The Bronze Bow: A Newbery Award Winner – A Novel About Hate, Revenge, and Jesus's Message of Love for Kids (Ages 10-12)

Set in Roman-occupied Palestine, the novel follows Daniel as he moves from revenge toward faith and forgiveness. Its historical detail and the gradual shift from rage to acceptance are the heart of the book.

ancient Judearevenge and forgivenessfaithRoman rulecoming of age

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Work Information

The story of a boy sealed off by anger who slowly learns what forgiveness means.

One of Elizabeth George Speare's signature novels, it traces how a boy's thirst for revenge is challenged by faith and forgiveness. Though it carries a religious theme, it also moves with the force of an adventure novel, and it remains in print in modern editions.

Review Summaries

Readers respond strongly to the way the protagonist's anger is gradually softened and to the novel's interplay of faith and conflict. Many praise both the historical immediacy and the careful tracking of emotional change.

Book Information

Publisher: Clarion Books
Published: 1997-09-01
Pages: 256 pages
Language: 英語
Size: 13.97 x 1.57 x 20.96 cm
ISBN-13: 9780395137192
ISBN-10: 0395137195
Price: 2451 JPY
Category: 洋書/Children's Books/Literature & Fiction/Historical Fiction/Ancient Civilizations

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 Roman Empire, Daniel wants nothing more than to rid his land of Israel of Roman control once and for all. Yet when David meets Jesus of Nazareth, a traveling carpenter with a gentle message of love and forgiveness, David starts to realize that the hate festering in his heart might be his true enemy after all.

"I was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1908. I have lived all my life in New England, and though I love to travel I can't imagine ever calling any other place on earth home. Since I can't remember a time when I didn't intend to write, it is hard to explain why I took so long getting around to it in earnest. But the years seemed to go by very quickly. In 1936 I married Alden Speare and came to Connecticut. Not till both children were in junior high did I find time at last to sit down quietly with a pencil and paper. I turned naturally to the things which had filled my days and thoughts and began to write magazine articles about family living. Then one day I stumbled on a true story from New England history with a character who seemed to me an ideal heroine. Though I had my first historical novel almost by accident it soon proved to be an absorbing hobby." Elizabeth George Speare (1908-1994) won the 1959 Newbery Medal for THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, and the 1962 Newbery Medal for THE BRONZE BOW. She also received a Newbery Honor Award in 1983, and in 1989 she was presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her substantial and enduring contribution to children’s literature.

Reviews

Great classic!!

Loved reading the kindle version of this book. Had a few misspellings but maybe that was in the original? Didn’t distract from the story in any way.
Superb

I read this book aloud to my 10-year-old son. By the end of the first chapter, we were hooked. We read it over a span of about two weeks, and each time we picked it up, we couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Elizabeth George Speare has an incredible talent for bringing history to life. We love all of her books. Our favorite is the Sign of the Beaver, but this one is excellent too. The reading level is about 8th grade, and the story itself is quite mature. The Sign of the Beaver can be read to a mature 7 or 8 year old, but I wouldn't read The Bronze Bow to a child younger than 10.
キリスト教の教育図書

spearの作品で児童文学賞も取っているので、期待して読みましたが、意外性も心温まるような内容も無く、途中からは話しの結末が容易に想像でき、かつその通りになりました。 spearの中では、the witch of black bird pondとsign of beaverがお勧めです。特にthe witchは非常に面白く、読む価値があると思いますが、calico captiveやgolden gobletは期待ほどではありませんでした。
I remember reading this as a kid in grade school. Rereading now at 64, I think it is a great read at any age. The character mix is great as each one is developed and the interactions between them is complex. As an adult, maybe some subtleties of the characters wouldn’t be as obvious when I was a child. The book is timeless as the main theme of the story is the “greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends” (Jn 15:13) and "Love your enemies." (Mt 6:27) these concepts are still problems today that show how little we have changed as we have become more “civilized.” Unbelievers do not comprehend that followers of Christ actually love their enemies and do not hate them. The story is something that can appeal to young readers but also adult readers making it a timeless story.
Meet expectation
Read and re-read since my childhood I love this book. I bought this as a gift to pass it on to someone else to love. Which they did.
It is a wonderful book that all of our children have either read or had read to them. It is a beautiful story of letting go of anger and hatred. It is a Christian story in that the main character is able to let go after hearing Jesus speak. The majority of the story centers on the main characters journey into letting a desire for revenge encompass his life and what happens on that path.
This was an exciting and moving book that I read with my son. Very emotional and very thoughtful on many different levels. Not sure if my 12 year old son could understand at all the levels but it certainly had an impact.