Incident at Hawk's Hill :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

incident at halk's hill

2008-09-12
This remarkable event will be treasured by all lovers of animals and nature. It is equally impressive that Eckert was able to do the historical work required. History of the period is his forte.

Phenomenol book

2008-01-28
I am 48 years old and had to add my review about this book. I read this book when I was a child and I have never forgotten it. The story and relationship between this introverted child and a vicious predator moved me and has stayed with me always. I bought the book for my children when they were young and they loved it and I was just thinking of buying a copy to make sure I had it when my 1 year old grandson was older so we could read it together. Buy this book for your young readers.

Noncutesy Wildlife

2007-03-13
This book was one of my alltime favorites as a child (in the late 60's). I grew up on the prairies, so badger holes and fields of waving grasses, as well as neighbors with rifles, were part of everyday life to me. I loved the quiet child who fit in with animals more than humans, and the relationship with the wild mother badger. The world created was more realistic and naturalistic than that portrayed by cheery kids books like the Berensteins and Dr. Seuss. There was tragedy as well as compassion: the mother badger has been caught in a trap, her babies have died of hunger, she is hurting and in pain. These are realistic concerns in nature. Not all is cute fuzzy puppies and loving understanding adults. In the end, the misunderstanding between the child who has been cared for by the badger, and the adults who only see a dangerous wild beast, very much touched my child mind and reflected my experience with adults. I saw injustice in the real world left right and center and it was seldom reflected in children's books. This is one of the deeper children's books I have read, that doesn't shy away from the complexities of life, difficult emotions and depth of feeling. I have reread it recently as an adult, and it still touched me. I highly recommend it.

Great Book!

2007-01-28
Incident At Hawks Hill is a great book! It may start out a little on the slow side but once you get into the story, it's great! Here is a book report type thing on the book. Ben Macdonald is a shy boy who took a liking to imatating animals' body language. No one believes he has much value exept for his mother, Esther. But not even she can get him to talk and be a normal boy of his age. He is small and light in his weight. Well at least for his age. On one of his jouneys on the prairie he finds a mouse that had just been killed with younglings alive. He knows the baby mice will not survive, so when a badger comes close to him he feeds her the mice, being careful to put them out of their misery quickly. One day he wanders out on the prairie following a praire chicken. By the time he tries to come home for lunch he has found himself lost in the prairie. When he seeks shelter he finds the same badger that he fed wild mice to. Will he make it back to his family. To find out what happens next read the book. Also the other reviews have a very good description. If you read this book I hope you enjoy it. The sequel is also good. Thank You for reading my review.

Encore

2005-12-19
This little boy was stranded all alone out on the prairie, and the only other helpful being there was a badger. Ben, a 6 year old boy can act like animals as if he was their brother. He picks an animal, then can follow it for hours acting like it, and making noises like it. But one day, when he was mocking a chicken he wandered too far. When he noticed it was about lunch time he turned back to go home, but there wasn't a house in sight. Clouds rolled over and a thunderstorm broke out. Ben raced around for cover. He tripped in a large tunnelish hole in his scurry. Without further ado he wrenched himself in. The next morning, he dug himself through the rest of the tunnel, to find himself in a huge chamber, and to his surprise there was a badger there. Throughout the next two months Ben lived with this badger, acting like it and becoming more like it everyday. When his brother finally found him though, he was reluctant to go home. Later after he realized where he was, (home) his badger came back, who he saved by throwing himself over her before she was shot by his father. The next day while the badger was chilling in the sun by the house, the mean neighbor arrived, thinking that the badger was trespassing, he shot her. When he was about to burry her, he realized that she was still breathing, taking her back in the house, Ben could only hope that she would live. This book was filled with action, fun times, and sad events.
There was for sure a ton of action. Ben was here, Ben was there, where wasn't he? His badger would be trapped, she would escape, and then Ben would get lost. Later Ben would be found, but his badger pops in, what doesn't happen to Ben anyway?
This book had many, many fun times in it. Ben would dance around after discovering that she's breathing (the badger). And then Ben would jump for joy that he lived, because of the wonderful badger.
Even though this book was good, it was very sad. The badger's pups died. Ben almost died from starvation before the badger helped him. The badger's mate dies, and then the badger almost dies herself.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I think anyone could too, for it was sad, yet happy, and filled with action!
Anne.L.

Utterly ridiculous - even for fiction

2005-08-12
A shy, lonely six-year-old wanders into the Canadian prairie and spends a summer under the protection of a badger.

Sharlene's Book Review

2005-02-15
In the past there was a boy named Benjamin McDonald a six-year-old boy who lived on Hawk's Hill. Ben can communicate with animals. He can communicate with animals better then he can communicate with people. Ben does not really get along with his dad. One day Ben wanders away and meets a female badger. Then at supper that night he tells his family about it, and his dad tells him to stay away from them. Ben does not like that so he runs away. Will Ben survive? I like this book because it is about animals and people. If you like adventures and animals you will like this book.

Hunter's Review

2005-02-12
This book is about a six a year old boy in the past. His name is Ben McDonald. It is the last day of school for Beth, John, and Coral. Ben starts imitating a prairie chicken and wanderes away from home. A storm is coming. He runs for shelter but he falls in a badger hole. He becomes friends with the badger. Will he keep alive? I recommend this book to all readers.

Kevin's Review

2005-02-11
This story takes place at Hawk's Hill, a long time ago. Ben is about 6years old. Ben seems to get along with animals better than people. One day Ben follows a bird and gets lost. A storm comes. He hides in a badger hole! Will he even make it out alive? John, Ben's older brother, saw a dark shape go into a hole. Was it the badger? Was it Ben? I recommend this book for all readers.

Maggie's Review

2005-02-11
A six year old boy named Benjamin MacDonald, Ben for short, lives at Hawk's Hill with his Mom, Dad, his older brother John, his older sister Beth, and his older sister Coral. One day Ben follows a prairie chicken and gets lost. It starts to rain when he sees a clump of big rocks. While he is running towards the rocks, one shoe falls off then the other falls off. He finds no shelter at the rocks so he starts running back and trips in a hole. He makes the hole bigger and gets inside. A badger comes and they get close. Will his family find him? I recommend this book. It has hard words to read.