North America Books

This book is an absolute delight. Not at all a simple reference book filled with historical information, it rather reads like a good smoke itself; the pages contemplative puffs that needn't be turned too quickly, but lingered in as their meaning wafts skyward.
...and though it certainly warrants rapt attention, you'll no doubt soon feel a welling desire for a nice pipe-ful out of doors.

A pipeful of what? Likely, the very "weeds" at you feet, and within the pages of "Smoke Plants", you'll discover yourself surrounded by an intriguing world of medicine wherever the ground grows green.

A wonderful, wonderful book.

I've just finished smoking my own customized blend for the third time. The author of this book came into the health food store where I work last week and left a stack of these books with us. They were all sold out within a day!

Years ago, I explored sacred smoke while reading the book "Spirit of Place" by Loren Cruden. It has remained a part of my life ever since, but I haven't really explored the great variety of plants that are literally at my feet!

I added a couple of herbs to the Spinning Coyote recipe, and it has become my before-bed smoke. I deal with chronic pain and lying in bed has always been the most difficult time of day for me. Now I'm smoking my special blend about half an hour before lying down, and I'm getting to sleep more easily and resting more soundly.

The book is an absolute pearl. The gift of the author's stories is precious. To add to that, the information about the plants makes me want to try smoking some of them as soon as possible! The rhythm of the prose and the way the author has paced the brief statements, the stories and the information is calming and healing in itself.

This is a delightful and elegant book. There is a surprising ease and intimacy in the reading of it. The way the author has intertwined the sharing of the "information" with her "journey of discovery" is masterful. What most people would have made into a dry encyclopedia of facts, the author has magically crafted into a captivating story which draws the reader to want to read more and to even want to learn and share in the experience. I did not expect to be interested in this topic, and now I am -- to my surprise!

I was lucky enough to take a course from Dr. Neely (Modern American Indians) at Northern Kentucky University and this was a required textbook. Her class was one of the most interesting I have taken as an anthropology major. Her detailed ethnograpy on the Snowbird Cherokees is a must for anyone interested in Cherokee Indians or Indians of the Southeastern United States. She spent several years living with the Snowbirds prior and after writing the book if I remember correctly. You really get a feel how life is like for the Snowbirds. I definately recommend this book!

This is more than a book about a remarkable community of people. It is an inspiring guideline for how to live.

My family has roots in the Snowbird community; Both of my grandparents on my father's side lived in the Snowbird area, as do many of my cousins to this day. My two aunts moved to the main Qualla rez, and my father left Snowbird for the Navy, and then college in 1956, and never moved back. Even so, there is no place on earth where I feel more at home than the Snowbird mountains.
I preface the review with these statements because when I read this book, I felt like I was "back home." Dr. Neely obviously cares a great deal about this community. Perhaps it makes her ethnology somewhat biased, but it certainly livens up this book! Her descriptions of the annual gospel singing event at Snowbird were on the mark, and her description of the constant factionalism among the Eastern Cherokee band is also (sadly) accurate.
The most useful thing about this book for someone who knows nothing else about the Cherokee is that it explains how the "harmony ethic" is still a part of the way Cherokees live, and how it has subtly changed the Cherokee way of practicing Christianity, and how we deal with modern political and economic life. It shows that it is possible to be "traditional", in a sense, while being fully engaged with the modern world. It also shows that Indians are not the cardboard cutouts so often seen in the movies, or in "New Age" explorations of native spirituality.
If you read this, back it up with Finger's broader histories of the Eastern band, Mooney's classic exploration of Cherokee mythology, and, if you take them with a grain of salt, the Garretts' "Cherokee medicine" series. Then, take a trip to Graham County, preferably around Memorial Day weekend when you can be a part of Snowbird's annual "Fading Voices" festival at Little Snowbird Church, stopping in Robbinsville to visit the Junaluska Burial Place. You'll be welcomed, but if you can't make it Snowbird, this book is the next best thing.

By the time chapter one is finished, the reader has the comforting sense that they have somehow become part of the Snowbird community. Chapter two, one of my personal favorites, defines a "real Indian." You just might be surprised at the definition Sharlotte uncovered and the source of some of the discrimination felt by the Snowbird population. If for no other reason, this book should be read for this chapter. Far too often, we are satisfied to settle for loose definitions penned by someone without the slightest notion of understanding and the result is invariably and simply wrong. Sharlotte, though, has listened carefully to the voices of these fascinating people; she has let them define their existence within the parameters of their own culture. There is no finer type of understanding than the one which is born within the confines of the specific culture and this book humbly delivers a powerful punch of humanistic reality. Simply put, this work is an import! ant contribution to the very essence of cultural relativism and should not be missed.

I was tired of hearing about Black people complain about the problems.This book gave me over 100 solutions and stategies.

Jawanza has laid it on the line, He has offered real world solutions for the problems plaguing our (the Black) community. He forces us to think and reconsider simply debating and discussing the problems. Most notable is when he articulates why we can not agree on what solutions should be used for our various problems and when we should offer those solutions. Brother Jawanaza writes we should never offer a solution until we agree on what the cause of the problem is. If we differ as to what we think is the cause of the problem we will be unable to come to a consensus as to what is the best solutions for the Problem. I recommend every thinking Black man and woman read this book if you are truly interested in reading about real world solutions to the problems plaguing the Black community.

It's a shame that Jawanza Kunjufu does not get more attention for his writings. His books are so powerful they make you want to take on the entire world all by yourself. His formula of Problem - Cause - Solution - Implementation is revolutionary. Every Black person in America should read this book. Who would've thought that we could purchase the answers to our struggles for only $16.

Solutions for Black America is a great book. I am extremely pleased that Jawanza Kunjufu has written it. This is basically a step by step analysis of each problem in the African American community, and a series of solutions to go with it. I particularly found the chapters on Education and parenting the most enlightening. And even though I don't agree with many things written here, I must still strongly recommend this to every black person as a must read.
With that said, let me tell you about some of my issues with it. I'm not the type of guy who favors the 'racism is the reason for black failure' argument. But this is something that he has at the top of his solution list for many of the community's problems. He puts reducing racism and creating more equality at the top of his solution list for a number of different problems. I say it's as good as it's going to get. Many of us are succeeding, and even though it would be nice to get more equality, we're probably not going to get it, so deal with it. Yes, if we were treated as equal to whites from the start, we would not have our current issues of disproportionate poverty, poor health, and crime. But, there are too many black people succeeding in today's world for me to believe that racism can continue to prevent any of us from doing the minimum: Graduate from high school, don't commit crimes, and raise your children to be productive members of society. Personal responsibility for our own successes and failures as well as those of our children is what is going to elevate those blacks still lagging behind out of poverty and distress.
My next issue is probably more a product of my own pessimism/realism, but I felt like I needed to say it as long as I have the audience. Mr Kunjufu has the idea of trying to repair the entire community through stimulating an African American network of businesses and commerce, enhancing our own sense of nationalism, while simultaneously eradicating our more self destructive cultural tendencies. I believe that none of this will ever happen. Nothing wrong with him writing it, nothing wrong with trying to put it in motion. After all, we should all shoot for something.. but it's not going to happen. We are what we are. And what is black culture anyway? Who knows? Too many people believe that it is whatever BET says it is, or whatever our lower income bretheren have made it out to be.
Anyway, let me end this rant with this. As blacks I think a problem is that we see ourselves as individuals. Individuals who do the same things, live in the same places, and make the same mistakes. But, we don't see ourselves as a nation. Although this isn't ideal, we can use this to guide our strategy for improvement. Focus on teaching each individual to be their best, to value their education, to respect others, etc. (you know, the way parents often do with children)and we will be on the way to a better future.

This book is one to have in your collection. The images by
photographer "Jack Dykinga," are done with an artistic approach
to landscapes. Very nice layout,text and paper quality. I bought
the hardcopy used in excellent condition. Much to my surprise it
was signed by the author, "Charles Bowden," as an added bonus.

Having grown up with Arizona Highways magazine, I had, over the years, lost interest in the same old lovely-but-humdrum Meunch brothers photography and lackluster text commonly given to the Sonoran desert. Then I saw the cover of "The Sonoran Desert" and everything changed as I leafed through it. Bowden's text is intensely thought-provoking; the text is spare and rich at the same time, like his subject matter, and Dykinga's photographs show the Sonoran desert in the only way it should EVER be photographed. The photos capture a depth of the desert I've never seen in print before. Dykinga shows like nobody else the juxtaposition of textures and colors, the whole feel of the Sonoran desert in all its glory- and there's a whole lot of glory there if you take the time to look for it. Dykinga clearly does.

This is a stunning book of photography, with about 120 color plates of the Sonoran desert, taken by photographer Jack W. Dykinga. Besides Arizona, locations include Mexico, Baja California, the shoreline of the Sea of Cortez, and Anza-Borrego and Joshua Tree National Monument in southern California.

There's no mistaking that it's a dry, hot region, but it's also clear that there is plant life almost everywhere. There are photographs of landscapes of sand, rock and sky, with saguaro, barrel cactus, ocotillo, and many desert flowers. There is not a sign of human life (until you reach the last half dozen pages where the editor has included several shots of blight: graffiti, a junkyard, a concrete water channel). Many photos are taken at sunrise or sundown, capturing glowing colors and shadows. A few are taken after snowfall.

The text, by Charles Bowden, is personal and impressionistic, with a Sierra Club point of view. He emphasizes the desert's resistance to any but the Native populations, who lived here in harmony with the landscape for millennia before the exploitation of European explorers. To these, in their crudest manifestations, are compared the more reckless schemes of modern-day developers. The closing chapter is an appreciation of wilderness advocate Edward Abbey. In my opinion, an error on the part of the book designer was to set these long essays as full pages of italic type, which makes them difficult to read.

As a companion volume, I recommend Joseph Wood Krutch's "Desert Year," an account of a year spent in the Sonoran desert near Tucson. Although a different desert, there's also Abbey's "Desert Solitaire."

If you think of the deserts as places of emptiness and boredom, have a look at this superb book! The subject was not easy but Jack Dykinga is mastering the art of using the light and the shapes to make us enter a new dimension. His breathtaking large format photographs plead in favor of preserving the wilderness in it's original state and presents us to it's amazing vegetal hosts. After seeing this book, you will never ever think of the Sonoran Desert as an "uninhabited place".

Dexter Cirillo's first book on Native American Indian Jewelry is a must for any collector. Includes many photographs of jewelry and artists, along with valuable information everyone can use to purchase beautiful Native jewelry.

I wanted this book for some time. I must say, I love it and don't know why I did not buy it sooner. An all time favorite of mine for sure.

As a collector of Indian art, jewelery, pottery and rugs, I had the wonderful good fortune to know and consider the Hopi Master jeweler Charles Loloma my friend.

Finding a book on American Indian jewelery was almost impossible to come by until this great book by Dexter came out in 1992. The artists, their work in magnificent color will move anyone to want to own some of this jewelry.

From it's beginings late in the 19th century jewelery was the Indian method of carrying their wealth around in the form of necklaces, braclets etc, Indian jewery was mainly of two schools. Most prominent was the Navajo and the other Zuni.

Then in the mid 1960's came a Hopi indian Charles Loloma. He was the Picasso that was going to revolutionize American Indian jewelery and he did. This book is a testament to Charlie's followers who now produce jewlery that is both modern and magnificant. Buy the book then go out to an Indian Art shop anywhere in CA, AZ, NM or even NJ and you will not be able to resist owning someting.

