North America Books

My second graders enjoyed this book very much. It's an enjoyable tale that lends itself to great discussion and writing.

I liked this story a little and i think you did a very good job with the words and i think you are the best kid writter that i have heard so far. thats all i wanted to say!

If you like star gazing then you will like this book because it is about a coyote and he wants to go to the moon and find the sars secret.So he goes to the moon and he places the stars in the shape of animals.He foes back home and tells allthe animals about what he did.All the animals like what he did and through him a great feast.After the feast he told the animals:I will always be your friend and the friend of your children and your children's children.If you listen carfully at a full moon you may here Coyote.He is telling you to look out ypur window to see what he has made and to dream.I like Harriet Peck Taylors books.I really hope you injoy this book.Because I really,really did.So I hope you do too.

One evening, crafty Coyote climbs to the moon to discover the secrets of the heavens. Instead he finds a way to make the most wonderful pictures for all the world to see. When the other animals of the canyon look up at the sky the next night, they're in for a big surprise.

Based on a Wasco Indian legend, this story about the origin of the constellations is joyfully retold and vibrantly illustrated by Harriet Peck Taylor.

Harriet Peck Taylor's interest in coyote lore began with a young coyote who lived in the foothills near her home. "It used to follow me on hikes with my dogs," she says, "and once even touched noses with them."

Ms. Taylor received her B.F.A. in painting from the University of Colorado. In her paintings, which are in public and private collections, she tries to capture natural beauty because "if people can appreciate the beauty of the land, they will perhaps want to protect it."

Harriet Peck Taylor lives in Boulder, Colorado, where she is a full-time artist and enthusiastic stargazer.

Featuring color paintings by Sioux artist S. D. Nelson (who was inspired by the traditional art style of the Plains Indians), Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchac is the true story of a young Native American boy named Curly who witnessed fierce battles between his tribe of Lakota Indians and white settlers. Defying the custom of his people, Curly ran to the hills in search of a vision, and what he saw would transform him forever. Curly would then come to be known in history as the Sioux war chief Crazy Horse. An author's note following the story relates a summary of the life and death of this brave an unselfish leader. Crazy Horse's Vision is an outstanding picture book and a welcome addition to personal, school, and community library collections.

I adore Crazy Horse and bought this for my 5 year old daughter who just loves this story. It's a great story for anyone and I highly recommend it for all schools.

This beautifully illustrated book is one to read to your children many times over. It tells a story all American children should hear, and it has a magical feel to it.

I especially enjoyed the illistrations in this book. The pictures almost draw you into the pages. They are drawn in the traditional style of the Sioux People. The story is about a man who is greatly respected by his people.

Crooked River by Shelley Pearsall is a Historical fiction book based on a true story. It takes place in Ohio in 1812.This book is about a girl named Rebecca who along with her sister Laura experienced the hard, happy and sad times w/ a Chippewa Indian John, Her dad had crossed the Crooked River and brought the Indian back accused of murdering a white man. At the same time Rebecca is helping Laura to take her dead mom's position in the family. During the first days Indian John was in the same house as both girls Rebecca and her sister could not sleep without thinking that Indian john would escape from the attic and kill all of them. As time passed Rebecca slowly began to believe in Indian John's innocence. She felt that horrible things would happen if he really was guilty. Finally the trial came. Was Indian John guilty? Will anybody try to help him? Will he die? Shelley Pearsall is an author that makes you wonder and adds a little bit of mystery to her book. So if you like mysterious and suspenseful endings read Crooked River and find out the mystery behind Indian John's trial.

Shelley Pearsall has written an important work of historical fiction exploring the clash of two cultures and how assumptions about our enemies often prevent us from seeing our common humanity.

Set in 1812, the bulk of the story is related in a straight-forward narrative from the "white man's" view as each day two sisters, Rebecca and Laura Carver, climb the stairs to their cabin's attic to bring food to a Chippewa accused of murding a trapper. Interspersed between chapters are the Chippewa's point of view related as poetic interludes.

Using these different points of view, Pearsall is able to suggest that each character occupies a position outside the other's consciousness... as if poetry and prose represent two different worlds... simultaneously revealing not only the differences between each culture's values and perspective but the common ground that each culture shares.

Gradually, Rebecca comes to see these two worlds, not as separate, but as sharing a common humanity. Trusting her sense of justice, she is willing to act to save the Chippewa, even though it means going against her strong-willed father's beliefs and her own culture's code of conduct.

In the end, Pearsall shows us how two very different views of the world can co-exist, even when the occupants of each world are unaware of their connection.

An enormously penetrating tale shedding light on an often overlooked aspect of American history.

About halfway through a thorough reading of this book, a question popped into my brain. How many well-known children's books center on an important court case? There must be dozens, right? I mean, a courtroom is a perfect setting for drama. Just ask the audience of "Law and Order". Children's books, similarly, thrive on heightened emotions. Hence, there must be lots of children's fiction out there employing judges, juries, and gavel poundings right? Maybe so, but I was hard pressed to think of a one. The closest story I came up with was Harper Lee's, "To Kill a Mockingbird" and calling that a children's book is bound to offend all sorts of people everywhere. No, at this time I think that "Crooked River" is probably the only children's book I've personally read where the courtroom becomes the center of one young girl's life. I just wish I could figure out whether I liked it or not.

It's 1812 and Rebecca Carver has just learned that there's a manacled Chippewa in her attic. Needless to say, the news comes as quite a shock. Till now Reb has lived a pretty downtrodden life. She has an overbearing father, a series of spoiled or ignorant male relatives, and just her older and younger sisters for comfort. Finding an Indian in her attic has done little to improve her life. It seems that her father and some men in the village decided to go out and find the Chippewa that killed a white trapper some miles out of town. They proclaim Indian John (as they have dubbed him) to be the murderer, leaving Carver's daughters to fear for their lives as they sleep in their beds. In time, however, Reb learns that the man chained in the attic may not be the kind of man her fellows have always taught her to fear. A red-haired lawyer named Peter Kelley has known Amik, the prisoner, since childhood and believes fully in his innocence. It will take a trial to prove to Reb just what kind of influence that she, a mere thirteen-year-old slip of a girl, can have over events beyond her control.

Judging the portrayal of a Native American in a children's book is a monumentally difficult task. Often in cases like this one I turn to the Oyate organization (a Native American group charged with determining how popular culture depicts them) to see what their reactions to any given book are. In this particular case, however, "Crooked River" is too new for much outside critiquing. The book itself is broken into two narratives. In one, Rebecca talks about her changing perceptions and disillusionment with the people around her. In the other is Amik's voice. His words are in a different font and are written in a kind of free verse. At the beginning of the book, these words are rather beautiful. "it is the time when the leaves / are small on the trees. / too small / for hiding". But I had a very difficult time deciding whether or not Amik's mode of speech was a creative answer to giving his character a distinct personality and way of seeing the world or if it was an offensive stereotype too often done. He does, after all, revert back to those old clichés of wondering why the whites around him are seemingly deaf and dumb to the smells and sounds around them. It's a moment we've seen in countless books and films. On the other hand, the verse is often rather touching and quite interesting. I'm torn both ways.

The book itself is more than readable. At first it seems reliant on two-dimensional characters. Rebecca is good and therefore she pities the Indian. Her father is bad and therefore loathes Amik. It takes a while to realize but Rebecca's older sister Laura is one of the exceptions to this rule. In her case you have someone good who fears and dislikes Amik and has a hard time overcoming her own prejudices. Amos, Rebecca's older brother, is the same way. Pearsall's writing deftly plays with their thoughts on the matter while making it perfectly clear that early U.S. settlers weren't exactly the saintly explorers so lauded in American stories and songs.

A book can be beautifully written, penned with aplomb, and smart as a whip yet not quite touch the reader. Personally, "Crooked River" was not one of my favorite books of the year. This is not to say that it isn't a worthwhile piece of writing. I simply couldn't get a grip on the character of Amik and all that he was meant to represent. For others, their reactions will be different. Some people will adore this book. Some will despise it. I feel neither of these emotions myself. I simply recommend that you read it on your own time and come to your own conclusions about it. If Amazon.com is good for nothing else, it helps us to proclaim to the masses how much we love or hate a title. I will be eagerly reading all the other responses, "Crooked River" engenders.

