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LEE & LOW BOOKS celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and to recognize how far the company has come, we are featuring one title a week to see how it is being used in classrooms today as well, as hear from the authors and illustrators.
Today, we are celebrating Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path, an inspirational story for children of all backgrounds. A biography of the legendary Native American Jim Thorpe (1888–1953), voted the Greatest Football Player and Greatest Athlete of the Half-Century by two AP polls, focusing on his early childhood and how school and sports shaped his future.
Synopsis: The biography of the legendary Native American, Jim Thorpe (1888–1953), focusing on his early childhood and how school and sports shaped his future.
From the day he was born, Jim Thorpe’s parents knew he was special. As the light shone on the road to the family’s cabin, his mother gave Jim another name — Wa-tho-huck — “Bright Path.”
Jim’s athletic skills were evident early on, as he played outdoors and hunted with his father and twin brother. When the boys were sent to Indian boarding school, Jim struggled in academics but excelled in sports. Jim moved from school to school over the years, overcoming family tragedies, until his athletic genius was recognized by Coach Pop Warner at the Carlisle Indian School.
Awards and Honors:
Carter G. Woodson Book Award Honor, National Council for Social Studies
Choices, Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)
Teachers’ Choices, International Reading Association (IRA)
Best of the Best List, Chicago Public Library, Children & YA Services
Storytelling World Resource Award, Storytelling World magazine
Check out thisinterview with author, Joseph Bruchac, about Native American literature.
Resources for teaching with Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path:
Draw attention to the use of similes in the book. For example: Jim took to it all like a catfish takes to a creek. It made him (Jim) feel like a fox caught in an iron trap. Epidemics of influenza swept through like prairie fires. Have students try to write their own similes for other events or actions in the story.
Ask students to explore the National Track & Field Hall of Fame (www.usatf.org ) or the Pro Football Hall of Fame (www.profootballhof.com ) and plan an imaginary trip there or enjoy a visual visit on the Web.
Have you used Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path? Let us know!
Veronicahas a degree from Mount Saint Mary College and joined LEE & LOW in the fall of 2014. She has a background in education and holds a New York State childhood education (1-6) and students with disabilities (1-6) certification. When she’s not wandering around New York City, you can find her hiking with her dog Milo in her hometown in the Hudson Valley, NY.
0 Comments on Celebrating 25 Books Over 25 Years: Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path as of 1/1/1900
By Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac; illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
I’m sure I’ve seen a chipmunk or two scurrying across the farm fields this spring, so when I saw this picture book, his look started to make perfect sense to me – in its literary back story.
Most cultures have explanations in story form of how things got the way they are in nature.
And, this particular tale finds its roots in a widely told one among Native American Indians, as the Author Notes point out.
Young readers will love the toe-to-toe or paw-to-paw boasting contest, between a bear that boasts he is the strongest of all the animals and can do anything and a small, Brown Squirrel that says, Not!
The Brown Squirrel even has the temerity to ask the question that ups the ante of the word, “anything.”
“Can you tell the sun not to rise
tomorrow morning?” Brown Squirrel
asked.
And the gauntlet is thrown down as Bear says Yea! and squirrel says Nay!
Bear’s chanting fills the night air with:
The sun will not come up, hummph!
The sun will not come up, hummph!
And Brown Squirrel counters this boast with his own:
The sun is going to rise, oooh!
The sun is going to rise, oooh!
The entire forest family is awake all night to see who will win!
Young readers will love seeing the Fox, Wolf, Deer, Moose, Rabbit and Porcupine, keeping watch till “dawn’s early light,” finally, and inevitably, reveals the winner.
And, it’s that cheeky Brown Squirrel, of course!
But, can he be gracious in victory, as his wise grandmother has previously advised, with the shared wisdom of age?
Nope!
He has to begin teasing the Bear:
Bear is foolish, the sun came up.
Bear is silly, the sun came up
Bear is stupid, the sun –
And, as the chant increases in tease-worthy words, so the Bear’s anger increases to the point of….
Well, now that would be telling the entire tale, wouldn’t it?
Suffice to say, that both animals learn a lasting lesson, though it seems the Brown Squirrel wears his for the rest of his life for all to see.
Both boasting and teasing don’t pay in the short or long term, is the moral for Bear and Squirrel aka Chipmunk, in James and Joseph Bruchac’s tale of a striped tail.
It was named an NCSS-CBC Notable Trade book in the field of Social Studies, as well as “Parenting Magazine” deeming it a “Reading-Magic Award Winner.
And Kirkus Reviews had this to say:
The Bruchacs translate the orality
of the tale to written text beautifully.
Aruego and Dewey’s signature cart-
toon-like illustrations extend the
humor of the text perfectly.
This terrific tale called “How a Chipmunk Got His Stripes,” has a gentle and humorous way of imparting a “life lesson” that may calm both boasting and teasing in your household for a bit.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people after they’ve witnessed a shocking or traumatic event. People experience shock after traumatic events, but those who don’t recover from the initial shock are more likely to develop PTSD. After a distressing or upsetting event, it’s important to seek support.
While literature cannot take the place of a support group or therapy, it can help us process grief and trauma. Teens are not immune to PTSD, and several YA novels explore this disorder in different ways: through fantasy, dystopia, or realistic fiction. Some are from the perspective of the person suffering, while others explore what it’s like to be a family member or friend.
Here is a list of four young adult books that deal with PTSD:
Trail of the Deadby Joseph Bruchac – In the follow-up to Killer of Enemies, Apache teenager Lozen protects her family and friends as they travel in search of refuge in a post-apocalyptic world. Though Lozen has only taken the lives of others to protect herself and her family, the killings take a toll on her spirit and Lozen finds herself with what her people call “enemy sickness,” another name for PTSD. With the support of her friends and family, she is healed in a ceremony that reflects the traditional healing of her Apache ancestors.
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson – Hayley Kincaid and her father have moved around a lot in the past five years due to his job working on the road. They return to his hometown so that Hayley can have a shot at a normal life. However, after her father’s tours in Iraq, he developed PTSD. Hayley isn’t sure if being in her father’s hometown will help with his PTSD, or push him over the edge.
Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce – Evvy and
Rosethorn are sent to the island of Starns to help residents with a dormant volcano. While there, Evvy has flashes of a war from which she recently escaped.
Fallen Angelsby Walter Dean Myers – After his dreams of attending college fall through, Perry, a teenager from Harlem, decides to volunteer for the service and joins the Vietnam War. Perry and his platoon are sent to the front lines and come face-to-face with the horrors of war. Perry begins to questions why black troops are given the most dangerous assignments and why the U.S. is in Vietnam at all.
Editor's Note: Beverly Slapin submitted this review essay of Joseph Bruchac's The Hunter's Promise. It may not be used elsewhere without her written permission. All rights reserved. Copyright 2016. Slapin is currently the publisher/editor of De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children.
~~~~~
Bruchac, Joseph (Abenaki), The Hunter’s Promise: An Abenaki Tale, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth. Wisdom Tales (2015), kindergarten-up
Without didacticism or stated “morals,” Indigenous traditional stories often portray some of the Original Instructions given by the Creator, and children (and other listeners as well), depending on their own levels of understanding, may slowly come to know the stories and their embedded lessons.
Bruchac’s own retelling of the “Moose Wife” story, traditionally told by the Wabanaki and Haudenosaunee peoples of what is now known as the Northeastern US and Canada, is a deep story that maintains its important teaching elements in this accessible children’s picture book.
Here, a young hunter travels alone to winter camp to bring back moose meat and skins.Lonely and wishing for companionship, he finds the presence of someone who, unseen, has provided for his needs: in the lodge a fire is burning, food has been cooked, meat has been hung on drying racks and hide has been prepared for drying. On the seventh day, a mysterious woman appears, but is silent. The two stay together all winter and, when spring arrives and the hunter leaves for his village, the woman says only, “promise to remember me.”
As the story continues, young readers will intuit some things that may not make “sense.” Why does the hunter travel alone to and from winter camp? Why doesn’t the woman return with the hunter to the village? Why do their children grow up so quickly? Why does she ask only that the hunter promise to remember her? Who is she really? The story’s end is deeply satisfying and will evoke questions and answers, as well as ideas about how this old story may have connections to contemporary issues involving respect for all life.
Farnsworth’s heavily saturated oil paintings, with fall settings on a palette of mostly oranges and browns; and winter settings in mostly blues and whites, evoke the seasons in the forested mountains and closely follow Bruchac’s narrative. Cultural details of housing, weapons, transportation and clothing are also well done. The canoes, for instance, are accurately built (with the outside of the birch bark on the inside); and the women’s clothing display designs of quillwork and shell rather than beadwork (which would have been the mark of a later time).
That having been said, it would have been helpful to see representations of individual characteristics and emotion in facial expressions here. While Farnsworth’s illustrations aptly convey the “long ago” in Bruchac’s tale, this lack of delineation evokes an eerie, ghost-like presence that may create an unnecessary distance between young readers and the Indian characters.
Bruchac’s narrative is circular, a technique that might be unfamiliar with some young listeners and readers who will initially interpret the story literally as something “only” about loyalty and trust in human familial relationships; how these ethics encompass the kinship of humans to all things in the natural world might come at another time. I would encourage classroom teachers, librarians and other adults who work with young people to allow them to sit with this story. They’ll probably “get” it—if not at the first reading, then later on.
And I would save Bruchac’s helpful Author’s Note for afterthe story, maybe even days or weeks later:
It’s long been understood among the Wabanaki…that a bond exists between the hunter and those animals whose lives he must take for his people to survive. It is more than just the relationship between predator and prey. When the animal people give themselves to us, we must take only what we need and return thanks to their spirits. Otherwise, the balance will be broken. Everything suffers when human beings fail to show respect for the great family of life.
—Beverly Slapin
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Out this year from 7th Generation is Joseph Bruchac's The Long Run. It is in their PathFinders series.
Follow Travis Hawk on a cross-country trek as he escapes a world of brutality and uncertainty and puts his trust, and even his very life, in the hands of total strangers. Travis's story is one of struggle, survival, risk and resilience, navigating a solo journey of hundreds of miles to seek a safe haven far from the demons of his past.
I'll be back with a review!
0 Comments on Debbie--have you seen... Joseph Bruchac's THE LONG RUN as of 2/25/2016 12:21:00 PM
Out this year from Fulcrum is Bruchac's Brothers of the Buffalo: A Novel of the Red River War. Here's the synopsis:
1874, the U.S. Army sent troops to subdue and move the Native Americans of the southern plains to reservations.Brothers of the Buffalo follows Private Washington Vance Jr., an African-American calvaryman, and Wolf, a Cheyenne warrior, during the brief and brutal war that followed. Filled with action and suspense from both sides of the battle, this is a tale of conflict and unlikely friendship in the Wild West.
I'll put it in my to-read pile. It is being marketed as for kids in grade 7 and up.
0 Comments on Debbie--have you seen... Joseph Bruchac's BROTHERS OF THE BUFFALO as of 2/25/2016 12:21:00 PM
I confess to changing my choice today to Perfect Poetry Book Friday, but with good reason. This book deserves wide promotion and it fits perfectly into the aims of our blogging group to recommend high quality books with pictures for … Continue reading →
November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
As always, the amazing authors and bloggers have gone above-and-beyond in sharing the best-of-the best in quality Native American booklists, activities and reviews. I’ve share a few of my top picks here along with some great posts from the JIAB archives:
This holiday season, give your children the gift that will nurture a lifetime of positive habits; give the gift of a book.
As parents, we want/need quality books with extension activities to help our young ones unplug and create memories. Pulling books from shelves, and stories from pages, is also an important act that will aid in them being life-long readers. Quality books with companion book extension activities are not only work to create special family time, it allows kids to solve the world’s problems without major consequences. A Year in the Secret Garden is just such a book. This delightful children’s book from authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters offers unique and original month-by-month activities that allow readers to delve deeper into the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! With over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together.
This book will make a great gift and be the catalyst of many hours of family growth, learning and FUN! Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” More details HERE!
I first saw this book when it was in galley form and it was breathtaking then. Actually holding the book in my hands is an experience I’m very happy with.
The Hunter’s Promise: An Abenaki Taletold by long time story-teller and author Joseph Bruchac and beautifully illustrated by Bill Farnsworth is a beautiful re-telling of an old story from the Abenaki Indians of Vermont and Canada.
Joseph Bruchac himself is from Abenaki descent and a known scholar of Native American stories.
The foundation of the story is to remember our promises but a greater and more important underlying message of the story is our relationship with nature and mother earth. This mythical story is about a young and lonely hunter who wishes for a partner to come and help him as he winters away up in his hunting camp. A beautiful woman appears from the forest to cook his meals, clean his tent, and live with him as his wife during the winter months. Before he leaves for the summer camp and returns to his family, the woman whispers to him, “Promise to remember me. ”
When the young hunter returns the following Autumn to hunt in his winter camp, the young woman is there to greet him but this time she has a son with him. His son has some supernatural qualities, for one he becomes a full adult male in the course of a week but that just brings magic to the story. Again the hunter brings in more game and skins than the winter before. As he prepares to leave for his summer village to be reunited with his family, the woman from the forest reminds him,”Promise not to forget us.”
When he arrives in the summer village this time, the chief wants the hunter to marry his daughter. He respectfully declines remembering his promise to his forest wife from the winter village. The chief’s daughter who always got her way cast a spell on him which made him forget his vows to his winter wife.
When he travels north to the hunting village he takes his wife with him and it’s only when he sees his winter wife with two sons alongside her that he realizes he has broken his promise and betrayed his winter wife. The winter wife and her children walk back into the forest but that’s not the end of the tale. A magical ending awaits you so please get a copy of this book to find out what happens. This book is intended for 6 and up. It will be a story you read time and again.
Bill Farnsworth has illustrated more than 50 children’s books including Kaya for the American Girl series. Working in deep and beautiful toned oils, his illustrations are an invitation to journey into a magical world, the place where nature meets humans.
Wisdom Tales Press is the publisher of fine children’s literature focusing on multicultural and spiritual wisdom. They were very kind to send me a copy of this book and they are a platinum sponsor in Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Get your copy of A Hunter’s Promise HERE.
Have you read the interview with Joseph Bruchac on the Multicultural Children’s Book day blog? Be sure and check out here. Joseph shared some great insights and fun facts about his books.
Something To Do
Who are the Abenaki ?
The Abenaki tribe, together with the Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq, and Penobscot Indians, were members of the old Wabanaki Confederacy, adversaries of the Iroquois. These allies from the eastern seaboard spoke related languages, and Abenaki and Wabanaki have the same Algonquian root, meaning “people from the east.” Today 2000 Abenakis live on two reserves in Quebec, and another 10,000 Abenaki descendants are scattered throughout New England. Only the Canadian Abenaki tribe is officially recognized, but there are at least three Abenaki bands in the United States: the Sokoki and Mazipskwik Abenakis of Vermont and the Cowasucks of Massachusetts.
For further information about the Abenaki Tribe please have a look here.
Promise Stars
We all have great intentions of keeping our word and promises but sometimes we forget. In this activity we’re creating promise stars out of popsicle sticks. This simple craft becomes a keepsake that help kids remember the promises they want to keep.
Have each child take four popsicle sticks. I’ve used colored sticks here but you can use plain ones or decorate the sticks yourself. I use glue dots to hold the sticks together. First take two sticks and make a cross and then make and X on top of the cross so that you have made a star. I place one glue dot in the center of each stick and glue them together. It’s not such a mess as regular glue. If using regular glue be sure to let your star dry before writing on it. On the top stick write I Promise.
On the ends of the sticks write things you’re promising to do or write whole phrases on the sticks.
Some ideas are:
I promise to brush my teeth.
I promise to say thank you.
I promise to read every day.
I promise to tell the truth.
I promise to be kind.
If you’re in a classroom setting have the children share their promises either in pairs or to the whole group. If it’s parents and children, this is a perfect time to use the Promise Stars to talk about your values as a family, your culture, and even your religion.
The Joseph Bruchac Abenaki BookList
A great way to learn more about the Abenaki tribe and confederation is from Joseph Bruchac himself who is a descendant of this fine nation.
**some of these links are affiliate links whic means I get a small commission on any books purchases from this site. My affiliate sales money is put towards mailing costs when I ship books to readers or giveaway winners.
Three Sister’s Soup
Many times Native American tribes plant corns, beans, and squash together. They are known as the Three Sisters. Here’s an Abenaki recipe celebrating the Three Sisters as a wonderful soup. Enjoy. The recipe advises to eat it with bannock bread but it’s really good with cornbread too.
Ingredients
2 cans White Hominy Corn (undrained)
1 large can Red Kidney Beans (undrained)
1 pkg. frozen cut Squash
1 yellow Onion (cut up)
2 cloves garlic (coarse chopped)
1 lb. Bacon
Allspice
Black Pepper
Directions
Best done in cast iron pot, dutch oven. Fry up bacon until medium crispy, remove and drain off most of the fat. In hot fat, brown up onion. When onion is golden brown, add garlic, cook for about a minute. Drain off remaining fat, then add Corn and Beans (juice and all), and the bacon, cut up. Add cut up squash, add enough water to cover everything by about two inches. Simmer together, adding Allspice and Black pepper to taste. Salt should be unnecessary, due to salt in bacon. We didn’t really use salt much until after the Invasion. Ham or smoked shoulder can be substituted, if desired. Cook together until everything is just this side of mush.
Note: Modern variation on the old communal cookpot (M8wigisoak)that always simmered to feed Winter visitors in our longhouses. Should be served with Banik (Bannock), oven baked flat bread that has shortening in it.
Bannock Bread
Here’s the recipe for bannock bread for those of you who’d like it.
Ingredients
1/2 cup lard
1/2 tsp of salt
6 tsp of baking powder
4 cups flour
1 tsp of sugar or corn syrup
2 cups of water or milk
Directions
Mix all dry ingriedents into a bowl.
Then slowly mix in your lard until it looks like small coarse oatmeal.
Then make a small hole in the center of the bowl, pour the milk or water mixture into the bowl gradually.
Mix the ingridents toghter. Knead for about 3 minutes.
Success in bannock making is the kneading, which is required to make it firm.
Pat out with hands to 3/4 inch thickness and prick with fork.
It can be made oblong or round and baked in an oven @ 350 Degrees.
Cool for about five minutes and enjoy.
Note: Bannock was something very special and sacred and eaten only on Sundays. It was made into small bannocks and each member of the family had a taste of this special bread.
–
This holiday season, give your children the gift that will nurture a lifetime of positive habits; give the gift of a book.
As parents, we want/need quality books with extension activities to help our young ones unplug and create memories. Pulling books from shelves, and stories from pages, is also an important act that will aid in them being life-long readers. Quality books with companion book extension activities are not only work to create special family time, it allows kids to solve the world’s problems without major consequences. A Year in the Secret Garden is just such a book. This delightful children’s book from authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters offers unique and original month-by-month activities that allow readers to delve deeper into the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! With over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together.
