term "Indian" and hadn't tried to spin a residential school as super positive with no negatives. It's not a bad read, but not a great one.
April 30, 2019
A story of an Indian Boy who ran away from his cousin to go back to his mother and father.
October 14, 2020
This is the story of a young Indian boy who wrecks his uncle's truck and has to spend the summer working off the debt. This book is an early reader chapter book.
March 10, 2024
I just want to read it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2023
Reread from my childhood, and it was eh and possibly racist? Not really, but like the story wasn’t great and my memories of it have now been tainted.
March 11, 2024
Not exciting or terribly informative for an adult. Very easy read. Minimal story. Good for young readers who aren't quite ready for a more detailed story
January 13, 2025
This was a quick read, but I really enjoyed it. Eagle Feather is a young boy who goes to work with his deceitful relative, and has to find his way back to his family. Bulla writes in an engaging way that made me want to keep turning the pages.
January 29, 2024
The only things Eagle Feather wanted from life were to stay with his family, herd sheep, and hunt. Then, he travels to the trading post with his father and sees the school. He decides that he wants to go there and read the books full of stories. When Crook Nose, his cousin, asks Eagle Feather to work for him, Eagle Feather tells him no. But, then, Eagle Feather accidently knocks Crook Nose's truck out of gear. The truck runs into a tree. Now, Eagle Feather must go with Crook Nose to pay off the debt. He is overworked and underfed. He clings to the promise that he will go to school in the fall. When Crook Nose breaks this promise, Eagle Feather runs away and outwits Crook Nose for a time. Then, Eagle Feather returns home to an empty hogan. Crook Nose comes in his truck and takes Eagle Feather back. There, they find Eagle Feather's father. He has come to take him home. Now, home is the trading post where Eagle Feather's father works. Eagle Feather can go to school.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
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June 2, 2008Roger Pope:Eagle Feather-88 pages:Eagle Feather is an Indian boy who went to a trading post with his dad and he saw something he didn't see before. He saw a modern day school(which are different from the Indian schools). Eagle Feather looked at the school and inside and he wanted to go there. After that day, when he came back home, Uncle Crook Nose came in his truck. Eagle Feather and his sibblings played with it and it got wrecked. To pay he had to work for Crook Nose for the summer. It was brutal. So Eagle Feather ran away and when his dad found him, he said that he didn't have to work anymore and they are moving and he can go to school.
April 5, 2009
This is another good story from the inimitable Clyde Robert Bulla, set with a Native American boy as the main character. Clyde Robert Bulla never falters in his winsomely idealistic style, and the result is a very nice book that was truly a pleasure to read. I only wish that Mr. Bulla were still around to give us more excellent new books. I miss his very significant presence in the literary world.
April 27, 2013
A great favorite of mine when I was a new reader in the early 1960s. My friend, Cindy, her little sister, Diane, and I played make believe constantly, either in the woods on our farm, where we built stick "forts" that Dad's heifers soon trampled, or in the ruined barn close to their house. I always thought Cindy, as the eldest, should be Eagle Feather, while Diane and I were Teasing Boy and Morning Bird respectively. Cindy revolted, finally, being tired of always being one of the boys!
August 6, 2012
its wonder
November 20, 2013
This about a Navajo Indian boy who has to go work for a cousin, who mistreats him. Eagle Feather wants to go to school, and this is the story of how that becomes a reality.
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October 23, 20149ebb99f6-ffeb-4ae7-87c1-a9e1f320ac52
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews