Not recommended: KOKOPELLI'S FLUTE by Will Hobbs

Years ago, someone asked me about Kokopelli's Flute by Will Hobbs. It wasn't the first ask but it is on my mind lately. I can't get a digital copy. I am able to read the first chapters in Google books. Here's notes as I read: 

The cover illustration is, without doubt, a rendition of Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde. In addition to the title, the cover includes these words: "Tep didn't mean to unleash the ancient magic..."

Chapter 1 of Kokopelli's Flute begins with "The magic had always been there." Magic again? Immediate response from me? Umm... what is he talking about?! I continue reading that first paragraph. The "magic" is in "the light" and in "the rock" in "the miniature city the Ancient Ones left perched in the cliffs." For years, the main character, Tep, has been trying to get closer to "the magic." We read "This would be the night I not only got close, but crossed over." 

Again, what magic? And where or what does he want to cross over to in that "miniature city"? Pause to look up the book description:

THE MAGIC HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE. Tep Jones has always felt the magic of Picture House, an Anasazi cliff dwelling near the seed farm where he lives with his parents. But he could never have imagined what would happen to him on the night of a lunar eclipse, when he finds a bone flute left behind by grave robbers. Tep falls under the spell of a powerful ancient magic that traps him at night in the body of an animal.

Only by unraveling the mysteries of Picture House can Tep save himself and his desperately ill mother. Does the enigmatic old Indian who calls himself Cricket hold the key to unlocking the secrets of the past? And can Tep find the answers in time?

Back to chapter one, second paragraph. There we learn that a total eclipse of the moon will take place that night and Tep wants to see it from what he calls "Picture House." He's been there a lot, "puzzling over the secrets of the ancient pueblo." He thinks that maybe during the eclipse, if he listens hard enough, he might hear the footsteps of the Ancient Ones. Maybe even their voices. Maybe even dancers coming out of their kivas. Me: sighing, frowning, shaking my head. But there's more of that sort of thing on page three:

Eight hundred years ago the people came through all those little doorways for the last time, walked away, and left only stillness, silence, and secrets.

That wistful (if that's the right word) writing about any people makes me cringe, but especially when its a white character thinking about ancestors of today's Pueblo Indians. 

On page four, as Tep and his dog wait for the eclipse, they hear voices. Turns out to be two men who are talking about how they're gonna make thousands of dollars digging at the site. Tep can't believe it. He sees the items they've dug up. One is a "seed jar" which struck me as odd. We call them seed pots. 

"Picture House" Tep tells us, has not ever been vandalized because it isn't marked on maps and its hard to get to. The two men are in a room that Tep has been in many times. There's a back wall in that room that Tep says is built with a special purpose in mind, like to bury someone. Tep is only supposed to be a kid, but his character is created by an adult. Clearly, Tep doesn't like what the two men are doing but I don't like him going all through "Palace House" either, looking for the magic. Sheesh. 

The two men have found "a burial" which is the body of what they call an albino because his skin is pink. There was a large pot with him that broke open. In that pot was a basket the two men call "a medicine man's bundle." So, the body is that of an albino medicine man. I really dislike this content. Hobbs (the author) seems to be telling us it is bad to do this, but in telling us the value of this activity, it doesn't jive. Especially when we read the next part. 

Tep scares them off and then goes to see where they had been digging. They took the pot and the basket and most of its contents. In their rush they left behind a small polished flute. Tep thinks he should return it immediately to the albino medicine man but he is afraid of him and doesn't want to go into the room. He thinks the flute must be powerful. "Something told me I shouldn't put it to my lips" but he does it anyway, startled by how clear it sounds. Then he sees a packrat.  

That's all I can see online. Reading the book's description, however, my guess is that "the magic" of the flute turns Tep into a packrat by night. Again, sigh. 

At this point, I'm saying "not recommended." If I'm able to get a copy and have the wherewithall to read the rest of it, I seriously doubt I'd change my mind. This book is rife with do-gooder whiteness. 

Why is it being assigned in schools? What educational purpose does it meet?! 

 

Highly Recommended: STITCHES OF TRADITION by Marcie Rendon; illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

Stitches of Tradition (Gashkigwaaso Tradition)

Written by Marcie Rendon (enrolled member of the White Earth Nation)

Illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Anishinaabe; member of Wasauksing First Nation

Published in 2024

Publisher: Heartdrum (Imprint of HarperCollins)

Reviewer: Debbie Reese

Review Status: Highly Recommended

****

Regular readers of AICL know that I urge them to look at author's notes whenever they pick up a book by a Native writer. Doing that gives you (teacher, parent, librarian, professor, reviewer...) information that you probably did not get in school or college. That information supports the reading you'll do when you flip back to the front of the book and start reading the words and looking at the illustrations. 

Marcie Rendon's note for Stitches of Tradition is outstanding. Her note focuses on ribbon skirts. The second paragraph stands out to me:

Skirts are worn not only in traditional ceremonies but also as a political statement. There are many different teachings about the skirt, but the most important thing to remember is that the ribbon skirt says, We are here. We have survived genocide. We are resilient and beautiful.

Some words make me pump my fist and declare YES. Those words did precisely that. The dedication did, too. Rendon's is "For all the grandgirls." And the illustrator, Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's is "To the women who raised me, and to all the matriarchs guiding us to a brighter future." Imagine more loud declarations from me. 

All right! So what is this story about? Here's the description:

An Ojibwe grandmother carefully measures and selects just the right colors of fabric, and her sewing machine hums whirr, whirr, whirr late into the night.

In the morning, her growing granddaughter has a beautiful new ribbon skirt to wear, a reminder of her nookomis and the cultural traditions that stitch together her family with love.

That basic scene repeats as that grandaughter gets older and her grandma makes another skirt. This part is especially dear because I can see it in my memory and imagine it in other Native homes across the country: 

Nookomis whips out a measuring tape. She measures how round I am from my belly button back around to my belly button. She measures how long I am from my waist to my ankle. She says, "You're growing so tall." 

Deep sigh--thinking about times when I was being measured or when I was doing the measuring for one of our traditional dresses--and for the time when I'll be measuring my granddaughter and reading this lovely book to that granddaughter! 

Now for the political part. At various times as the granddaughter gets older, she needs a new skirt. About halfway through the story we read that her auntie, who is a lawyer, is becoming a district judge. The granddaughter and grandma need new skirts to honor her at the upcoming swearing in. So Nookomis gets out that measuring tape and measures her granddaughter. And then, she says:

"Noozhishenh, now you must measure me." 
Sweet as can be! And oh so real! 

Here's the swearing-in page:

 

This book is full of goodness and reality of who Native people are, culturally and politically, and there's layers to it, too, with deep significance for Native people. For those who are Ojibwe there's things in the illustrations that will call to them. Obviously, I highly recommend Stitches of Tradition!  

At PEN America: "Native American Heritage Now: An Interview with Dr. Debbie Reese

 Today (November 13, 2024), PEN America published an interview Amulya Hiremath did for Native American Heritage Month: 

I appreciate Hiremath's opening paragraph and am grateful for the opportunity to speak to PEN about my work. The interview is in the Banned Books category. Here's that first paragraph:

At the tail end of another year that has threatened and targeted books by Native Americans–from book bans to incorrect reclassifications–the work of Dr. Debbie Reese becomes extremely important. Her website, American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL), is a repository of information on Native American heritage that acts, at once, as both an archive and a record, especially of misrepresentation of culture in literature."

I am also glad to see that they set up a page at Bookshop that features books from my "Banning of Native Voices" page where I talk about Native writers that have been banned or challenged. 

Take a look at the interview, and click over to Bookshop and buy some books! 

Highly Recommended: BIINDIGEN! AMIK SAYS WELCOME

Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome

by Nancy Cooper (Chippewas of Rama First Nation)

Illustrations by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Wasauksing First Nation)

Published in 2023

Publisher: Owl Kids (Canada)

Reviewer: Jean Mendoza

Review Status: Highly Recommended

This is a short-and-sweet review of a cool picture book from the shelves of one of my favorite local places, the Urbana Free Library in Urbana, Ilinois. It's a pleasure to know they offer some of the most current books by and about Indigenous people. 

Here's what the publisher, Owl Kids, says about Biindigen!:

It’s a special day for Amik the beaver and her little sister, Nishiime. Their cousins are coming to visit! Amik is excited, but Nishiime feels nervous about meeting new people, and when the cousins finally arrive, Nishiime disappears.

Lively, immersive illustrations show Amik and her cousins as they search the woods for Nishiime. Each creature they encounter, introduced to readers using their Anishinaabe names, reveals how beavers help the forest community. A fish thanks them for digging canals in the mud that they swim through. A deer thanks the beavers for cutting down trees so they can reach the tastiest leaves. None of the creatures have seen Nishiime, but keen-eyed kids will have spotted her hiding in the background throughout the story....With the perfect blend of fact and fun, this salute to the industrious beaver is also an energetic celebration of Indigenous perspectives, languages, and diversity.

Reason #1 to recommend this book: the illustrations. AICL has reviewed several books illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, including Sharice's Big Voice. Readers will notice differences in how Pawis-Steckley approaches the subjects in each of the books. In Biindigen! the animals' bodies have some of the stylized lines and forms seen in Boozhoo! Hello!, but they have a somewhat different "feel."  They are plump, sleek, and lively-looking. And it's fun looking for Nishiime after she vanishes from her sister's sight.

My only concern is that the inking on some of the pages in the copy I have is so dark that details can be hard to see. In the sample pages on the Owl Kids web site,  the illustrations seem much brighter.

Reason #2: centering Indigenous knowledge. Author Nancy Cooper reveals in a non-didactic (yet accurate) way how beavers operate as a keystone species in the environments they occupy. This is an important understanding for children, as many people mistakenly view beavers as destructive -- cutting down trees, blocking streams, and so on. But the other animals that appear in the story express gratitude for the ways beaver activity benefits them.

Another fact implicit in Cooper's storytelling is that Native Nations interacted with each other for millennia, across distance and language differences, often using water routes on their journeys. The Beaver cousins do the same thing -- traveling far to get together, carrying or wearing items from their homelands and nations. That's something to point out when sharing the book with children.

Reason #3: promotion of Indigenous languages. The beavers know each other by their names in the languages of the places they come from, including Anishinaabemowin, Inuktitut, and Ayajuthum. Cooper's storytelling incorporates several Anishinaabe words (the meanings are apparent in context) and provides pronunciations and English definitions in the back matter. Seeing their language in good books is a big positive for Native children, and learning about Indigenous languages is important for non-Native kids, as well.

Reason #4: portraying shyness as okay. Amik and the cousins are eager to get together. Nishiime thinks she is, but is overtaken by shyness. She watches instead, as many young children do in new situations. She returns to Amik only when the cousins are about to depart, after she has determined that she will feel safe with them. Instead of scolding her or pointing out the joy she missed by not joining in, the older beavers are happy to see her and answer her questions before they head for home. 

Biindigen: Amik Says Welcome can be an asset in several areas of the primary curriculum. I hope teachers and librarians will follow the example of my favorite library and get a copy -- or more than one -- for the bookshelves.