Hi I bouhgt Southwestern Indian Jewelry and it arrived with no plastic wrap and the jacket was damaged. Please let me know how to go about exchanging it for another in perfect condition. I am a collector and condition is important. Thank You, Joe Garcia.

Once again Dexter Cirillo has created an outstanding book on Native American Indian Jewelry. The jewelry throughout is photographed beautifully and includes pieces from established, as well as up and coming Native artists. This book is a definite must for any collector of Native jewelry.

This wonderful "sequel" to the earlier Cirillo book is even more comprehensive and the photographs are excellent...a "must have" for serious collectors and fans of silver from the American Southwest!

Many years ago, too many to mention, during visits to the national parks in the West, I purchased beautifully hand-crafted "pawn" Indian jewelry. Although, thankfully, "pawn" is no longer sold in our parks, I still treasure and wear what I own. So, you can imagine my surprise when I picked up Dexter Cirillo's wonderful and authoritative book on the new Southwestern jewelry being created by today's Indian artists - pieces totally different but none-the-less as creative, unique and expressive as mine. However, this is much more than a picture book. Although the photography is dazzling and certainly moves you easily through the book, it's the text that continues to hold my interest. The stories, anecdotes and explanations make me feel like I know these artists intimately and can relate to the historical references just as they have. My favorite piece? An equisite necklace, which has nine four-sided reversible beads inlaid with 36 distinct bird designs created by Jake H. Livingston. And, the delighful inlaid holiday turkey pin made by M. Dale Edaakie - I love it. As I continue to read about these 85 artists, I am already planning a trip to the Southwest and will use as my guide the jewelry and Indian market sources provided by Cirillo in the back of the book. While, arguably, I may not find many of the jewelry pieces pictured in the book affordable for the budget-conscious consumer, this book "Southwestern Indian Jewelry, Crafting New Traditions" is a bargain for anyone interested in the Southwest, Indian artists and their crafts, history of the New West, fashion, jewelry, stones and gems, and, just a good read. Congratulations to Cirillo and Doty for a fine and scholarly work.

This, her latest book on Southwestern Indian Jewelry by Dexter Cirillo, is a well written, finely illustrated and impressive volume that I would recommend to anyone interested in this beautiful art form. However, while the list of artists featured in the book is long and contain most of the big names in contemporary Native American jewelry, there is at least one glaring omission. It is inconceivable to me that any serious author on this subject would fail to include Ervin P. Tsosie who, in my and most collectors opinion, is without an equal in the art of mosaic inlays today. This omission, deliberate or not, is a blemish on an otherwise excellent book. Omissions, sadly, also marred her great first book, published in 1992, failing as it did to include two of the giants in early Southwestern Indian jewelry, Leo Poblano and Lambert Homer.Southwestern Indian Jewelry: Crafting New Traditions

Sparrows can and are difficult to identify at times, in particular if you live within the area of major migrations. This difficulty comes from the fact that there is a large difference, at times, between male, female, juveniles, molting stages, variations in plumage and even at times, confusion over calls and behavior. Add to this the fact that, for the most part, all these wonderful little winged creatures are about the same size and shape, and you have real problems.

I do not use this particular book as a field guide, i.e. one that I carry in my kit bag when I am in the bush. I have quite a number of other guides and no end to the pure junk I have stuck here and there. I have had to simply draw the line somewhere, our buy a mule to help me haul the stuff around. I use this book as a study reference to which I can compare my field notes, photographs and memory. The photographs in this one are not a numerous as in some other like volumes, and as has been pointed out, thee is quite a lot of test. This is the strong point of the book though. By specializing, the author has been able to give exact data on habitat, habits, feeding patterns, migration patterns and obscure little facts that are most helpful. I love the way the slight plumage variations have been addressed and noted. This can make all the difference in the world when fretting over a difficult to identify species.

The photograph quality is excellent and this volume does contain some of the clearest close up view of birds of any of the many books I do own. Sparrows and warblers have always been my bane, and I do appreciate this work as it has made my life and major hobby much easier and more enjoyable.

