Amos and Orphy

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

Amos Elliot moved from New England to Nova Scotia in the late 1700s,
when his parents died, taking up residence with his foster parents,
Becky and Jeff Wilson. His earlier adventures are recounted in Amos and
the Bear. Amos and Orphy, a sequel, finds Amos making friends with an
abandoned otter he names Orphy. It also finds him involved in a house
raising, dealing with a lost child, and beginning school when the new
teacher, John Newberry, arrives. Amos also befriends Yvette, a Micmac
girl.

Amos and Orphy explores the fragility of life in pioneer times and the
uncertainty of being an orphan, as well as a young boy’s love for a
wild animal. It tells of the ingenuity necessary to survive in the early
days of settlement in Canada. During the story, Amos matures from an
impulsive boy into a sensitive, hard-working youngster who develops a
family relationship with his foster parents.

Amos and Orphy, with its large print, would be a useful novel for
junior-grade students who are learning about life in Loyalist times, or
who enjoy reading animal stories. Owen’s soft, pencil-like drawings
extend and complement the text well.