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The Buffalo Knife by William O. Steele

The Buffalo Knife

By William O. Steele
Level 5
Review:

This is a great adventure novel about early America. I loved the emphasis on strong families, courage, and faith. The story is engaging and should be enjoyed by even reluctant readers. I found no objectionable material. However, the main character talks about how excited he is to hunt and kill animals and Indians when he gets older, which some parents may not like. Later in the story, he kills an Indian to defend his family, but feels sick about doing so. The descriptions of violence are not graphic. The vocabulary and writing are excellent.

(Reviewed by Jenny Phillips)

Genre Historical Fiction
  • 4 Entertainment Value
  • 3.5 Moral Value
  • 4 Educational Value
  • 4 Literary Value
Rating System

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Entertainment Value

All books on our list are chosen to be engaging, but books that rank high in entertainment value may be more appealing to reluctant readers and/or those who are new to good and beautiful books.

Moral Value

All books on The Good and the Beautiful Book List are deemed appropriate and wholesome, but some books have more emphasis on moral principles than others. A lower rating for moral value does not mean the book is inappropriate; it only means that moral values are not as highly emphasized.

Educational Value

Although all books on this list have educational value in the sense of increasing vocabulary and other important skills, the educational value scale is based on how well the book helps the reader gain knowledge about historical time periods, cultures, geography, science, etc.

Literary Value

Books that score high in literary value include exceptional writing, use of literary devices, and a rich vocabulary. All books on The Good and the Beautiful Book List are well-written, but some have a higher literary value than others.

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