 

Highly Recommended! CHOOCH HELPED by Andrea L. Rogers, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz

Chooch Helped

by Andrea L. Rogers (citizen of the Cherokee Nation)

illustrated by Rebecca Lee Knuz (citizen of the Cherokee Nation)

Published in 2024

Publisher: Levine Querido

Reviewer: Debbie Reese

Review Status: Highly Recommended

****

Sometimes a story reaches right into your being and makes you laugh, smile, wince, and then it makes you feel loved. That is my experience reading Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers. She's a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Illustrations are by Rebecca Lee Kunz, who is also a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. 

Look at the cover. Kunz's art captures precisely what we see as we begin reading Chooch Helped. The posture of the girl as she peers over her shoulder at the boy watering a plant, spilling water as he does it captures what we see in the first part of the book. His red cape and red boots... how many of us have memories of siblings or cousins who wore things like that?!  How many of us have a younger brother or sister who--even as they grew into toddlerhood--were called "the baby"? Chooch Helped invites us to revisit our own memories and, perhaps, tell our little ones about an auntie or uncle who annoyed us when we were kids. I adore what this story does for me, and can't wait to read it to kids! 

Setting that aside for now, this story does more than touch on memories. In a straightforward way, Rogers introduces us to some Cherokee words. Cherokee families may feel a special delight seeing their language in this book. The rest of us may tell our children words in our own languages as we read Chooch Helped. 

I urge you to get a copy and flip to the back matter. Take a look at those pages before reading the book with kids. You'll find a glossary that tells you how to say the Cherokee words in the story. And, you'll find the Author's Note and the Artist's Note. Rogers and Knuz give us tribally specific information that they've put on each page. To most readers, the page where Chooch helps tune up bicycles is just a page about a kid helping his dad fix bikes but in her note, Rogers gives us more depth. She tells us about the 

Cherokee Nation's Remember the Removal Bike Ride. Here's that portion:

In the Artist's Note, Kunz tells us about Cherokee patterns in baskets and as I studied the illustrations to find it, I spotted (and loved) the green footprints we learn about as we get to the end of the story. That reveal is clever and delightful and oh-so-perfect! I adore this book! 

Get a few copies for friends! If you're a teacher, get one for your classroom, and librarians, get copies for your library system. 

What is going on with COLONIZATION AND THE WAMPANOAG STORY by Linda Coombs?

Update at 12:34PM on October 22: The library met today and reversed their decision. The catalog already reflects the change! Instead of jF Coo, the shelf number is J974.004 Coo. 

As news media reports on the change, I'll be back to update with links. --Debbie

****

What is going on with Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs?

Published at approximately 9:45AM on October 22, 2024; updated at 12:34PM on October 22, 2024.

On October 8, colleagues wrote to let me know that a public library in Texas had made a decision to remove Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs (Aquinnah Wampanoag) from the juvenile nonfiction shelves to the fiction shelves. I joined efforts to write a letter objecting to that decision and I added the book to my log of Native-authored books that have been challenged or banned. 

Colonization and the Wampanoag Story came out in 2023 from Crown Books for Young Readers, which is an imprint of Random House Children's Books. Here's the book description:

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story: the "discovery" of America told by Christopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Colonists. Here's the true story of America from the Indigenous perspective.

When you think about the beginning of the American story, what comes to mind? Three ships in 1492, or perhaps buckled hats and shoes stepping off of the Mayflower, ready to start a new country. But the truth is, Christopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Colonists didn't arrive to a vast, empty land ready to be developed. They arrived to find people and communities living in harmony with the land they had inhabited for thousands of years, and they quickly disrupted everything they saw.

From its "discovery" by Europeans to the first Thanksgiving, the story of America's earliest days has been carefully misrepresented. Told from the perspective of the New England Indigenous Nations that these outsiders found when they arrived, this is the true story of how America as we know it today began.

I've followed and recommended Coombs's work for years. She has done excellent work over many decades, as a tribal historian for the Aquinnah Wampanoag and in writings through which she tries to help teachers create educational materials. I read her book last year and included it in our annual Best Books list. 

The decision to recategorize the book was taken by the "Citizens Review Committee" that is appointed by the county commissioner. When initially formed, that committee had five citizens and five librarians, but in March of 2024, Montgomery County officials decided the librarians could no longer weigh in on reviews of children's and young adult books that residents had challenged. Why they removed the librarians is not clear to me. Professional training in book selection was essentially set aside in favor of "common sense" of the local community (see Montgomery County Adopts Citizen-Led Library Book Review Policy for use of the phrase "common sense."

Montgomery County Memorial Library System is in Texas, north of Houston. That system includes 7 different locations. Yesterday morning when I went to their catalog and entered the book title, this is what I saw:

In the first column are the names of the libraries that have a copy. The second column is "Material Type" where each library has it listed as "Juvenile books, circulating." The third column, "Shelf Number" for all the libraries is "jF Coo" which means juvenile Fiction, Coombs. In the 4th column, "Status" you see "Material being cataloged" at five libraries. From what I've read in news reports, the libraries had to complete the move by October 17, which was 5 days ago. I assume "material being cataloged" means librarians are working on moving the book, changing the information in the catalog, and doing all that needs doing in order to keep track of books in a catalog. 

Here's a fact based on my experience:

A lot of people in the United States don't know we (Native peoples) exist anymore. I've read accounts in which someone says "there's no Indians here" and that books or educational materials about them are not needed in this or that location. 

But here's the thing: we are here, in spite of all that was done over hundreds of years to get rid of us. Did you know, for example, that L. Frank Baum (he wrote The Wizard of Oz) wrote an editorial calling for "the total annihilation of the few remaining Indians." Books by Native writers ought to be in every school and public library. There are more, today, than ever before. When libraries choose to put our nonfiction books in the fiction section, they are continuing efforts to remove us from existence. There's obvious harm to Native kids who look for books that accurately reflect who we are, but there's harm to non-Native kids, too. They'll grow up, mis-educated, and may apply that misinformation to the work they do as adults. 

Why, exactly, did the Citizens Review Committee in Texas make this decision? 

News media states the thinking behind the decision to reclassify the book is not available to the public. I hope reporters will press for the information. 

My guess is that when the committee received a request that Colonization and the Wampanoag be reviewed, they started by looking at the cover and the table of contents. They saw that Coombs structured the book by alternating chapters in an unusual way. Let me explain.

In the book, there is an Introduction, thirteen chapters, an Epilogue, Resources for Young Readers, and a Bibliography. Here's a screen capture of the Table of Contents for my e-copy:

The Introduction is in plain font. Here's a key paragraph:

The book starts with a story, "When Life Was Our Own," which describes Wampanoag life before any European contact. The story was created to relate traditional Wampanoag culture, beliefs, practices, and values based on our oral traditions and research done over many years. There are no written sources of these early times, due to the processes of colonization described in the other parts of the book. An understanding of precontact life brings clarity to the impacts of colonization on Indigenous people. 

Chapter 1, "When Life Was Our Own: Spring and the Time of the New Year" is in italics. Here's a paragraph from there:

Little Bird felt a slight breeze on her face and the sudden warmth of the morning sun, bidding her to open her eyes to a new day. Her body resisted rousing from the warm furs of the bed. Maybe just one more snuggle before getting up! Just yesterday, her family and many others had moved from the winter home to their summer cornfields. Sachem Corn Tassel, the leader of their village, had Little Bird's family return to the same field they'd planted in last year.  

Chapter 2, "Creating Colonies: More than a New Place to Live" is in plain font. Its subtitle is "Some Background Information and Context (Never forget the Context!)." It starts with this paragraph:

This section will discuss three episodes in history that occurred before 1620. These paved the way for the Pilgrims to settle in America. They are the Doctrine of Discovery; the impacts of Christopher Columbus's voyages; and the PPP--Pre-Pilgrim Patterns--which happened along coastal southern New England. 

Chapter 3, "When Life Was Our Own: Summer--Tending to Corn Mother" is in italics, and chapter 4, "PPP: Pre-Pilgrim Patterns" is in plain font. That pattern continues throughout the book. 

In her book, Coombs uses storytelling, or the oral tradition. Is that why the committee decided her book is fiction? Storytelling/oral tradition is a technique that Native people use to pass information from one generation to the next. Coombs uses it to provide a Native perspective on the history the book focuses on. Using that technique she invites readers to be with a Native family, and then in the next chapter she gives readers the information typically found in textbooks. 

I think it is a terrific model. 

And it isn't an unfamiliar one! On Twitter/X, the librarian who writes using ReadingDanger as their name pointed to several books categorized as nonfiction that someone might say 'hey, that's not nonfiction!' One example is the Magic School Bus series. Information in those outstanding books is conveyed by Ms. Frizzle and the kids in her class. A quick look at the catalog tells me those books are cataloged as nonfiction.   

Below I'm providing links to items I've read. I'll add additional links as I can, and additional thoughts as they develop. For starters? I think the book ought to be moved back to the nonfiction section of the library. 

March 26, 2024

Texas county removes librarians from certain book review processes at LoneStar Live. Note from Debbie on Oct 23: As I continue researching how this happened, I'll be adding older items -- like this one from March--that has information about the policy that removed librarians from the committee that was created to review objections to library materials. It reminds me of efforts to denigrate people with expertise as "elites" that are "out of touch" with people. I also want to note that individuals who attended the Montgomery County board meetings to object to books wore red attire.  

October 11, 2024

"American History from an Indigenous Perspective:: Nonfiction or Fiction?" from the Texas Freedom to Read Project. 

October 14, 2024

Texas county sidelines librarians, reclassifies book on abuse of Native Americans as "fiction" by Judd Legum at Popular Information. 

Houston-area library moves Indigenous history book to fiction section at Lonestar Live.

October 16, 2024

Letter to the Montgomery County Commission, signed by American Indians in Children's Literature, and the American Indian Library Association, available at PEN America. 

October 18, 2024

Texas county labels Native American history book a work of fiction, sparking outrage at the San Antonio Current. 

October 19, 2024

We fight book bans in Texas. This county's latest move stunned us at MSNBC.

October 20, 2024

Attacks on People's Stories are Attacks on People. Just Ask a Librarian at Forward Times is an interview with ALA President, Cindy Hohl (Santee Sioux Nation) who has also served as President of the American Indian Library Association.

October 21, 2024

Texas condemned for placing book on colonization in library's fiction section at The Guardian.

October 22, 2024

Texas county reverses classification of history book as fiction by Daniel Wu at The Washington Post. 

Montgomery County library will reclassify book about Native Americans amid pressure at Chron. 

Texas library committee under review after relabeling Indigenous history book as fiction at Lonestar Live.

October 23, 2024

UPDATE: Texas library committee reverses decision to reclassify Indigenous history book as "fiction" reversed by Judd Legum at Popular Information.

Texas county reverses classification of Indigenous history book as fiction in The Guardian

Questions about ABDO's COMANCHE in its "Native American Nations" series

Yesterday, I shared a resolution issued by the Comanche Nation that denounces Gwynne's Empire of the Summer Moon. 

Today I looked for children's books about the Comanche Nation. The one that popped up a lot is published by ABDO. Comanche is part of a "Native American Nations" series they did in which all the books are by "F. A. Bird." It came out in 2022. 

The cover of each book has the name of a tribal nation, the logo for the series, and the author's name:

Who is F. A. Bird? When I got the book, I decided to do this post because there's a lot wrong with this book, and my guess is F. A. Bird made similar errors in the other books. I can't find any information about who F. A. Bird is, anywhere. Help me! If you know who that is, please let me know. 

The series has 10 titles: Algonquin, Apache, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Comanche, Iroquois, Navajo, Nez Perce, Seminole, Sioux. I'll try to get the other books, but for now, I'm looking at the title for the first one: Algonquin. Who is that book about? There is no "Algonquin" tribal nation in what is currently called the US. 

The format for each book consists of thirteen two-page chapters. One of those pages is a photograph; the other has about 3 paragraphs of information. The first twelve chapters are historical in nature and use past tense verbs as if the Comanche people of today don't do any of the things presented on those pages. Let's consider what we see in Chapter 8, "Children." It says their babies "were placed on a cradleboard." Many Native families still use cradleboards. Another example is that "grandparents helped raise the children" and "told their grandchildren stories." That still happens. Grandparents help today, and they tell their grandchildren stories. 

Though the series title includes the word "Nations," it only appears once in the entire book! Chapter 13, "The Comanche Today," is primarily about the "Comanche Nation Homecoming Powwow." How is a teacher meant to teach children the fact of nationhood if that fact is not included in the book? 

Chapter 6 is "Crafts." It is about bows and arrows. Why is that being called a craft? The page is primarily about hunting. In that context, it was not (and is not) a craft. Calling it a craft situates it in a hobbyist space. 

After looking over the information in the Comanche book, I wonder what the Comanche people would want included? How would they want that information presented? Chapter 9 is "Traditions" and talks about "the Great Spirit" and "the Evil Spirit." It tells us that the Evil Spirit was cast out of the "Spirit World" when it refused to recognize humans as "the Great Spirit's best creation." That Evil Spirit hides in fangs and stingers of poisonous creatures. The accompanying photo is of a scorpion. Is that what the Comanche people say in their traditional stories? What is the source for that page of info? 

At the moment, I am full of questions about this book--and the entire series! 

Comanche Nation Denounces EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON

At American Indians in Children's Literature, we occasionally read and recommend books intended for adult readers. We aren't alone in doing that. Within children's literature, the Alex Award is given each year to ten books that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. 

We often receive emails asking us to read an adult book, and/or if there's anyone doing critical reviews of adult books like the reviews we do at AICL. In answer to the latter, there is not (as far as we know) someone who reads and critiques books for adults. To the former, we sometimes read/critique an adult book because we know it is shaping the ideas that librarians will use to select children's books. We don't have endless time, however. We pretty much stick to children's books. 

One book I've been asked about is S. C. Gwynne's Empire of the Summer Moon: Quannah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches. I didn't read it but am happy to share a resolution from the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. Dated October 5, 2024, their resolution says, in part:

WHEREAS, Mr. Gwynne purposefully eschewed use of Comanche sources in writing his book, and as a result of his over-reliance on ethnocentric sources, the book repeats many inaccuracies and stereotypes concerning the Comanche people. 

If you are an educator or a parent that is homeschooling their child and using Gwynne's book as a resource, please reconsider using it. Here's the Comanche Nation's resolution (you can also find it on their website):

Native Authors--January Rogers and katherena vermette--On Pretendianism

Have you read news reports about false claims to being Native? Back in 2021 I started Native? Or, not? A Resource List of items I had read and thought others would find helpful. In 2023 I started a second list focused on challenges to groups in Vermont, in particular, because within children's literature, Joseph Bruchac is well known (I no longer recommend his books). 

Today I'm point you to Blood Sport by January Rogers and real ones by katherena vermette. Both are meant for adult readers but if you work with high school students, take a look. They might work in your classroom.

Written as a play, Blood Sport is a satirical comedy about Native identity and who can claim it. The Foreword is by Dr. Kim TallBear. I highly recommend that you read her work on this topic. Several items on my resource list are by her. In Blood Sport, we meet a gameshow host and contestants who answer questions about who they are. It is an intriguing treatment of the topic. 

My copy of real ones arrived a couple of days ago. In places where Native people talk about false claims, we often talk about children of those who make the claim. In vermette's book, there are two sisters whose father is Native. But their mother? Well, she's fabricated a claim. She knows it is not true and her daughters do, too. I've just started reading it and am definitely pulled into the story. A reporter has gotten in touch with the daughters, asking them about their mother's claim. 

Get both books! From what I've seen, Native readers are excited to read them. Excited doesn't feel like the appropriate word. The larger point is that false claims to a Native identity are not innocent. They are harmful to anyone who is taken in by a false claim, and harmful to Native people. Books like these two help us find words to talk about why pretendianism is--to use the word January Rogers used--a crisis. 

Sign up! California Indian Ed for All offers a free series of On-line Book Club meetings with Native Authors

This Thursday (September 12), I am giving a webinar in California Indian Ed for All's online book club series. These webinars are open to the public, and there is no charge for them. They start this week and go all the way to June of 2025. They are live/online from 3:30 to 5:00 Pacific Time. Sign up! 

If you teach courses in children's literature or social studies or literature or history or library services for youth (getting a bit carried away there, but I do think anyone whose work has to do with Native peoples and children should join), consider asking your students to sign up. I think you just need to register once and you'll be enrolled in all of them. A few days prior to each event you'll receive an email with a link to join in. (Note: I don't know if the webinars will be recorded and made available later.)

If you are a teacher, librarian, or parent, please sign up! You'll hear directly from authors of books you can use in your classroom. Knowing them through the webinars will help you impart more substance to the children you work with. 

As you look through the schedule, you'll see children's book authors but you'll also see books from scholars whose books will help you become more knowledgeable about Native peoples. Being more knowledgeable helps you become more adept at teaching children and adults, and they help you see problems like bias and stereotyping.