Recommend this one highly.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

This book is great for those having difficulty identifing sparrows or LBJ's (Little Brown Jobs). It has many actual pictures of each sparrows which shows the different variations from region to region, young to old, and from season to season.

In the winter time here in Virginia we get a number of differnt types of sparrows that migrate in. I love watching them but was having difficulty determining which types were which from just the regular field guides so I asked around and one of our local birders recommended this to me. Its terrific! The pictures of the birds are close-up - as if you were holding the bird or were sitting on the ground less than a foot away looking at the bird. This really helps when trying to distinguish the slight differences in colors or patterns. Each species has a chapter that strats out with measurements (size, weight etc) then there's a range map, and some text on habitat, then some text on behavior and voice/songs. There's writing about similar species, geographic variation, distribution (winter, breeding, migration periods), conservation status, and molt. There's also text descriptions for specific markings etc to hone in on, and discussion of hybrids if any. Then the chapter has pictures, of boys, girls, adults, juveniles, etc. Really a great book that has helped me a lot. I'd buy it again in a heart beat.

This edition has a lot of text in it, so it's not really geared towards field use. Yet, the pictures provided are really good. However, for an in-depth study of sparrows, it's an excellent source. Definitely recommended.

"Standing in the Light: A Lakota Way of Seeing" is a print version of conversations between R.D. Theisz, a college professor, and Severt Young Bear, a Lakota singer, historian, and cultural traditionalist. "Standing in the Light" is a cornucopia of cultural information about the Lakota people. The book begins with a discussion about Severt Young Bear's relatives and ancestors, followed by a very brief history of the Sioux people. Unfortunately, the book went to press about the time Severt Young Bear died, in 1993.

"Standing in the Light" has four parts. The first section deals with names in Indian culture. According to Severt, names are of central importance in Lakota culture. Young Bear explains how the people received their names and what names mean in Lakota (his own Lakota name is Hehaka Luzahan, or Swift Elk). Agency officials anglicized Lakota names in the 1880's for a census on the reservation and then applied these names to descendents in perpetuity. This bothers Severt because it means descendents in his family do not earn their name, an important part of the Lakota life process. "Young Bear" comes from Severt's grandfather, who received the name to reflect his accomplishments in battle; he was a fearless warrior who fought like a bear when cornered. The name "Severt" comes from his father's war experience, when Severt's father befriended a Swede and promised the man to name his son after him.

The second part of the book discusses oral traditions in Lakota culture. There are some great stories in this section, like the story about Sio Paha (translated as the Medicine Hill). This place received the name Medicine Hill because in prereservation days it was the site of a test between powerful medicine men. The medicine men would practice their magic on each other in order to discover who had the most powerful medicine. Whenever a man was felled by magic, he was out of the contest. Severt discusses one contest where a heyoka (a sacred clown, or someone whose role in the tribe was to make fun of everyone else) won by practicing medicine he learned from the bumblebee. There are more stories in this section, all of which are fascinating and informative.

The third section covers Severt's career as a musician and his days as a member of the Porcupine Singers, a Lakota drum group who toured powwows and other important Indian gatherings. There are all types of songs in the Lakota world, from honoring songs to dancing and social songs. Many of the social songs helped Indians get together back in the days when the government frowned on Indian gatherings. The Rabbit dance is a good example of a social song. Rabbit songs are quite simple lyrically, but young people used to gather in someone's house to dance to these songs. Of course, all these musical gatherings required musicians, and this is where Severt brings in the importance of the drum and its role in creating and expressing the music. He also discusses how life on the road for the successful Indian musician is just as stressful as it is for any type of musician: egos get large, cars break down, and arguments over money usually ensue.

The final section of the book is Severt's examination of what is wrong with Lakota society. Young Bear turns out to be quite conservative as he discusses the problems of the reservation world. His arguments for a return to personal responsibility, a healthy diet, respect for the elders, and responsible childrearing not only have lessons for Lakotas, but also are important for all cultures. Severt's involvement in the American Indian Movement (AIM) and its stand at Wounded Knee in the 1970's, covered in some depth in the book, further highlights his concern for cultural issues.

