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War of the Eagles
During World War II near Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Jed comes to better understand and take pride in his British and native Tsimshian ancestry through caring for an injured eagle at a military fort and losing his Japanese Canadian best friend to an internment camp.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
10 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Eric Walters
156 books907 followersEric was born in Toronto in 1957, which makes him "real old". But, as Eric says, "Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean that I have to grow up!" In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, youth sports coach and writer he is in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences and feels that this helps him to capture the realistic interaction between young people—the conflicts, tensions, stresses and interests that make up their lives.
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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January 23, 2021Important stories that need to be told, confronts topics like racism, and the effects of colonization.
August 6, 2017
This book has a lot going on. Set during WWII in Prince Rupert, BC, it tells the story of Jed and Tadashi, a native and a Japanese boy. The story weaves through Jed accepting his native heritage, to dealing with racism, to respecting nature, to the Japanese internment...yet it works. It's a bit predictable at times, but since it's a book suitable for young readers that's not such a bad thing. I enjoyed this book. It has good characters, an interesting setting, and a good plot, especially with the historical aspects.
January 12, 2025
It was a fantastic war time story of the Japanese internment camps and the struggling identity of a young native boy.
This novel is great for young readers to learn the history of Canadians and how dofferent ones were treated. It gives readers the ability to sympathize with the characters and live their life through the words on the page.
The setting was also incredible, allowing the reader to visualize where they were at. Eric Walters strikes again
This novel is great for young readers to learn the history of Canadians and how dofferent ones were treated. It gives readers the ability to sympathize with the characters and live their life through the words on the page.
The setting was also incredible, allowing the reader to visualize where they were at. Eric Walters strikes again
Read
June 10, 2013Pretty good. You learn things, and realize others while reading through. This is another book that entices me to check more things out, to want to investigate other questions brought on by incidents mentioned in the book. Also allows one to see things from different perspectives other than your own while reading.
If reading were required for 5th - 7th grade, this would be a great choice to discuss in school. Might affect bullying; might cause more children to accept differences more, better, easier.
If reading were required for 5th - 7th grade, this would be a great choice to discuss in school. Might affect bullying; might cause more children to accept differences more, better, easier.
February 5, 2010
i like this book
September 2, 2011
this is a cool book i like it so far i really dont have that much to tell you about it cause im not done with it
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews