Warbird

by Jennifer Maruno

In 1647, ten-year-old Etienne yearns for a life of adventure. He meets an orphan destined for Fort Sainte-Marie. Making the most impulsive decision of his life, Etienne replaces the orphan and paddles off with the voyageurs into the north country. Etienne befriends a Huron youth, Tsiko, who teaches him the ways of his people.

Genres: Canada, Historical

149 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Peggy Rector · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was exciting and thoughtful!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because of the Canadian historical fiction theme. And also the author is local for me.

It’s 1647 in Quebec, which was a time of exploration and for 10-year-old Etienne a time for adventure. When he switches places with an orphan boy destined for Fort Sainte-Marie, he gets more of an adventure than he ever thought possible. Coming in at 120 pages might not seem like a lot but for the middle grade reader it is enough to get a look at what voyageurs and explorers went through in the early settlements of Ontario.

Warbird is ultimately a story of friendship, history and a close look at the struggles between the Iroquois, Jesuits and Hurons. A great book to learn about history in Ontario with an entertaining read.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge and is book # 29

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Durbin's The Broken Blade.