This book will make a great gift and be the catalyst of many hours of family growth, learning and FUN! Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” More details HERE!
“My advice on writing?” asked Joseph Bruchac, author of KILLER OF ENEMIES and sequel TRAIL OF THE DEAD, recently to a group of high school students gathered in our Lee & Low office.
“Read. Read a lot and read widely. Don’t just read on the Internet; read books. If you have a favorite writer, take a look at what she does and how she does it across her books. Also, write. Write a lot and write every day. My third piece of advice is revise—make writing worth reading.”
For our virtual author event, Joseph Bruchac called in to join the students from Grace Church School who were visiting our Lee & Low office in Manhattan. The students had read both books in Bruchac’s KILLER OF ENEMIES series and were interested in learning more about the main character Lozen, the world she lives in, and the inspiration behind the books.
During our conference call with Joseph Bruchac, students came prepared with their own questions, which included:
What was society and the world like before the coming of the Cloud? What was your vision of the world?
Luther’s chapters have a very different narration from Lozen’s chapters. What was the thinking behind this choice?
Whose side is the Dreamer on?
Did the Cloud make every One insane or are there some Ones who are still good?
Coyote has a particular place in much Native American folklore but TRAIL OF THE DEAD has a lot of sci fi/fantasy monsters and mythical creatures. Where does Coyote fit in?
Is Lozen’s journey similar to your own?
How long did it take you to write the book? What advice do you have about writing?
Great discussion with author Joseph Bruchac!Grace Church School students William, Sabina, Ufon, and Eleanor with librarian Sarah Couri
Looking to lead your own book discussion with teens?
Check out our Discussion Questions for KILLER OF ENEMIES series with a focus on the latest release, TRAIL OF THE DEAD:
Before the Silver Cloud, humans with computer-generated enhancements, called the Ones, controlled the world. Do you think author Joseph Bruchac’s vision of the future is convincing? Why or why not? What similarities do you see between the pre-Cloud world that the Dreamer described and our own world today?
What role does community play in TRAIL OF THE DEAD? How is Lozen’s community critical to her healing?
The Dreamer decides which books to save. Which book would you save?
Do you have theories on who Hally is? What do you think motivates Hally and what do you think Hally wants?
Author Joseph Bruchac alternates between first-person narration of Lozen to third person omniscient narration with Luther—why would the author do this? How does this build suspense? With whom does Joseph Bruchac want us to empathize? Does this affect our perception of Lozen as a trustworthy narrator?
Joseph Bruchac, as an adult, created Lozen (her background, voice, and perspective) and chose to write her as a teenager. She can be very opinionated, sardonic, and mocking. Do you think Lozen is a representative teenager? Why or why not?
Main character, Lozen, uses humor and sarcasm throughout the series. Why do you think author Joseph Bruchac uses humor in the telling of a post-apocalyptic tale? How is this story unique from other texts set in extreme and violent environments? How does humor and sarcasm help Lozen and the other characters cope or heal with their environment and experiences? In what circumstances in our world today do we see people using humor in difficult and stressful situations?
The ending of TRAIL OF THE DEAD is left open for a follow-up (or perhaps a conclusion). What do you hope to see as Lozen’s (and the other characters’) story continues?
Resources and activities for engaging students on the KILLER OF ENEMIES book series:
1. Author Joseph Bruchac reads from TRAIL OF THE DEAD, the sequel to his post-apocalyptic Apache steampunk, KILLER OF ENEMIES.
3. Have students write their own story after reading Tu Books publisher Stacy Whitman share how writers go about worldbuilding with the focus on post-apocalyptic settings.
4. Start an author study of Joseph Bruchac with his website and then explore his range of works, topics, and themes:
5. Have students blog about and map through Google Maps the journey and world of Lozen in KILLER OF ENEMIES and TRAIL OF THE DEAD. This project was designed by Dr. Lisa Hager, Associate Professor of English and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at University of Wisconsin-Waukesha.
6. Have students write their own book reviews to submit to the school newspaper or present to the class. Students can read the reviews of KILLER OF ENEMIES and TRAIL OF THE DEAD at the bottom of the book pages for ideas.
Diversity Gap in Children’s Books Infographic 2015 – click for larger imageTu Books Publisher Stacy Whitman
Tu Books publisher Stacy Whitman broadened the discussion with looking at the challenges in children’s publishing today. As a group, we analyzed The Diversity Gap in Children’s Books infographic.
What is the context of this infographic? What are student and general U.S. population demographics today?
What might some causes be for the lack of diversity in children’s books?
What might the impact of a lack of diversity among authors and characters be on students reading books that were either assigned or self-selected? What might it mean for a young child growing up and reading? What will she see? What will she not see?
How to bring a LEE & LOW author or illustrator into your classroom live or virtually:
Jill Eisenberg, our Senior Literacy Specialist, began her career teaching English as a Foreign Language for second through sixth grade in Yilan, Taiwan as a Fulbright Fellow. She went on to become a literacy teacher for third grade in the Bay Area, CA as a Teach for America corps member where she became passionate about best practices for supporting English Language Learners and parent engagement. In her column for Lee & Low’s The Open Book blog, she offers teaching and literacy tips for educators.
0 Comments on Connecting Teens With the Authors They Love as of 1/1/1900
Summer is here in full force. It’s the perfect time to curl up pool- or beachside with a good book! Look no further than our new spring and fall releases!
When Reyna accidentally breaks her abuelito’s old vihuela, she travels around her neighborhood trying to figure out how to repair it. In the process, she discovers her grandfather’s legacy. Written by Jennifer Torres and illustrated by Renato Alarcão.
Evie and her grandma go shopping every Sunday. They put on their nightgowns, open up the newspapers, and turn on their imaginations. Written by Sally Derby and illustrated by Shadra Strickland.
A young girl finds her mother’s poems written when her mother traveled around in a military family. The young girl writes her own related poems. Written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon.
Ira Aldridge dreamed of acting in Shakespeare’s plays. Because of a lack of opportunity in the United States, Ira journeys to England to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Written by Glenda Armand and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
Maya has a blanket stitched by her Grandma. The blanket later becomes a dress, a skirt, a shawl, a skirt and a headband. This story is inspired by the Yiddish folk song “Hob Ikh Mir a Mantl” (“I Had a Little Coat”). Written by Monica Brown and illustrated by David Diaz.