CROOKED RIVER is the second novel for author Shelley Pearsall, winner of the 2003 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Set in Ohio in 1812, CROOKED RIVER tells the dramatic story of an unjust trial of an Indian--nicknamed Indian John--who was captured and held prisoner by one of the white settlers. "Indian John" is accused of murdering a white fur trapper. The story is told from two perspectives: prose chapters narrated by Rebecca Carver, the 13 year old daughter of the white man who captured the Indian, and a series of poems narrated by the Indian--whose real name is Amik. As his formal trial draws closer--although the men in the settlement have already concluded his guilt--Rebecca becomes more and more convinced that "Indian John" is innocent. One other man, Peter Kelley, a lawyer, also believes in his innocence. Kelley tries his best to win the case and set his friend Amik free, but the judge and jury will not be swayed. The trial is a mockery. Evidence or no evidence, they want this man to be convicted and hung.

CROOKED RIVER is based loosely on the true story of an Indian named John O'Mic who was tried and convicted of murder in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1812. He was held captive in a cabin and shared it with the white man and his family--there was a thirteen year old daughter. Using this true story as a basis and framework, Pearsall fictionalized the account to show how these people might have felt. Her research was thorough and impressive as her author's note indicates. While CROOKED RIVER is based on a true story, fact and fiction have two different endings. In real life, John O'Mic was sentenced to death--by hanging. "Indian John" was also sentenced to die--however, thanks to his friends he faked his death and was able to escape further west along with the rest of his family.

I thought CROOKED RIVER was a wonderful book. Although Pearsall is not of Native American ancestry, I believe her research was so extensive that Amik's voice was authentic. The poems narrated by Amik are beautiful. To learn that some of these phrases were borrowed from authentic Ojibwe sources--poems, stories, songs, etc--was fascinating. It made the book even "more authentic" than I originally thought. The narration of Rebecca Carver was equally researched. Pearsall read primary sources--diaries, books, letters, etc--from the time period to capture authentic language patterns and phrases of the whites as well. One source in particular that Pearsall used was an unpublished diary of a young girl named Emily Nash.

CROOKED RIVER is an excellent novel, and I highly recommend it to all. I am impressed not only with the novel CROOKED RIVER but with the author's in-depth research into the time period and opposing cultures that provide the background and context for the novel. I am curious to find a copy of her first novel, TROUBLE DON'T LAST, and read it as well.

If there were such a thing as "coffee table books" for children, this book would be selected to be one of those. I found myself turning the pages with reverence and care, reading the material carefully but more so gazing at the beautiful pictures. The picture of the Chief seemed to almost jump off the page, and the other illustrations were as good as the photographs. A little-known tribe to those of us from the northeast, the Crow are a fascinating Native American group to study as they have maintained their heritage and customs despite a difficult life on the plains of Montana. As a retired teacher, I think fifth and sixth graders would benefit greatly from a study of comparative tribes and how they adapted their culture to the land, and how the land formed them. This book has a great deal of class. It is expensively produced with color and style, besides being well written and carefully researched. Any child would be proud to own it. Any teacher would be proud to have it in the classroom. Tarbescu has taken difficult material and presented it in such a way as to make it come alive for the reader. It is a gem.

The Crow is a splendidly illustrated introduction to the history of the Native American Crow Nation written specifically for young readers. Author Edith Tarbescu begins with the Battle of the Little Bighorn as her prologue introduction, then devotes separate chapters to the early history of the Crow, their lifestyle, beliefs, their history up to 1870, their history after 1870, and life on the Crow reservation today. Very highly recommended for school and community library collections, The Crow is additionally enhanced with a "Timeline of the Crow Nation"; a glossary; a listing of books, videos, organizations and online sites; a "Note On Sources"; and an Index.

If there were such a thing as "coffee table books" for children, this book would be selected to be one of those. I found myself turning the pages with reverence and care, reading the material carefully but more so gazing at the beautiful pictures. The picture of the Chief seemed to almost jump off the page, and the other illustrations were as good as the photographs. A little-known tribe to those of us from the northeast, the Crow are a fascinating Native American group to study as they have maintained their heritage and customs despite a difficult life on the plains of Montana. As a retired teacher, I think fifth and sixth graders would benefit greatly from a study of comparative tribes and how they adapted their culture to the land, and how the land formed them. This book has a great deal of class. It is expensively produced with color and style, besides being well written and carefully researched. Any child would be proud to own it. Any teacher would be proud to have it in the classroom. Tarbescu has taken difficult material and presented it in such a way as to make it come alive for the reader. It is a gem.

Wow, this gave so much information on the Crows, Ms. Tarbescu has a lot of talent! If you're a teacher or if you're simply interested in the Crow heritage then I highly suggest getting this book!

This is a good book that can be read to or by children ages 7-15. This book could be read in 2-3 hours and has natural breaks that allows you to return to the book a number of different times. The story is interesting and keeps the listeners or readers attention. I teach special education for behavior disorder students and this book is useful in teaching a variety of different social skills. I also have to sons that have enjoyed the story line and the messages that the story contains. The illustrations are colorful and add life to the books content. I highly recommend this book for any youth library.

I have given more copies of Crow and Weasel away than any other book in recent years. It is the most beautiful portrait of male friendship available in any genre for children or adults. I most often give copies to young men facing some important transition in their own lives...graduation from high school or college when they too will be asked to go beyond what is familiar, and in doing so, will learn more about themselves. This is a story to share with those you love again and again. As Lopez says, "If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed..." This is just such a story.

This is a good book that can be read to or by children ages 7-15. This book could be read in 2-3 hours and has natural breaks that allows you to return to the book a number of different times. The story is interesting and keeps the listeners or readers attention. I teach special education for behavior disorder students and this book is useful in teaching a variety of different social skills. I also have to sons that have enjoyed the story line and the messages that the story contains. The illustrations are colorful and add life to the books content. I highly recommend this book for any youth library.

...and a crow, and many other insightful characters within "Crow and Weasel" have stayed with me since I first read it almost 10 years ago. The story itself is vibrant, almost to the point of actual narrative. Beautiful landscapes and dialogue throughout lend themselves to the imagination; I feel very much a part of what I'm reading-a true escape. And I like that it teaches me by surprise. Everytime I finish this book, I find that my joy in diversity, my desire to be kind, and my reverence for the natural world have grown. Tom Pohrt's illustrations are each works of art, and complement the story perfectly. I wish they were available as prints. Share this book with the young, and then go share it with everybody else.

This is probably one of the most important books to read for any real searcher of truth. I feel that it gives a world view that is important to historical research of any kind, of any nation. It's implications for understanding world history are tremendous. It's implications to the worthiness of scientific method are accurate and important.

I am not Indian. I am not a descendant. I am forever grateful that I found and read this book.

This book should become curriculum for every school in the US, especially home schools. Every US citizen, especially Native Americans, should read this book. If I could afford to I would buy 50 copies and give them to friends, relatives, and teachers.

Skip all the heavy-sounding New Age fake Indian nonsense and go straight for this book--a humble, eloquent REAL book written with love by a woman who knows. Highly underrated.

I must admit that my views of this work are probably biased. The authors of this book, Grey Owl and Little Pigeon, are my parents. I recall my mother steal away from time to time to jot down notes after my father, the last chief of our band of Native Americans to have been raised in the old tradition, would recount some jewel of ageless wisdom or a bit of our heritage that had never before been documented. After my father passed on in 1959, my mother continued her work in researching and piecing together this work. Until the day she joined my father two years ago, we would sit and talk into the wee hours of the things that she has sought to share of this work.

Like the reader above, my views of this book are more than likely biased. Little Pigeon and Grey Owl were my grandparents, and I have read this book many times over. Definately one of the few books that tell the little known bits of history that everyone should hear about.

Mary Youmans has created a beautiful fantasy world with a distinct american voice. Not a thee or thou in the whole book! The fast moving plot, palpable excitement and frightening (but bravely meet) situations faced by our heroine Adanta all make for a fun, thrilling book that is written in a manner far better than is typical.

