Shelly's Book Blog

Allan Eckert's Incident at Hawk's Hill was a Newbery Honor book in 1972, but I didn't know that when I bought a copy for my son. This is one my local library does not own, but I will definitely recommend its purchase because it is truly inspired. Benjamin MacDonald is a six-year-old boy who lives in Canada near Winnipeg with his parents and three siblings in 1870. From the description the author gives of Ben, it seems clear to me that he is mildly autistic. Ben's parents worry because Ben prefers the company of animals to that of humans. Ben imitates animals' movements and sounds, and spends hours by himself observing animal behavior. He might, for example, spend an afternoon observing an ant colony, lose track of time, and turn up late for dinner.

The adventure of the story begins when one day Ben wonders off further from home than he has ever been and gets lost. A thunderstorm drives him to seek shelter in an underground hole which turns out to be the den of a badger he had made friends with earlier. He ends up spending several weeks living with the badger. It sounds unlikely, but an author's note tells us that the story is based on a real event.

This story is about survival in the wild and as such is an exciting adventure, but it is also about family, tolerance, and love. I was moved to tears at the end. This is a really great book!