Claire Takata discovers her deceased father’s connection to the yakuza, the Japanese mafia, and puts her and her family’s lives in danger. Written by Valynne E. Maetani.
Trail of the Dead
In this sequel to the award-winning Killer of Enemies, Lozen and her family, on the run from the tyrants who once held them hostage, embark on a journey along a perilous trail once followed by her ancestors, where they meet friends and foes alike. Written by Joseph Bruchac.
0 Comments on New Spring and Fall Releases from LEE & LOW BOOKS and Tu Books! as of 7/16/2015 12:18:00 PM
A new year means a new chance to get to all the things you didn’t get to last year. And by “things,” what we really mean is BOOKS. We also know that reading diversely doesn’t happen by accident; it takes a concerted effort to read a wide range of books.
So, we thought we’d help on both counts by offering up a list of the diverse authors we’re resolving to read in 2015. Some are new, and some have just been on our list for years. This is the year we plan to get to them – perhaps this will be your year, too?
Ink and Ashes is Tu Books’ first New Visions Award winner! This debut novel follows a Japanese American teen named Claire Takata. After finding a letter from her deceased father, she opens a door to the past that she should have left closed.
The award-winning Killer of Enemies follows seventeen-year-old Apache monster hunter Lozen in a post-apocalyptic world.
The prequel, Rose Eagle, follows seventeen-year-old Rose of the Lakota tribe. After her aunt has a vision, Rose goes on a quest to the Black Hills and finds healing for her people.
Everyone’s talking about Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson’s memoir in verse about her childhood in the American South and in Brooklyn that recently won the 2014 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. But have you read it yet?
Junot Diaz’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel follows Oscar, an overweight, ghetto Dominican American nerd as he dreams of becoming the next J.R.R. Tolkein. This book is filled with Dominican history, magical realism, science-fiction and comic book references.
In this debut novel, Kristen, has a seemingly ideal life. She’s just been voted homecoming queen and is a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college. Everything unravels when Kristen and her boyfriend decide to take it to the next level, and Kristen finds out she’s intersex. Somehow her secret is leaked to the whole school.
This novel covers the Parsley Massacre of 1937 in Dominican Republic. Anabelle Desir and her lover Sebastien, decide they will get married at the end of the cane season and return to Haiti. When the Generalissimo Trujillo calls for an ethnic cleansing of the country’s Haitians, Anabelle and Sebastien struggle to survive.
Lewis “Shoe” Blake, a boy growing in the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in upsate New York in 1975, isn’t used to white people like George Haddonfield being nice to him. Lewis is also the target of the bully Eddie Reininger. Will George still be Lewis’s friend when he finds out the truth of how Lewis actually lives?
Alex Sanchez’s debut novel follows three boys, Jason Carrillo, Kyle Meeks, and Nelson Glassman, as they struggle with their sexualities and their friendships.
Masako Katori lives with her dead-beat husband in the suburbs of Tokyo, where she makes boxed lunches in a factory. After violently strangling her husband, she uses the help of coworkers to cover her crime.
Summer of the Mariposas is a retelling of the Odyssey set in Mexico. When Odilia and her sisters find the body of a dead man in the Rio Grande, they decide to take his body back to Mexico.
In Under the Mesquite Lupita is an aspiring actress and poet, and the oldest of 8 siblings. When Lupita’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, Lupita struggles to keep her family together.
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, which is set in a fantasy Asian-inspired world, inspired an anime of the same name. Balsa is a body guard who is hired by Prince Chagum’s mother to protect him from his father, the emperor, who wants him dead. A strange spirit possesses Prince Chagum that may be a threat to the kingdom.
American-born Sunny is an albino girl living in Nigeria. Although she doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere, Sunny discovers her latent magical abilities and joins 3 other students to learn how to control her powers. Sunny and her friends have to capture a career criminal who uses magic as well.
White Teeth focuses on the intertwining stories of two wartime buddies living in London with their families, and addresses topics such as assimilation and immigration in the U.K.’s cultural hub.
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents say that they will let her wear her hair how she wants, choose what she will study and be when she grows up, but they will choose her husband. When Naila breaks this rule by falling in love with a boy named Saif, her parents take her to Pakistan to reconnect her with her roots. But Naila’s parents’ plans have changed, and they’ve arranged a marriage for her.
Everyone thinks George is a boy, but George knows that she’s a girl. After her teacher announces that the class play is Charlotte’s Web, George hatches a plan with her best Kelly, so that everyone can know who she is once and for all.
1 Comments on Fifteen Diverse Authors You Should Resolve to Read in 2015, last added: 1/29/2015
The prequel to the award winning Killer of Enemies is finally here! Rose Eagle by Joseph Bruchac is Tu Books’ first e-novella.
Ten years before the events in Killer of Enemies, before the Silver Cloud, the Lakota were forced to work in the Deeps, mining for ore so that the Ones, the overlords, could continue their wars. But when the Cloud came and enveloped Earth, all electronics were shut off. Some miners were trapped in the deepest Deeps and suffocated, but the Lakota were warned to escape, and the upper Deeps became a place of refuge for them in a post-Cloud world.
In the midst of this chaos, Rose Eagle’s aunt has a dream: Rose will become a medicine woman, a healer. She sends Rose into the Black Hills on a quest to find healing for their people.
Gangly and soft-spoken, Rose is no warrior. She seeks medicine, not danger. Nevertheless, danger finds her, but love and healing soon follow. When Rose Eagle completes her quest, she may return with more than she ever thought she was looking for.
November is Native American Heritage Month! Native American Heritage Month evolved from the efforts of various individuals at the turn of the 20th century who tried to get a day of recognition for Native Americans. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush approved a resolution that appointed November as Native American Heritage Month. You can learn more about Native American Heritage Month here.
For many years, Native people were silenced and their stories were set aside, hidden, or drowned out. That’s why it’s especially important to read stories about Native characters, told in Native voices. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with these great books by Native writers:
Biographies
Quiet Hero by S.D. Nelson – Ira Hayes grew up on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona. When he was in his late teens, World War II raged, and Ira Hayes joined the Marine corps. Eventually they were sent to the tiny Japanese island of Iwo Jima, where a chance event and an extraordinary photograph catapulted Ira to national awareness and transformed his life forever.
Crazy Horse’s Vision by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by S.D. Nelson – Crazy Horse, whose childhood nickname was “Curly,” defies traditional custom and risks his own life by running away, up to the hills, to seek a vision.
Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by S.D. Nelson – While Jim Thorpe struggled at school, he excelled at sports. He later went on to win several Olympic medals.
Fiction
Home to Medicine Mountain by Chiori Santiago, illustrated by Judith Lowry – Two Native American brothers are sent to a strict, government-run boarding school. There, they are forced to speak English and to unlearn their Native American ways. Inspired by their dreams of home and the memories of their grandmother’s stories, the boys embark on an adventurous journey from the harsh residential school to their home in Susanville, California.
Sky Dancers by Connie Ann Kirk, illustrated by Christy Hale – John Cloud’s father is in New York City, far away from their Mohawk Reservation, building sky scrapers. One day, Mama takes John to New York City and he sees his Papa high on a beam, building the Empire State Building.
Kiki’s Journey by Kristy Orona-Ramirez, illustrated by Jonathan Warm Day – Kiki is a city girl that calls Los Angeles her home. Her family left the Taos Pueblo reservation when she was a baby, so it doesn’t feel like home. How will it feel to revisit the reservation?
Stories for Teens
Rattlesnake Mesa by EdNah New Rider Weber, photographs by Richela Renkun – When EdNah’s beloved grandmother dies, she is sent to live on a Navajo reservation with a father she barely knows. Once EdNah finds herself getting used to her new life, she is sent to a strict government-run Indian boarding school.
Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac – When Luke King’s father, a black ops infiltrator, goes missing, Luke realizes his life will never be the same again. Luke sets out to search for his father, all the while trying to avoid the attention of the school’s mysterious elite clique of Russian hipsters, who seem much too interested in his own personal secret
Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac – In a future where technology has failed, Lozen has been gifted with a unique set of abilities magic and survival skills that she uses to hunt monsters for the people who kidnapped her family. As the legendary Killer of Enemies was in the ancient days of the Apache people, Lozen is meant to be a more than a hunter. Lozen is meant to be a hero.
Rose Eagle by Joseph Bruchac – Several years before Killer of Enemies, the Lakota are forced to mine ore for the Ones, their overlords. Rose Eagle’s aunt has a vision of Rose as a healer. She sends Rose on a quest to find healing for their people.
What other books by Native American authors and illustrators do you recommend?
Tim Tingle, Eric Gansworth and Cynthia Leitich Smith are AWESOME Native authors! Tim Tingle’s Saltypie, A Choctaw Journey from Darkness to Light is a beautifully written story from his own family. Cynthia Leitich Smith has a number of great books out there (as does Tingle) but Jingle Dancer is one of my favorites. It shows a young girl getting ready to dance in a powwow, and makes that a perfectly normal and beautiful thing (as opposed to something exotic). There are even parts in it that mainstream (caucasian) kids may have a hard time comprehending at first, but many Native kids will pick up on immediately. Kind of switches the usual dynamic in the classroom of the mainstream kids always understanding what is presented in instruction! Also Eric Gansworth’s If I Ever Get Out of Here is a great read. True to life, written from the heart. And Tim Tingle’s How I Became A Ghost is a superb read taken from Choctaw history and turned into a book you can’t put down.
courtneyanima said, on 11/11/2014 7:14:00 PM
Reblogged this on thewriterspanel and commented:
Very important part of our history! I personally recommend The Remembered Earth: An Anthology of Contemporary Native American Literature
Marianne Snow said, on 11/12/2014 2:43:00 PM
I love The Butterfly Dance by Gerald Dawavendewa, who’s an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe. And I definitely agree with Kara about Tim Tingle — his work is fantastic!
Katrina said, on 11/13/2014 7:15:00 AM
Reblogged this on Vamos a Leer and commented:
As a follow up to yesterday’s post, I wanted to share the open book’s post from yesterday. It has great suggestions for literature written by Native writers that you could use in the classroom. We hope you’ll check it out!
Halloween is right around the corner. There’s no better way to celebrate than by reading books that will scare you to pieces! Here’s a lucky thirteen list of our favorites (all featuring diverse characters or by diverse authors):
Half World by Hiromi Goto – Melanie Tamaki lives with her mother in abject poverty. Then, her mother disappears. Melanie must journey to the mysterious Half World to save her.
Vodnik by Bryce Moore – Sixteen-year-old Tomas moves back to Slovakia with his family and discovers the folktales of his childhood were more than just stories.
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa – Allie Sekemoto survives by scavenging for food by day. She hates the vampires who keep humans like cattle for their food. Until the day she dies and wakes up as a vampire.
Liar by Justine Larbalestier – Micah is a liar; it’s the only thing she’ll tell you the truth about. But when her boyfriend Zach is murdered, the whole truth has to come out.
Battle Royale by Koushan Takami – A group of junior high school students are sent to an island and forced to fight to the death until only one of them survives.
Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall – Odilia and her sisters discover a dead man’s body while swimming in the Rio Grande. They journey across Mexico to return his body in this Odyssey-inspired tale.
Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda – Zombies, ghouls, and vampires all make appearances in the story of Bilquis SanGreal, the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar.
Panic by Sharon Draper – Diamond knows better than to get into a car with a stranger. But when the stranger offers her the chance to dance in a movie, Diamond makes a very wrong decision.
Ten by Gretchen McNeil – Ten teens head to a secluded island for an exclusive party…until people start to die. A modern YA retelling of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac – Inspired by the Abenaki skinwalker legend, this YA thriller is Burn Notice with werewolves.
The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco – A dead girl roams the streets, hunting murders. A strange tattooed boy moves to the neighborhood with a deadly secret.
172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad – Three teenagers win the vacation of a lifetime: a week-long trip to the moon. But something sinister is waiting for them in the black vacuum of space.
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake – Cas Lowood is a ghost hunter, called to Thunder Bay, Ontario to get rid of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, who has killed every person who has stepped foot in the house she haunts.
Last fall, Tu Books released Killer of Enemies, a post-apocalyptic steampunk adventure by Joseph Bruchac. Readers were introduced to seventeen-year-old Apache hunter Lozen, a kick-butt warrior who kills monsters to ensure the safety of her family.
Set to be released next month, Joseph Bruchac has written an e-novella that’s a prequel to Killer of Enemies, titled Rose Eagle.
Rose Eagle is set in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where readers are introduced to seventeen-year-old Rose Eagle of the Lakota tribe who is trying to find her place in a post-apocalyptic world.
Before the Silver Cloud, the Lakota were forced to work in the Deeps, mining for ore so that the Ones, the overlords, could continue their wars. But when the Cloud came and enveloped Earth, all electronics were shut off. Some miners were trapped in the deepest Deeps and suffocated, but the Lakota were warned to escape, and the upper Deeps became a place of refuge for them in a post-Cloud world.
In the midst of this chaos, Rose Eagle’s aunt has a dream: Rose will become a medicine woman, a healer. She sends Rose into the Black Hills on a quest to find healing for their people.
Gangly and soft-spoken, Rose is no warrior. She seeks medicine, not danger. Nevertheless, danger finds her, but love and healing soon follow. When Rose Eagle completes her quest, she may return with more than she ever thought she was looking for.
Thanks to the following blogs for participating in the Rose Eagle cover reveal:
In July I was in Washington DC to visit my daughter. Among the many things I did while there was visit the Reading is Fundamental office. As I waited in their reception area, I noted the books on their coffee table. Among them was Joseph Bruchac's excellent Buffalo Song:
Seeing it did two things:
First, it isn't often that a great book by a Native author greets me as I sit in a waiting room. My heart soared.
Second, its presence on that table is evidence that the people at Reading is Fundamental are committed to providing recipients of their books with ones that accurately portray Native people. Books that don't stereotype or romanticize who we are, and who we were... They're important! Not just to Native readers, but non-Native ones, too!
In 2008, I posted Beverly Slapin's review of Buffalo Song.
Bruchac's book is superior to Jean Craighead George's The Buffalo Are Back. My review of her book is here: Jean Craighead George's THE BUFFALO ARE BACK. Read Slapin's review of Bruchac's bookand get a copy. If you've got one on on your shelf, feature it in a display. For many kids, school is starting. Featuring it now helps get Native culture into the hands of children right away. Don't wait till that month designated for Native Americans (November) to share books by Native peoples.
0 Comments on Finding Bruchac's BUFFALO SONG at Reading is Fundamental's office as of 1/1/1900
Editor's Note: Beverly Slapin of De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children, submitted this review essay of Joseph Bruchac's Killer of Enemies. It may not be used elsewhere without her written permission. All rights reserved.
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Bruchac, Joseph, Killer of Enemies. Tu Books/ Lee & Low, 2013; grades 5-up
First, a pre-review story….
Years ago, Joe Bruchac was giving an evening reading at a local East Bay indie bookstore. Readers of his short stories and poetry, young and not so young, filled the room. For lack of available seats, a few friends and I stood in the back. Joe, holding his hand drum and one of his books, walked to the podium, looked around, and, as was his wont, greeted the audience in Abenaki. I waved to him from the back, and he acknowledged me this way:
“And kwai-kwai to my friend, Beverly Slapin, who actually likes…(two-second pause here)…some of my books.” Remember that, Joe?
Now, the review….
I just love Joe’s latest young adult thriller, Killer of Enemies!
If there’s one thing known for sure, it’s that Lozen, the famed and much-honored Chiricahua woman warrior, was no wimp. She rode in battle with Geronimo and with her brother Victorio, and their enemies—Mexican and American—knew and feared her. It’s been said that, from time to time, the spirits visited Lozen, that she could find water in the desert, and that she could locate enemies and read their thoughts. It’s been said that she led a large group of fearful women and babies, riding their panicky horses, across the surging Rio Grande—and then returned to battle the American forces.
Like her namesake, 17-year-old Lozen is a warrior and a hero. In this post-apocalyptic thriller, a mysterious force named Cloud, arrived from beyond Jupiter, has destroyed much of humanity and rendered useless all advanced technology. Lozen’s family, with many others, is held under marshal law in a walled fortress called Haven, ruled by four deranged and despotic semi-human overlords (the “Ones”) with bio-enhancements that no longer work. Holding her family hostage—and on the whims of any of them—they send her out to battle genetically modified monsters (“gemods”), such as giant birds of prey, a beyond huge anaconda, and many more. Drawing strength from her wits, her prayers, her supernatural powers inherited from her namesake, her family’s and tribe’s histories, her tracking and fighting skills, and the allies she encounters—natural and supernatural—Lozen is determined and unafraid.
Since this is not the first apocalypse her family’s survived, Lozen has inherited, as she would say, mucho generational experience:
It was lucky for me in particular that my youthful skills included such…anachronistically useless pursuits as hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, tracking, and wilderness survival at a time when the wilderness itself was barely surviving. Those esoteric and…outdated interests can be blamed on or credited to my family, especially my uncle and my dad—stubborn descendants of a nation that had been targeted for destruction in more than one century yet still survived.
Aside: Whenever I receive one of Joe’s young adult novels, I open to a random page to see how he’s chosen to grab video-game-obsessed pre-teens. Here’s a sample:
One nice thing from being entombed when you are not yet a corpse is that it gives you plenty of time for thinking. That is also one of the worst things about being in a situation like this. It seems as if no matter what you think about, it all comes down to: Crap, I’m trapped.
Joe embeds Lozen’s story in a cultural framework that makes sense to his readers, Native and non-Native alike. Picking up an eagle feather was and is a big deal, for instance, and Lozen does not feel the need to step out of the narrative to give the reader an ethnographic exposition. When she has time, she says a complete prayer; when she’s on the run, she simply says, “thank you.”
Unlike many young adult novels about Indian people—and in particular, Tanya Landman’s sloppily researched and abysmally written Apache Girl Warrior—the Lozen in Killer of Enemies is a confident, pragmatic, fearless young woman who understands the power of dreams—and who knows who she is, what she comes from, and what she has been given to do.
Young readers might recognize the similarities between post-apocalyptic and pre-apocalyptic life, such as the guarded compound of Haven and the 19th century prisons called reservations and Indian residential schools. They also might recognize the similarities between the deranged post-apocalyptic Ones and contemporary one-percenters, who enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of us. As well, older readers might recognize some of Lozen’s quips as taken directly from an Alfred Hitchcock thriller containing a nightmarish shower scene, a campy Broadway musical not involving birds, a TV series about a patriarch’s superior knowledge, the title of a Ray Bradbury novel (itself based on a Shakespeare play), a Kevin Costner movie, a snipe at the language-challenged Tonto, a line from a poem by Robert Frost, and many more. There’s also a host of puns and other word plays and a helpful Bigfoot with laugh-out-loud Jewish cultural markers (“So sue me”). All of this is a treasure trove for talented classroom teachers and school librarians.