Sept 12 - Debbie Reese, Selecting and Using Children's Books about Boarding Schools

Sept 26 - Jean Pfaelzer, California: A Slave State

Oct 17 - Traci Sorell, We Are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know, Being Home, and Contenders

Oct 24 - Christine Day, We Still Belong, The Sea in Winter, and I Can Make This Promise

Oct 31 - Debbie Reese, Children's Books about Native Youth and their Hair

Nov 7 - Laurel Goodluck, Forever Cousins, Rock Your Mocs and She Persisted: Deb Haaland

Dec 19 - Cynthia Leitich Smith, Hearts Unbroken, Jingle Dancer, and Sisters of the Neversea

Jan 16 - Michaela Goade, Berry Song, Remember, We Are Water Protectors, and Being Home

Jan 23 - Deborah Miranda, Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir

Feb 13 - Cutcha Risling-Baldy, We are Dancing for You: Native Feminisms and the Revitalization of Women's Coming-of-Age Ceremonies

Feb 20 - William Bauer, California Through Native Eyes: Reclaiming History

Feb 27 - William Bauer, We Are the Land: A History of Native California

Mar 13 - Debbie Reese, Children's Books about Native People in the Sciences

Mar 20 - Dina Gilio-Whitaker, Understanding Stereotypes and Native Americans, Part One: Master Narratives and Root Myths

Mar 27 - Dina Gilio-Whitaker, Understanding Stereotypes about Native Americans, Part Two: Modern Myths

Apr 17 - Carole Lindstrom, We Are Water Protectors, My Powerful Hair, and Autumn Peletier: Water Warrior

April 24 - Monique Gray Smith, My Heart Fills with Happiness, When We are Kind, and You Hold Me Up

May 8 - Laurel Goodluck, Fierce Aunties and Too Much: My Great Big Native Family

June 5 - Debbie Reese, Learn about New Children's Books by Native People

Here's screen caps of the schedule. Each one shows photos of the authors and a list of the books they'll be talking about. They are arranged according to months. Share this post with everyone you know! 

Not Recommended: STORIES CALIFORNIA INDIANS TOLD by Anne B. Fisher

Several readers have asked me about Stories California Indians Told by Anne B. Fisher, illustrated by Ruth Robbins. It came out in 1957 from Parnassus Press in Berkeley, California. 

Whenever I am asked about a book, the first questions I pose are these: Who wrote it? When did it come out? What are the author's sources? What verb tense is used? I also consider the title and what it conveys. 

I'd like everyone to pose those questions, too. 

With this book, we see a problem right away in the title. The problem is the word "told." It implies the stories are not being told today. Switch that past tense word for its present tense form: tell. If the title was Stories California Indians Tell, it conveys a living people. I am not suggesting a simple change in a verb in the title would make this book acceptable. 

As far as I am able to ascertain, the author and illustrator of the book are not Native. 

Its publication date is 1957. What awareness did the author and her editor have, about Native peoples and how we feel about representation? Native people knew we were being misrepresented but did not have access to tools we have today (social media). Since then, the publishing world has become more informed and I doubt this book would get published. 

In the book's Forward, I see that the source is Dr. C. Hart Merriam, who "wrote the tales down just as they were told to him by Indian story-tellers." Merriam then told the stories to Fisher (the author), who "turned them into stories for children and young people." One option a researcher can do is look for the source material and compare the source with how it was adapted (in this case, by Fisher). What was left in? What was not used? But when doing that particular kind of study, you'd need to see how reliable the source (C. Hart Merriam) was. In previous studies I've done, I've found those sources lacking. People who gathered the source material were outsiders looking in, not understanding what they were observing. They sometimes forced their own interpretations on what they observed. 

The Forward is written by an anthropology professor at San Francisco State College. His name: Adan E. Treganza. In the forward, several specific tribal nations are named by geographical location. All through there, however, are past tense verbs. Treganza uses "stories" and "myths" and "tales" to describe the contents of the book. In the final paragraph, Treganza writes that the characters in the myths do things that "appear to be impossible." He continues (p. 6): 

California Indians, like all other people, were imaginative and attempted to explain in their myths the world of nature around them. Animals, reptiles, or insects were often given the ability to think and speak like humans and to exert almost unlimited physical powers. Yet these stories were very real to Indian children and adults, as real as our own legendary tales are to us." 

At the moment, I'm looking at verb tense again. The stories "were" real. Are they not real anymore? It pains me to write something that should be obvious to everyone, but, Native peoples in California tell stories, today. Do they tell the ones in this book? I'm doubtful. Let's look at the first one.

The first story in Stories California Indians Told is "How California Was Made." In it, "the Medicine Man of the Gabrielino Indians" sees leaves falling, which signals that "the time for story telling was here." He paints his body, puts on a headdress, went outside of his hut, and called out "Come sit around the fire and I will tell you a story." From all the huts around his, Indian men and their wives and the Indian boys and girls came running. The people loved stories and they loved Medicine Man to tell them." The story he tells is about how the Great Spirit made land using several turtles, who he told to get in a long north-south line, head to tail, with the three at the southerly end placed more towards the east. "You'll make a wonderful California!" he told them. 

The story goes on but I'll pause there so we can critically analyze the information summarized above. 

In the first story in this book, we're asked to believe that a Native man whose people have lived on this continent since time immemorial is telling his people their creation story -- and calling their land by a name outsiders gave to that land. 

When you search the etymology of the word California, you'll find many sites saying it is from a Spanish novel published in 1510. What did Native peoples of the state currently known as California call that land before Europeans invaded their lands? The story says "Gabrielino" Indians, but what did that particular group call themselves, originally, in their own language? By focusing on "Gabrielino" and "California" we can see the problem. This is outsider perspective, and as such, is not something that should be used to teach anybody about the original peoples of California. 

