The Bronze Bow: A Newbery Award Winner

by Elizabeth George Speare

Book Overview

In this Newbery Medal-winning novel, Daniel bar Jamin will stop at nothing to seek revenge for his father's death at the hands of the Roman Empire. After Daniel bar Jamin's father is crucified by the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395137195
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.6" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Great book

It was is book that I read a few years ago but I still vividly remember the carecters. Don't know if this helps much but I just had to say it was a good book like for 12 up.

Elizabeth George Speare Amazing as Usual!

Elizabeth George Speare only wrote four books that I'm aware of, and all but one were awarded a Newbery Award. (And the one that did not win an award, "Calico Captive," is one of my favorite books of all time!) Ms. Speare was quite simply a fantastic writer of historical fiction. Her books are written in a style suitable for young readers, but anybody who loves historical fiction will love her work regardless of age! It's such a shame that she did not write more books.I admit that I had my reservations about "The Bronze Bow," since its setting in 1st century Judea seemed incongrous with Ms. Speare's other books which are all set in colonial New England. Also, although I'm a practicing Catholic, I was not keen on reading a fictional book with Jesus as a character fearing some very dry, preachy version of the most famous man in history would ruin the believability of the story. But my reservations were completly unfounded. Ms. Speare describes life in Roman occupied Judea with the same wonderful detail as she did colonial America. She ably describes the political/historical situation with great skill while weaving it into her fictional story of a young man deciding which path he will choose in life.Daniel, the protagonist, is as three dimensional and believable as Kit Tyler in "The Witch of Blackbird Pond." In fact, all the characters are memorably brought to life especially Daniel's emotionally devastated, younger sister, Leah. However, the major surprise is Ms. Speare's portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth- what a wonderful depiction of that itinerate preacher. Jesus is a supporting but crucial character in the narrative, but Ms. Speare does not use him to preach to the reader. Instead, the reader, like Daniel, is left to decide who Jesus is- just a kind-hearted teacher? A miracle worker? Someone unwilling to take sides? The messiah? Daniel is puzzled by these questions because the Jesus he sees is just a human being and not a resurrected savior in glowing robes."The Bronze Bow" is arguably Ms. Speare's strongest novel, and that says alot considering her other work. It's historical fiction at its finest, and anyone who passes on it because of fears of it being "too religious" or "too preachy" are doing themselves a disservice. A great work of fiction is a great work fiction regardless if one of the characters happens to be Jesus of Nazareth.

Thought provoking, excellent historical perspective

I am an adult godfather always looking for good books for my young friends. This is one of my three best finds in years. (The others were The Witch of Blackbird Pond, also by Elizabeth Speare, and A Line In The Sand, the Alamo diary in the Dear America series.)The story is told in the time of Jesus in a village near where Jesus teaches those who come to hear him. Daniel, a young outcast, is sworn to fight the Romans with the goal of throwing them out of the land altogether. There are many other young men who want to do the same thing, but they need a leader. What they do, how they prepare, their speculation whether the new teacher Jesus may be that leader, and most of all, Daniel's struggles between his oath and what Jesus has said to him, are the story.This is not a religious book, though its end point is the second great commandment Jesus gave (Matthew 22:39). It is a book about life in the time, the unrest and resistance of many Jews to Roman rule, the confusion of many Jews looking for a military messiah trying to decide if Jesus could be that man. But more than that, it is like any other moral tale of any other time, a story of a man trying to decide what is the right thing for him to do.It is not simplistic, I'm 57 and I read it entirely, but neither is it difficult reading. I strongly recommend it for anyone from 9 years on.

It started out as a school project, but my view changed.....

When I first received the book in my grade eight class, I thought, oh man, another book that will have no affect on me whatsover, etc etc. I was wrong. Though it took quite a few chapters to find out what the bronze bow was, I definitely feel that it's one of the best books I've read. The author, Elizabeth George Speare, portrayed the characters, especially Daniel, very, very well. I couldn't put the book down! Soon it didn't become just a reading homework assignment. While reviewing the book and making up questions, I found it very interesting, the way love was shown. Jesus' love was quite evident and I loved the way Daniel was drawn to Him. As a Christian, I belive Jesus was portrayed very well. The plot was good, new problems peaking around every corner, and Samson really touched my heart :). I recommend it for anyone my age to 90! Also, in the book it shows that love can overcome war and hate that Daniel has towards the Romans. Hate can try to bend a bow of bronze (taken from a psalm of David, this was there "password"), but love does a much better job. :)