At the end of the book, Severt sums up his reasons for agreeing to create this book. Severt believes every powwow or gathering of Indians has four circles. The first circle is the one in which Indians are dancing and taking part in their culture. As the circles move outwards, one finds Indians who are not as aware of the cultural activities going on in the first circle. The last circle, the circle on the farthest reaches of the gathering, holds the lost Indians, those who are afraid of learning about their culture and so lose themselves in drugs, loose sex, or alcohol. Severt wants to bring all of the other circles into the first circle, into the "light," so all the Lakotas may partake in their culture.

"Standing in the Light" is a powerful statement. For those who wish to learn about Indian culture, look no further than this book. I am surprised there are not more reviews of this amazing survey of Lakota cultural ideas.

There is a joke that one often hears when traveling within Native circles. The joke asks what is the average size of a Native Family? The answer is five, a father, a mother, a son and daughter and one anthropologist. It has been written that Native Americans are the most studied but least understood people on the Earth. Native author Michael Dorris states this thought in a more direct way. He writes that Native Americans are the most lied about people on the face of the planet. Much of this discontent with the written record about Native Peoples is due to the fact that much of this record has been recorded by Non-Native people and thus passed through a cultural filter that distorts the reality of Native experience and tradition. "Standing in the Light, a Lakota Way of Seeing," is a collaborative effort by the authors Severt Young Bear Sr. and Dr. Ronnie Theisz to record an account of the world view of the Lakota people that was written from the viewpoint and understanding of a person that has lived his life within the traditional culture of the Lakota People. Severt Young Bear Sr. was born on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1934 and lived his life in the traditional community of Porcupine, SD. In his life he was a rancher, a ranger, a tribal councilman, a singer with and drum keeper of the acclaimed Porcupine Singers that appeared in the movies "Dances With Wolves, " and "Thunderheart," an instructor at Oglala Lakota College, and founder of International Brotherhood Days, a cross cultural forum that is held the second week of July each year at the Young Bear dance grounds just outside Porcupine, SD.. This book is a rare look from the inside of Lakota culture from one that lived within that context. The work touches on the past of the Lakota People, and focusses on the importance of traditions of the culture to the survival and identity of the Lakota Nation. As a self-styled student of Lakota culture I value this book as one of the most relavant books in my collection. Highly recommended. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Beyond feathers and bells, "Standing in the Light" gives non-Native people a glimpse some of the real culture and values of the Lakota people. What values are held in high esteem, and how do they work in the everyday life of the people, are just a few of the answers given. Long overdue for those seeking to learn the culture beyond the feathers and bells of a Powwow.

I am enchanted with this book, one of the most exquisite books I have seen in a long time. The Lakota way is a simple but universal way of living. It is a book I want to share with many.
I was blessed to share so many lakota traditions and even though I don't practice those traditions any more I have them in my heart.
This book just brought so many memories.

I had been searching for a book of Native American star lore, and hit the jackpot with this book: Stars of the First People by Dorcas S. Miller.

This book covers some Greek Mythology and whereabouts of the common constellations so that the reader has a basis to start with, and can find the star patterns mentioned in the book.
The book is then broken into sections of North America by going over the tribes that lived in each place. It covers not only that tribes star lore, but goes into detail about how each tribe lived, such as food/shelter/migrating habits, so that the reader can easier understand how certain elements follow into the star lore.

With over 300 pages of detailed information this is a wonderful book and I am happy to own it!

Curious about the stories that different Native American peoples told about the stars? Dorcas Miller's "Stars of the First People" will go a long way towards satisfying your curiosity. Focusing on the peoples of North America, she has pulled together a robust collection of tales and star lore and grouped them by region. Plentiful sketches, star maps, and charts accompany the text to provide a visual reinforcement of the material contained in the stories.