And what the heck -- all the people in this village came running to hear the story?! Creation stories are sacred. 

In short, Stories California Indians Told is not recommended. 

I encourage educators to read and use On Indian Ground edited by Joely Proudfit as a resource! It'll help you make informed decisions about old and new books. 

Highly Recommended: LET'S GO! haw êkwa! BY JULIE FLETT

Let's Go! haw êkwa!

Written and illustrated by Julie Flett (Cree-Metis)

Published in 2024

Publisher: Greystone Kids

Reviewer: Jean Mendoza

Review Status: Highly Recommended

What a treat I had tonight! While browsing through a shelf of the newest books in the children's department at our library, I came across several by Indigenous writers and illustrators. One of them was this sweet-and-substantial story of skateboarding, inspiration, friendships, and fun by award-winning artist Julie Flett.

Here's how the publisher summarizes the book:

Every day, a little boy watches kids pass by on skateboards, and dreams of joining them. One day, his mother brings a surprise: her old skateboard, just for him! haw êkwa! Let’s go! Together, they practice on the sidewalk, at the park, in Auntie’s yard—everywhere. But when it comes time to try the skatepark, the skateboarders crash down like a waterfall. Can he find the confidence to join them?

There are many, many reasons I like and recommend this book.  Here are four.

Reason #1 for recommending Let's Go! haw êkwa!: The illustrations.

The back matter tells us the illustrations were rendered in pastel and pencil, composited digitally. They have the feel of cut paper collage, without feeling stuck to the page. They remind me of what a good sports photographer can do -- "freezing" the subject in a way that implies continuing action. Two "learning to skateboard" pages show phases of the process, including a mishap, each with its own space. Many other illustrations are two-page spreads; the ones that showcase the fluidity of skateboarding are especially impressive. 

Reason #2: use of the Cree language

The Cree phrase "haw êkwa!" (part of the title) means something like, "Okay then!" according to Flett's note to readers at the end of the story. She explains that she and her son became interested in Cree words to describe the "flow state" skateboarders can experience, so they consulted friends at the Cree Literacy Network, who came through with several words and phrases to share with readers. Intriguing! It's possible I've missed something in other books, but this is the first time I've encountered use of Indigenous words to talk about such complex concepts in a book for young children. Of course there is much to gain in sharing Indigenous names for objects, colors, and numbers; this provides additional layers of respect for and knowledge about an Indigenous language.

Reason #3: all kinds of affirmations 

When one of my young relatives was into skateboarding years ago, they said there was a lot of animosity toward skateboarders. That's probably still the case in some places -- but not in Let's Go! Julie Flett dedicates the book to a young skateboarding enthusiast who sought her out at a book-signing, and to her sons and their friends in their skateboarding community. The protagonist and friends are many shades of brown, reflecting the diversity of their group and contradicting the mistaken notion that skateboarders are primarily white. This appears to be a single-parent family, and it's portrayed as loving and supportive. Not only does Mom give her son her old skateboard -- she also drives the children all over the place to visit skate parks! 

Reason #4: read-aloud potential

Teachers who share the book can invite children to participate in the reading in several ways. At the appropriate times, they can call out, "Let's go! haw êkwa!" They can make the sound of the wheels on pavement: "cacussh, cacussh, cacussh." They can move their bodies as the skateboarders do in the illustrations. After the story, they may want to talk about their own ways of getting involved in an activity. Do they usually jump right in, or do they watch and learn for a while before telling themselves, "Let's go!" They might also want to think about experiences that give them the feeling that they have "become a part of something -- and myself," as the protagonist has.

I am quite a fan of Let's Go! haw êkwa!  I'm hoping every librarian, teacher, and relative of a child reads it and shares it -- and buys multiple copies for their shelves and to give to children.

Highly Recommended: I'M FINDING MY TALK, by Rebecca Thomas, illustrated by Pauline Young

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I'm Finding My Talk

by Rebecca Thomas (Mi'kmaw)

Illustrations by Pauline Young

Published in 2019

Publisher: Nimbus Publishing

Reviewer: Debbie Reese

Review Status: Highly Recommended

****

A reader wrote to ask me about I'm Finding My Talk. I did not know about the book prior to being asked about it. I was able to get a copy and deeply touched by it. The author's father was in a residential school in Canada. Because of his experience at the school, he was not able to teach Thomas about their language or culture. In the US those schools -- designed to 'kill the Indian and save the man' -- are called boarding schools. 

When I started reading it, I saw that Nimbus (the publisher) dedicated it to Gregory Younging. He was a leading figure in publishing of Native people in Canada. He was Cree. I saw that Thomas dedicated it to her father. So did Young. Her "I will do my best, Dad" embody so much of the emotion and tenacity Native people in the US and Canada carry as we move forward on our homelands. We work to preserve what we have and we work to recover what was taken from us.

Here's the words Thomas gives us on the first page: 

I'm finding my talk.

The one I never had.

The one that the schools

Took away from my dad.

Young's illustration shows us Thomas's father, eyes closed and head down as he stands in front of the residential school he was at when his talk was taken from him. Together, Thomas's words and Young's illustrations give us facts. 

I deeply appreciate the page because these facts are often rendered in overly dramatic ways that take the dignity from the persons being depicted. That dignified presentation continues throughout the book. We see Thomas learning words and getting to know people in her family and community, and their cultural ways. 

This picture book is outstanding. It leaves room for readers to see, and to come to understandings of what those schools did to Native people. Because it is a picture book, some may think it belongs in an elementary school classroom, but I encourage you to read and talk about it in classrooms at every grade level. It touches me, personally. Our cultural ways were always part of me but language? Not so much. My parents were at boarding school. So--Thomas is speaking to any Native people who are learning their language, and she's speaking to non-Native people who don't know about residential or boarding schools. 

