The Legend of Blue Jacket - Hardcover

Gr. 3-6. Spradlin raises an interesting question: Was the Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket actually Marmaduke Van Swearingen, who was abducted from his American pioneer family at age 16? A preface explains the difficulty of tracking a life with few written records. Only one source is specified, but the author summarizes conflicting theories regarding Blue Jacket's identity and explains why he thinks the abduction theory rings true. Patching the few known facts together with some of the legends, this first-person narrative chronicles the career of Blue Jacket, from his kidnapping to the end of the American Revolution. Readers see the colonial western expansion through Blue Jacket's eyes. An afterword summarizes his impressive military record and defeat at Fallen Timbers, notes the changes in his family, and records the fate of the Shawnee people. The many watercolor illustrations that depict the lush Ohio Valley forests and Shawnee villages put this in the category of picture books for older children. Good supplementary material for history and multicultural units, this attractive biography will also attract browsers. Linda Perkins
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