Night Wings

Bruchac, J. (2009). Night Wings. New York: HarperCollins Publishers

Plot Summary: Paul’s dreams have been very strange lately and he is worried that something dangerous is in his future.  One night he and his Grandpa are taken captive by Darby Field and his crew.  They are in search of Pmola’s treasure and need Grandpa Peter’s help in order to find it.  After a day and a half in the woods Grandpa Peter and Paul are able to outwit Darby and his friends, but must head in different directions.  Paul then comes face-to-face with Pmola and witnesses his treasure.  He is humbled by Pmola’s greatness and apologizes to him for any trouble he has caused.  Pmola then points in the direction of the path where Paul is reunited with his Grandpa.  They are able to make it down the path and never hear from Darby and his friends again, who seem to have been lost in the mountains.

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Adventure

Age Group: This would be appropriate for grades 5-8.

Similar Titles: Skeleton Man, The Return of Skeleton Man, The Dark Pond all by Joseph Burchac.

Personal Thought: Throughout the book Paul remembers advice his parents have given him and uses it to escape from his kidnappers.  The book is full of adventure and old Native American stories that are sure to keep the reader's attention.

Subjects/Themes: Native Americans, Kidnapping, Fantasy Creatures, Native American - Abenaki Stories

Reviews: School Library Journal

Character Description: Paul is thirteen year old boy who is tall and lanky.  Both of his parents are deployed to the Middle East and he is living with his Grandpa Peter.

Grandpa Peter is Paul’s grandfather and part of the Abenaki tribe.  He is a man of few words but is very wise.

Darby Field is the tv host for the show Forbidden Mystery.  He is an evil, greedy man who kidnaps Paul and his grandfather.

Tip is one of Dabry’s helpers.  He is a short man with a South Boston accent.

Pmola is the sacred winged creature that lives in the hills of Mount Washington.  Darby is in search of his treasure.

Annotation: Peter has been having strange and frightening dreams lately about a winged creature that has him cornered in a cave.  He knows that his dreams are usually a warning of something to come but it isn’t until he and his grandpa are kidnapped by Darby Field and his crew that he knows the real danger and adventure facing them.