When one thinks of the fantasy genre one usually pictures the well worn paths of dragons, sword and sorcerer, medievil speak, etc. There is an overwhelming sense of Tolkien wannabe (See Eragon). As an American it is refreshing to read a fantasy not limited by that mind set. The story line is a classic child on a quest, but the language, imagination, landscape, imagery, and beauty of thought behind Raven Mocker makes it an outstanding read.

When one thinks of the fantasy genre one usually pictures the well worn paths of dragons, sword and sorcerer, medievil speak, etc. There is an overwhelming sense of Tolkien wannabe (See Eragon). As an American it is refreshing to read a fantasy not limited by that mind set. The story line is a classic child on a quest, but the language, imagination, landscape, imagery, and beauty of thought behind Raven Mocker makes it an outstanding read.

Marly Youman's latest book, The Curse of the Raven Mocker is a perfect introduction to literary writing for the younger reader, so finely worked and that adult readers can fall through the page, forget reading, and watch the story. As in her Catherwood, Ms Youman's descriptions of landscapes and local color is like a mother describing her child or Shackleton describing the cold.
The dearness of the values of family love, acceptance of grave personal purpose, and the courage to muster over again against what is terrible, shown especially in the young as she weaves her story, gives today's readers more than a book to bequeath to our children. This is a minor masterpiece of a handbook on how to live with open-eyed love in an often incomprehensibly dangerous world.
Even with all of that, much of value of The Curse of the Raven Mocker is a born teacher's easy stimulation of a reader's curiosity to need more of the rich background the author respectfully serves. There is plenty of convenient, graspable and interesting material related to Cherokee culture just waiting to be appreciated by Ms Youman's post-Mocker readers.

Whether you're planning on riding the whole thing at once or just just doing a section of it, I'd strongly recommend getting this book. My wife and I rode entire length in the summer of 2000, and we carried this book on the outside of our packs in a plastic bag at all times. We referred to it at least once every day. Like in any guide-book, there are a few confusing spots, but on the whole, the author (one of the original trail planners) has done a great job. He not only keeps you on the right path, he also points out various places you should visit, gives some historic perspective, and more. The book will surely make your experience more enjoyable.

I rode this trail in the summer of 2006, from Banff to Mexico. I found this book very helpful in planning my daily rides. It briefly described potential camping spots, designated and undesignated, water sources, and trail conditions. To conserve weight while on the trail, I tore out the pages as I completed them.

It is definitely well worth the money to buy for planning and for using on the trail.

This book does not include any info on the Canada portion.

With some help from this book I only needed 40 days to plan everything.

Note: This was my first bicycle tour and I did it solo, self supported.
Cheers!

Michael McCoy's Cycling the Great Divide: From Canada to Mexico on America's Premier Long Distance Mountain Bike Route is an essential item for those who are planning to bicycle or hike all of the Adventure Cycling route.

As McCoy notes in his well-written and informative introduction, this isn't an easy trek. Uneven terrain, adverse weather conditions, and a lack of water and essential services are often the norm.

As I found, having the book on hand better enabled me to plan ahead. For instance, my discovering that the climb over Indiana Pass would be long and difficult prompted me to begin my cycling day early, which in retrospect was fortuitious in that had I dilly-dallied, I would would have been caught in a late-afternoon snow-storm.

One the book's many strengths is that it includes a much-needed daily route synopsis. Though I am directionally challenged, I did not miss a single turn, not even in New Mexico, where many of the roads and trail heads are unmarked.

Sightseeing, points-of-interest, and photos have been included. I was often glad of this -- as I remarked to some onlookers, if McCoy hadn't pointed these things out to me, my trip would have been more of a slog than it was. For instance, if he hadn't mentioned that the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad passes through southern New Mexico, I would have missed it.

The historical information is also a plus in that it will appeal to both tenters and armchair readers. There was many an evening when (because the sun set early) I was glad I had this book on hand.

The material in this book also complements the Adventure Cycling maps. In retrospect, my trip was without incident, in part because I had both on hand.

