The Sign of the Beaver is a children's historical novel by American author Elizabeth George Speare, which has won numerous literary awards.

The idea for this book came from a factual story that Elizabeth George Speare discovered in Milo, Maine[1] about a young boy who was left alone for a summer in the wilderness and was befriended by a Native American, named Attean, and his grandfather.

The Sign of the Beaver tells the story of 13-year-old Matthew James "Matt" Hallowell, an 18th-century American settler.

Matt learns how to survive and deal with difficult situations, getting help from Attean, a Native American boy, and his family.

When Matt fears his father will not return, Attean asks him to join the Beaver tribe and move north.