Read to Me Storytime: Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
Amy reads Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola and published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. This is a retelling of a folktale about how the Indian Paintbrush, state flower of Wyoming, came to be. Little Gopher is smaller and not as strong as the other boys in his village. But he has a unique talent that none of them have—he will learn to tell the stories of his people using paint, and capture the colors of … Read More
The Second Bend in the River, Part 3
Amy reads the third part of Second Bend in the River, by Ann Rinaldi, published by Scholastic. The focus in these chapters is on family bonds–those that hold families together and those that can prevent someone from moving on.
Saturday Storytime: The Rough-Face Girl
Amy reads The Rough-Face Girl, by Rafe Martin, illustrated by Dave Shannon. This is an adaptation of an Algonquin folktale, reminiscent of Cinderella or the tale of Cupid and Psyche. In a village by the shore of Lake Ontario lives the Invisible Being, who has promised he will marry the person who can see him. The rough-face girl lives in the same village, her face scarred from working by the fire. Her older sisters decide that they’ll seek the Invisible … Read More
Wednesday Evening Reading: The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle
Amy reads the graphic novel The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle, by Gay Matthaei and Jewel Grutman, illustrated by Adam Cvijanovic. This is a fictional story about the very real Carlisle Indian Industrial School, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Blue Eagle, a young Sioux warrior, lives as his people have lived–following the herds of bison as they roam the Great Plains. Until the white men come, bringing guns and iron rails, wastefully killing the buffalo the people of the Plains rely … Read More
Read to Me Storytime: Fry Bread
Amy reads Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, by Kevin Noble Maillard, with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, and published by Roaring Brook Press. This is a picture book about fry bread, a kind of bread which was invented out of necessity when the United States government displaced the Navajo nation in the 1860s. It’s since been embraced by many indigenous Americans as a symbol of culture and comfort. This book includes an extensive author’s note including the author’s own … Read More
Saturday Afternoon Reading: The Second Bend in the River, Part 2
Amy reads the second part of Second Bend in the River, by Ann Rinaldi, published by Scholastic. Two years have passed, and the settlement of Ohio Country continues, soon to become a state. Rebecca’s beginning to learn that the line between “civilized” and “Indian” is far from absolute—settlers can be adopted into Indian families, and some towns can grow to regard Indians as members of their community.