Near the Mississippi Delta, 1684: Soon after joining an expedition to find aid for his destitute colony, eleven-year-old Pierre Talon falls ill. The local Hasinai Indians not only nurse Pierre to health, they also adopt him. But as Pierre grows up among the Hasinai, he's haunted by memories of his impoverished family back at the settlement. Afterword.
Summary In 1684, wearing his father’s faded cap, eleven-year-old Pierre Talon joins explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier on an ill-fated expedition to seek the Mississippi River, but after the expedition falls apart Pierre, deathly ill, is taken in by Hasinai Indians.
Topics French Canadian settlers. Texas history. Family. Pierre Talon (b. 1676?). Foreign languages. Colonialism. Exploration. Native Americans. Murder. Illness. Tattoos. Tribal customs. Spanish settlers.
SRC Level 4.400000
SRC Points 10.000000
Lexile 720L
Trim Size 5 1/2" x 8 1/4"
JLG Span Fall
Language English
Publication date 2009-09-30
JLG Release Date Jan 2010
Minimum grade 6
Maximum grade 8
Reading level Middle
Format Print
Upper Middle School Fiction Plus (Grades 6-8)
Upper Middle School Fiction Plus
Upper Middle School Fiction Plus (Grades 6-8)
For Grades 6-8
This collection features fiction titles selected for older middle school readers who are ready for longer, more layered stories that explore growing independence and changing perspective. Selections include realistic and speculative fiction with increased emotional and narrative complexity, offering stories that look beyond immediate experience and invite readers to engage with broader questions about identity, belonging, and the world around them.