Marven of the Great North Woods

by Kathryn Lasky

Book Overview

When the influenza epidemic strikes Duluth, Minnesota, in 1918, Marven's parents send their son far away from the danger of the disease. But a logging camp in the great north woods? A true story of a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152168265
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.1" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Awards Won By This Book

The Best Children's Books of the Year, 1998; Bank Street College of Education; United States Best of the Bunch, 1997; Association of Jewish Librarians; United States Children's Books of Distinction, 1998; Riverbank Review; United States The Children's Literature Choice List, 1998; Children's Literature; United States Notable Books for Children, 1998; American Library Association Smithsonian Magazine's Notable Books for Children, 1997; Smithsonian; United States

Scared, Homesick, Adventure, Friendship, Reunited

This book is a true story about how two unlikely people become friends. Marven a ten year old boy from Duluth, Minnesota in 1918, is sent to live at a logging camp far awar from home in the Great North Woods to escape the influenza that is sweeping the country. Marven is scared to go becasue he does not know what to expect, and is also afraid that the influenza might take the life of some of his family members. At the logging camp Marven meets a French speaking lumberjack named Jean Louis. The two have nothing in common, but become freinds anyway. When Marven comes back home he is relieved to find out that the influenza is over, and that all of his family memebers are alive.I liked this book because it was adventurous and exciting that a ten year old boy could travel alone far away from his parents to some place he had never been before. I thought the illustrations did a great job of showing the beauty and vastness of the wilderness as well as the difference in size between Marven, his lumberjack friends, and the Great North Woods.

I really liked this story

I picked up this book because it is a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee. I found it to be delightful and charming. I was even more delighted to find that it is a true story about the author's father. That sort of information always makes a story even more alive. I greatly enjoyed this book. For the curious, this isn't the only book the author has written about her family.

a unique and wonderful story

This is a charming, interesting book. Kids will be intrigued by Marven's adventure - not only by the notion of being sent away from his family, but also the dramatic reasons for it and the incredibly different and appealing life he gets to lead with the lumberjacks. Adults will like all that, too, and will also be won over by the warmth and, ultimately, gentless of this very unusual story. A lovely, rare find.

A warm book about a remarkable man

Marven Lasky was my mother's husband. He passed away last week at the age of 91. I only read this book in detail to find out more about him. For more about his family, see "The Night Journey", also by this author.