![]() ![]() One man, Fishtail, is going to the mission school to learn their language so that he will know what the treaties say. The non-Indian settlers and voyageurs, called "chimookomanug", are viewed from a variety of perspectives. This is her first children's novel and she's done a remarkable job. The author is a member of the Turtle Band of Ojibwa and has written several outstanding novels for adults. ![]() ![]() If you are introducing children of any culture to that period of United States history or just looking for a good book to share, you will want this book to begin to balance the picture. It's the good story and strong characterization that lift what could have been earnest and dull into the realm of good literature. It makes an excellent read-aloud choice for children as young as third grade and should appeal to youngsters all the way up through seventh, at least. ![]() The book has been nominated for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. This band of Ojibwa (old name: Anishinabe) live on an island in Lake Superior and we are witness to much of the custom and ritual, successes and tragedies of these people who lived so closely bound to the earth. The Birchbark House is what many of us have been seeking for many years: a good story through which the Native American culture during the Westward Expansion of the United States is realistically and sympathetically portrayed. ![]()
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