In addition to the star lore, Dorcas has also included a decent amount of background information on the individual tribes to help the reader better understand the context of the star stories. In the back of the book you'll find an extensive set of notes and bibliographic references for those interested in further reading on this subject.

Don Childrey, author of "STAR TRAILS - Navajo"

This is one of the most complete set of Native American star legends that I have seen. The author first reviews the standard Greek and Roman myths that have given us our constellation names. For each region of North America, he devotes an entire chapter to star legends from indigenous people that live in that region. At the end of each chapter he lists standard constellations and groups and the Native American legends behind each, and at the end of the book he provides an overall listing. Some interesting similarities come out - for example, the Big Dipper is a bear in standard Greek and Roman and in many Native American myths, and Sirius is a dog or wolf star in standard and in Native American myths. The stories are well written and can be used anywhere where storytelling is called for - for example, to groups of children. For a good summary of Native American myths, look to this volume. I just wish there was a similar compendium of ALL the world's indigenous star myths.

Dorcas Miller's book is a gateway into our North American sky. I have already given my first copy to a scout leader. Her organization is superb: sky-watchers can pick a star or constellation and use the reference guide to access all its stories; ethnographers can follow the chapter organization by region and tribe. I will annotate her lists as I add other sources and tales.

Miller starts with the conventional Greek constellations that still map our sky for professional astronomers, providing myth summaries and seasonal sky maps. Her stick figures of these constellations are a delight and I copy their details onto the daily sky charts from the internet.

Both the Greeks and our First Peoples filled their skies with peoples and animals. Only a few identities, such as bear and dog, straddle both hemispheres. Greek heroes and heroines may be banished forever to the sky by the action of the gods as punishment, or placed by a friendly god to protect them from the angered one. Animals and humans are often antagonists. I can't think of a creation myth. The dead didn't go there.

Our First Peoples connection with the sky seems ongoing and personal- get lost and you may wander into it. Die and you may walk up the Milky Way, past guides and obstacles. Suffer and you may find an opening to the sky or a rescuer who will take you into it; you may be homesick, come and go, but finally choose the sky. If you navigate by the stars, why not? It may be a refuge. The myths feel contemporary, the characters often ordinary, and creation feels recent. The animals may be small and hungry, brave or lazy.

Miller provides the myth texts as she finds them, supplementing with discussion and drawings- maps of their known or probable stars and historic diagrams such as rock art that may be relevant. The bibliography is broad. This book will be a good anchor for collecting other North American books coming into print or reprint. `

This is a great book for the whole family. Good to read anytime but especially before Thanksgiving.

I borrowed this book to read it to my daughter when she was in second grade. She loved it. She's now in 6th grade and still remembers many details of the book because they had that much of an impression on her. You can imagine yourself being with these Pilgrims, waiting in the dark on the beach for the boat to arrive. Now that my son is 4, I wanted to make sure I had a copy of my own to read to him. This is definitely one to add to your personal library.

We read this book as a part of our homeschool History curriculum this year. It was very informative and entertaining. My children (ages 6 and 8) absolutely loved it. We have the older version, and my kids didn't even mind the lack of color and the sparse illustrations. They begged me ,"One more chapter...please, Mom?!"

I would say the only thing I did not care for in this book was the way they portray the Indians. Other than Squanto, Samoset and Massasoit, all of the other Indians are viewed as 'savages' (and not very intelligent ones, at that.) In the last few chapters, they are even used as 'comic relief.' She also has them speaking the word 'Ugh' a lot...such as "Ugh! White squaw bring me cider!"
I thought that was a little unrealistic, and insulting as well.

The information on the Pilgrims is wonderful, and she really brought their journey alive.

If you can overlook the Indian parts, I would highly recommend this book.

My children and I loved reading about the Pilgrims. I was not educated about their lives like my children are. Thisbook is very informative and right on their levels. We read this when they were 5 and 9.