In interviews, Thomas tells us that she read Rita Joe's poem (also a book illustrated by Young), I Lost My Talk and was inspired to write I'm Finding My Talk. I'll look for Rita Joe's book and review it here. In the meantime I'll be thinking about this book as I go through my day. 

Highly Recommended: THIS LAND: THE HISTORY OF THE LAND WE'RE ON by Ashley Fairbanks; illustrations by Bridget George

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This Land: The History of the Land We're On

Written by Ashley Fairbanks (White Earth Anishinaabe)

Illustration by Bridget George (Anishinaabe from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation)

Published in 2024

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Reviewer: Debbie Reese

Review Status: Highly Recommended

****

Wow! I love how this book starts! The words on the first double-paged spread say "This is my house." Behind it is a river. Beside the house is a tall pine tree. We see a family by the tree. 

Turn the page and see "Before us, another family lived here." On that page, the illustrations are family portrait style. Four different families are shown, each family unique, each clad in modern clothes. 

Turn the page again and we read the words "Before our house was here, there was another family, with a different kind of house." On that page we see see wigwams in a village and the families who lived in them. The people in that village are wearing clothes with Anishinaabe designs. Behind that village is the river we saw earlier, and that tree? It is a small, young tree.

All the faces and families up to that point are cheery, happy. With the words and illustrations on these pages, Fairbanks and George take us from the present into the past, helping readers see, learn, and feel that the land they're on was someone else's before. 

Another page turn and we get hard history. That phrase is used a lot in social justice networks and curriculum, where educators choose to share truths about history that are often omitted. It is a fact that Europeans who came onto Native homelands wanted that land, and the government helped them get it by removing Native peoples from their homelands. We see that on the next page turn. Here's a portion of that page: 

(Image from my copy of the book)

It is followed by another page of hard history. 

But then, we turn the page again and see the little girl from the very first page, running down the street to her friend's house. That friend, TJ, is Anishinaabe. We see him and his grandma standing in a doorway, smiling and waving at the little girl. 

With another page turn we see the little girl, TJ, and his grandmother making bread. The little girl tells us that TJ's grandmother told her about other Native people. At the top of the page, we see nine different people in traditional clothing. 

Picture me, smiling! One of them is a Native woman who is dressed the way I dress when I'm home for one of our ceremonies. That 'wow' I felt when I first read the book continues! The little girl is on a road trip. Here's a sentence you'll get to: 

At the Grand Canyon, I learned that eight tribes call it home: the Havasupai, Yavapai, Paiute, Hopi, Zuni, Hualapai, Apache, and Diné.

Note: Eight tribes call it home. Present tense verbs! In workshops and professional development, I push very hard to encourage educators to use present tense verbs to talk about us. Again, picture me smiling! 

This book is going to be featured in my work, for sure! Another page spread tells us that Disney World is on Seminole land, the White House is on Nacotchtank and Piscataway land, and that Mount Rushmore is on Oceti Sakowin land. There's a link to a database to see what land you (reader) are on, and that page is followed by a page of discussion questions and suggestions to learn more about the people of that land. Illustrations on that page show Native people holding up signs with their tribal nation's name. 

Can you feel and understand why I highly recommend this book? Get more than one copy if you can, and if you'd like to support Native-owned bookstores, go there (in person or on line). One option is Birchbark Books. This could be an illustration of me. GET THE BOOK! 

(Image from my copy of the book)

Highly Recommended! BOOZHOO! HELLO! by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

 

Boozhoo! Hello! 

Written and illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (member 

of Wasauksing First Nation)

Translated by Mary Ann Corbiere (Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory)

Published in 2024

Publisher: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press

Reviewer: Debbie Reese

Review Status: Highly Recommended

****

As you see, we are giving this book a 'highly recommended' review. But... 

Some books are delightful! 

I could also say 'delightfully recommended' because it is precisely the sort of book I would have used back when I was teaching kindergarten and first grade, and that I would have read to our daughter when she was little. Most elementary school teachers know this style of book. Questions are posed and answers given in the text but we can answer as we please, in the moment! 

Cast your eyes up to the cover, above, and look at that wolf's smile as it looks over its shoulder. See the joy in its face? That's where the delight is. The style of Pawis-Steckley's art is called Woodland. In an author's note he tells us he began drawing this book for his newborn daughter. As she grew, he shared the art he was creating. She would clap and smile. I read that author's note after I read the book. I had felt something special as I read it, and now that I have read the author's note, I get it. His illustrations are infused with his daughter's clap, and her smile. 

The format for Boozhoo! Hello! is this: on the left side of the double-paged spread is a page filled with an illustration. Facing it is a page of text in large font. Those words, as you might guess by the book's title, are in Anishinaabemowin at the top half of the page and English at the bottom half, as shown below.

This marvelous book begins with a rising sun and moves through a day's journey. On that first page, it is morning in the woods. "What" I imagine myself saying enthusiastically to a group of children, "do you see?" The sun! Flowers! Trees! Someone would say 'there's an animal behind the trees.'  It is the wolf! When we turn the page we see this:

One of my favorite pages is the one with a young otter on its back in the water, splashing, smiling, playing. A dear one in my own family loves otters. I think he's gonna like that page. 

See why I'm so delighted? 

As we near the end of the book, we see a page where three "little ones" (children) are asked what they hear. Turn the page and we see these words:

gookookoo debtaagzit

dbaajmat dbikak?

Shhh! Mbe nbaak!

Nahaaw, gookookoo.

Gga-waabmin.

an owl hooting

goodnight?

Shhh! It's time to sleep 

now.

Goodnight, owl. 

Imagining myself again, reading that last page in a quiet voice and pointing out the moon, the stars, the owl's closed eyes...