If you are riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, you MUST have this book. This is an awesome route - Mike McCoy and the gang did a great job of researching it. One comment on the writing though -- when he uses the word 'steep', he means 'extremely steep', and when he says 'extremely steep', he means 'don't even try to ride your bike up this with a fully loaded bike'. A 'respectable climb' is really a lung-buster. Just expect everything to be a little harder than he makes it sound, and then you wont feel angry because it is not as easy as he makes it out to be. I think he must have either rode it without being fully loaded, or he is a very strong man! Anyhow, if you ride the Great Divide, you will have fun.. I guarantee it.

I suggest reading this book before reading "Ride the Wind". It serves as a chronicalled historical foundation before reading the novel "Ride the Wind" that will definitely prepare you for an unimaginable journey into the world of the American Indian of 150 years ago.

This is a compact history ... but it does just what you want - gives what history is known of Cynthia Ann Parker. This is an excellent resource if you are wanting to know about Cynthia Ann Parker from the settler's perspective - the people she left behind, the family she had come from, and the search for her that continued throughout her 'captivity'. The author seems to steer clear of any area of conjecture, such as why Cynthia Ann got shuttled between family members after her return or what may have happened to her pension, and sticks only to documentable history. She also avoided sidetracking into the history of Cynthia Ann's famous son or the other people in her life except for as far as they pertain to Cynthia Ann's life. Focus is very tight, very informative.

On May 19th, 1836 nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker, a member of a group of religious families occupying Fort Parker in Texas, witnessed the massacre of friends and relatives by combined bands of Caddos, Kiowas and Comanche warriors. Abducted by the Comanches, Cynthia was raised for the next 25 years as a tribal member and became "fully" Comanche, giving birth to Quanah Parker, the last Comanche Chief and one of the most influential intermediaries of his time, a representative of both the Native American and White cultures. Abducted a second time as an adult by a well-meaning Texas Ranger, Cynthia Ann was forced to return to White society, but mourned deeply for her Comanche family, ultimately starving herself to death out of grief.

Much lore and legend has grown around the story of Cynthia Ann Parker over the years, and it has often been difficult to separate the myth from the reality of her dramatic story. However, Margaret Schmidt Hacker has done just that. Over a period of five years, Ms. Hacker painstakingly researched the archives in Texas, Oklahoma, California and Washington, D.C. and objectively weighed all the accounts of Cynthia Ann's life. The result of her efforts is what is considered the most authoritative book on the subject. Although scholarly, it is at the same time, a gripping drama of the Texas prairies, and very readable by anyone with an interest in the Old West. Highly recommended reading.

Countless folk tales and sagas have focused on the story of Miss Parker, a captive of the Comanches for more than 15 years. Many of them deal only with her years as the mother of the famous Quanah Parker. Author Margaret Schmidt Hacker devoted five years to researching the life of the Cynthia Ann to reveal the history behind the myth. This is the tragic story of the abduction of a nine year old girl who returned reluctantly to white society when she was 24. A fascinating portrait of her life among the Comanches on the Texas frontier.

Even though this book is geared to the older elementary student, I used it to supplement my instruction for third graders. It has a wealth of strong information and contains clear and interesting illustrations.

At first glance this book looks like it is simply another children's book but once you open it the beautiful, full color photos speak for themselves! The book is 100% full color and shows a variety of men and women of different Plains tribal affiliations and their routines of daily life. Everything from styles of clothing to weapons, to men's and women's roles is covered in accurate, deatiled photography accompanied by brief commentary. Each subject is attired in meticulously replicated regalia done by the author who is a well known and respected Plains Indian authority. Another nice feature is the addition of a resource page listing historical sites of the Great Plains region. For such a small price tag this is one book that should be on every American history buff's bookshelf! You will not be disappointed!

A very well done, beautifully illustrated book for all ages, highly recommend it.

Michael Terry's "Daily Life in a Plains Indian Village, 1868" is a wonderful book that, although geared toward children and adolescents, provides a colorful overview of the ways of life of the Plains Indian peoples for all readers. The full color, large photograaphs on every page are incredible. Northern Palins replica makers and craftworkers will also find a wealth of close-up photos and descriptions of tools, weapons, and art to which they can refer in their work. If you wish you could see the Plains Indians in the full color splendor for which they are known then this is the book for you!