I’m thrilled to welcome M.C. Finotti, author of Paintbrushes & Arrows: A Story of Two Girls in St. Augustine in 1875, as a guest blogger today. Her novel is a thoughtful blend of real people, historical events, and heartfelt storytelling that teachers will enjoy sharing with their students.
Interesting Feature
Rotating Perspectives and Points of View
Interest Level
Grades 4-6
Length
112 pages
Genre
Historical Fiction
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Guest Post from M.C. Finotti, Author of Paintbrushes & Arrows: A Story of Two Girls in St. Augustine in 1875
Thank you, Gay Miller, for the opportunity to write a blog post on your popular TpT webpage!
Why Historical Fiction Matters
First and foremost, historical fiction puts people back into history. Too often, “just plain folks” are hard to find in social studies textbooks. That’s why my book, Paintbrushes & Arrows, is told in part from the point of view of Ah‑kah, a real nine‑year‑old Comanche girl who accompanied her parents and other prisoners to Fort Marion in St. Augustine in 1875. The U.S. Army brought her father, a warring chief, from the Oklahoma Territories because they wanted to “kill the Indian but save the man.” Through Ah‑kah’s eyes, readers experience what life was like for a Native American child in a small American town during this time.
Introducing Students to Real Issues
Historical fiction also introduces students to important issues — warts and all. In Paintbrushes & Arrows, readers learn firsthand about the impact of Westward Expansion on Native American communities and the displacement that followed. This part of American history is often overlooked when we focus only on the new states joining the Union in the late 1800s.
Understanding Multiple Perspectives
Finally, historical fiction encourages readers to consider multiple perspectives. I tell the story in alternating points of view. The companion main character to Ah‑kah is Callie, a fifteen‑year‑old girl who was practically born with a paintbrush in her hand. She is recruited to teach art classes to the Native Americans at the fort. While this may sound paternalistic, there truly was an art teacher who worked with the prisoners at Fort Marion. Callie’s chapters help readers understand what life was like for a young white woman in America in 1875.
A Commitment to Historical Accuracy
I made every effort to follow historical records and portray my characters — many of whom actually existed — as realistically and without stereotype as possible. Gay Miller’s wonderful book unit on Paintbrushes & Arrows reflects this and more. For less than $20, you can purchase my book on Amazon and Gay’s book unit on Teachers Pay Teachers and have months of lessons that meet Common Core literacy standards. Best of all, your students will be engaged and will learn not just about history, but about life.
You can even win a free Kindle copy of my book — just watch the book trailer to enter.
A Special Thank‑You
Thank you again, Gay, for the opportunity to share my work with your readers.
M.C. Finotti
Thank you so much for the fantastic post!
About the Book: Paintbrushes & Arrows: A Story of St. Augustine
| Publication Date | 2016 |
| Interest Level | Grades 4–8 |
| Number of Pages | 112 pages |
| Approximate Word Count | 34,160 words — The average reader will spend 2 hours and 16 minutes reading Paintbrushes and Arrows: A Story of St. Augustine at 250 words per minute.* |
| Book Themes | Native Americans, Re-education of the Plains Indians brought to the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine |
| Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Setting | St. Augustine in 1875 |
| Important Quote | When the army tried to put her father, Black Horse, a Comanche chief, on the train in Fort Sill, her mother had screamed and cried and refused to let go of him. |
| First Line | “Ah-kah, May 18, 1875 Ah-kah twisted a piece of fringe into a knot.” |
| Point of View | Odd-numbered chapters are told from Ah-kah’s perspective, and even-numbered chapters are told from Callie’s perspective — Ah-kah’s chapters are told in third-person point of view, and Callie’s chapters are told in first-person point of view. |
Teaching Activities for Paintbrushes & Arrows
Paintbrushes & Arrows is a wonderful book for teaching both points of view and perspectives. Throughout the book, Finotti tells odd-numbered chapters from Ah-kah’s perspective and even-numbered chapters from Callie’s. On top of this, Finotti tells Ah-kah’s chapters in the third-person point of view and Callie’s chapters in the first-person point of view.
Paintbrushes & Arrows Book Unit includes several lessons on point of view. I’ve included two additional free point-of-view activities to get you started on a point-of-view unit.
This point-of-view practice uses advertising slogans. Students sort familiar slogans such as “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” and “When you care enough to give the very best” by the point of view in which they are written.
I hope you enjoy using these activities with your students as they read Paintbrushes & Arrows. This book holds a special place on my site, and its themes of perspective, history, and understanding others make it a meaningful addition to any classroom. I’m grateful to M.C. Finotti for sharing her work and for the chance to create resources that support teachers and students.
See the product that inspired this post.
Paintbrushes & Arrows Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
