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(3)
K-3
Short Tales: Native American Myths series.
Illustrated by
Estudio Haus.
Each of these titles tells one unembroidered, straightforward Native American story about the world's creation or some natural phenomenon, introduced by brief information about the tribe from whence it emanated. There is nothing exceptional about these small-trimmed offerings, though the mythology is nicely distilled for younger children. The color-saturated, active illustrations recall those of graphic novels. Review covers these Native American Myths titles: The Colors of a Sunset, Coyote, Iktome, and the Rock, How the World was Made, and Sky Woman and the Big Turtle.
324 pp.
| Bloomsbury
| June, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-59990-684-3$16.99
(4)
YA
In 1867 Jett Gallatin disguises herself as a boy while searching for her twin brother. She joins forces with a handsome Buffalo scout and a female inventor to fight zombies threatening to take over the Wild West. The genre mashup is exciting and the world-building well done, but the characters are flat and the alternating points of view sometimes feel disjointed.
322 pp.
| Bloomsbury
| October, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-1-59990-507-5$16.99
(4)
YA
A dalliance between Sir Walter Ralegh and Lady Cate leads Queen Elizabeth to exile the young woman to the Roanoke Colony. As Cate struggles to survive, her attachments to England and Ralegh fade. Though the romance thread is unconvincing, the story, seen through the eyes of a Croatoan Indian, a colonist, and an imperialist explorer, provides thoughtful perspective on the Lost Colony.
162 pp.
| Farrar
| October, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-374-35337-7$16.00
(4)
YA
A woman is murdered near Walden Pond, and teenage reporter Oliver Puckle needs Henry David Thoreau's insight to solve the case. Despite the cast of vibrant characters, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and a mysterious lady from Boston, the story can be plodding. In this posthumously published work, Platt's research is obvious through fact-dense text and literary name-dropping.
154 pp.
| Down East
| September, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-89272-741-4$14.95
(4)
4-6
Thirteen-year-old Johnny Lightfoot and everyone else in his 1940s Nova Scotia mining town believe creepy Old Maude is a witch. But after a daring rescue, Johnny begins to understand the truth about her. Though Johnny's family's wholehearted acceptance of Maud seems unrealistic, the characters are largely believable. The writing suffers from some tortured dialogue, but historical details are interesting.
32 pp.
| ABDO
| October, 2000
|
LibraryISBN 1-57765-383-1$$21.35
(4)
K-3
Native Americans series.
Illustrated by
David Fadden.
These books afford simple introductions to these Native American tribes and nations. Each volume covers the same information, including food, family, myths, and ten other basic cultural features. The washed-out illustrations, plus a few small, contemporary photos, are technically accurate but generic for people and scenery; the short sentences read abruptly. There are five other books in this series. Glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Houghton
| September, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-618-00705-9$$15.00
(3)
K-3
Naming the months according to Algonquian custom (Hard Times Moon, Snow Blinder Moon, Sap Moon), this book describes the yearly cycle for tribes in what would later become New England and southern Canada. The book focuses on food sources rather than cultural events or other yearly milestones, and the black-and-white scratchboard illustrations are stark and lovely.
145 pp.
| McElderry
| May, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-689-82233-2$$17.00
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
James Watts.
Over two dozen folktales from the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Lenape, and other Algonquian tribes are retold in graceful prose. Illustrated with sketchy line drawings, the brief selections include a creation myth, trickster tales, and animal stories both amusing and insightful. The collection concludes with cogent facts about the various Algonquian groups and information on each story's origins.