For those readers who are unduly thrilled by videogame-inspired carnage, there is this from Lozen:
When Child of Water and Killer of Enemies finished destroying nearly all—but not all—of the monsters that threatened human life in that long ago time, they did not feel the thrill of victory. What they felt was sickness. Taking lives is a precarious job, one that can end up polluting your spirit and burning your heart. When you touch the enemy in battle, it unbalances you. The Hero Twins would have died if it had not been for the healing ceremonies that were used to restore their balance, to cool their interior, to soothe their spirits, to clean the dust of death from their vision.
And finally, I thank Joe for incorporating a Muslim love interest for Lozen—Hussein, the gentle gardener and musician, who survives torture by the Ones—and who joins Lozen’s family on the run. Just as Indians in general and Apaches in particular are all-too-often treated as savages in children’s and young adult books, Islamophobia is rampant as well.
Brisk pace and nonstop action—an adrenaline rush with large helpings of gore, drama and hilarious wordplay—move Lozen’s narrative in a page-turner that left me hungering for a sequel that I’m pretty sure is on the horizon. Killer of Enemies is highly recommended.
—Beverly Slapin
0 Comments on Beverly Slapin reviews Joseph Bruchac's KILLER OF ENEMIES as of 6/10/2014 3:51:00 AM
I’m in the middle of a hectic stretch that has me running around.
On Saturday, I was invited to visit Giffen Memorial Elementary in downtown Albany for their 2nd Annual “Author/Illustrator Day.” It turned out to be a beautifully organized and attended event, sponsored by the good, kind folks at the First Presbyterian Church who have sort of adopted Giffen as their community school, as they try to positively impact its children and parents on many fronts.
It was an honor for me to be a part of it, along with Rose Kent, Myles & Sandra Pinkney (those Pinkneys pop up everywhere, like mushrooms after a rain storm), and Joseph Bruchac.
Probably not wise to play favorites, but Joe Bruchac — wow, wow, wow. He is a master storyteller and such a dignified gentleman and artist. Big respect.
I signed a lot of books, many of them purchased for the students by the folks at the First Presbyterian Church. In this case, the children came with their names written on Post-It Notes. By the end of the day, I had a stack of them and shoved it into my book bag. Look at these beautiful names!
On Sunday night, I drove to Tenefly, NJ, in preparation for a busy Monday.
I spoke with students in grade 6-8 at Demarest Middle School early in the day — great kids, terrific staff, beautiful area of NJ — then drove west on 80 to Parsippany Public Library for a truly lovely memorial event, the fifth so far, hosted by the family of Elaine Galliker, a former 2nd grade teacher who, by all reports, loved bringing books and readers together.
It was touching to be a part of something so heartfelt and community-focused. I gave a presentation to a group of adults and a few dozen young readers, and later, once again, signed a bunch of books. Special thanks to Roberta Abel for managing all the emails and small tasks that make these visits possible.
One cool thing about this library — they have a little door leading to the children’s section. Sure, there’s an ordinary big door for us taller, wide-bodied types. But there’s also a magical door for the wee folk. From what I saw and heard, the kids love it.
Tomorrow morning, I am taking a 6:00 AM flight to San Antonio, Texas for the TLA Conference. I have a late dinner date with a gaggle of teachers and librarians — as well as a few fellow authors and publishing types. Should be fun, not to mention filling. On Thursday, I’m participating in an afternoon panel discussion: “The Graveyard Shift: Programming Around Mysterious and Scary Books.” When that’s done, I’ll be racing off to the airport again.
Should be home by midnight, Thursday, tired and grateful and inspired to write.
Just in time for Halloween, we’re excited to announce the release of two new novels from our science fiction and fantasy imprint, Tu Books: Killer of Enemies, a post-apocalyptic retelling of an Apache monster slayer legend by award-winning Native American author Joseph Bruchac, and The Monster in the Mudball, a hilarious supernatural mystery set in England.
In Killer of Enemies, seventeen-year-old Apache hunter Lozen hunts monsters to ensure the protection of her family from the Ones, maniacal warlords who rule in a post-apocalyptic Southwest. Fate has given Lozen a unique set of survival skills and magical abilities. Soon she realizes that with every monster she takes down, Lozen’s powers grow, and she connects those powers to an ancient legend of her people. It soon becomes clear to Lozen that she is not just a hired gun. As the legendary Killer of Enemies was in the ancient days of the Apache people, Lozen is meant to be a more than a hunter. Lozen is meant to be a hero.
In this Junior Library Guild selection, eleven-year-old Jin must run around the English town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne trying to track down a monster named Zilombo. Jin teams up with Chief Inspector of Ancient Artifacts A. J. Zauyamakanda, or Mizz Z, for short. Zilombo gains new, frightening powers every time she hatches. Now the monster is cleverer than ever before . . . and it appears that Jin’s baby brother has disappeared! Will Jin’s baby brother be next on Zilombo’s menu? As the monster’s powers continue to grow, Jin and Mizz Z must find a way to outsmart Zilombo!
Happy birthday to both titles! We can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
*Today marks the release of the hardcover versions of both titles. E-book versions are also available.
In the closing pages of Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story, we learn that Joseph Bruchac wrote "Falling Down to See the Moon" and that after reading his story, Cynthia Leitich Smith wrote "Mooning Over Broken Stars."
Joe and Cyn are two of my favorite writers. I recognize the places they write about, and as a Native kid/teen who grew up at Nambe Pueblo, I recognize the characters they developed for their stories in Girl Meets Boy. I know/knew guys like Bobby Wildcat and girls like Nancy Whitepath. They were my classmates when I was in school at Pojoaque (a public school that serves four different pueblos).
And they were my students when I taught Native kids in New Mexico and Oklahoma. Nancy Whitepath is a basketball player. When I taught at Santa Fe Indian School, my husband and I went to a lot of basketball games, cheering for our students. SFIS has won many state championships (source: Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper):
In the stories they wrote for Girl Meets Boy, we aren't told what tribe either character belongs to. Most of the time, the omission of that detail would be a serious flaw. Tribal identity is one of the things I look for when evaluating a story. But, because Joe and Cyn are who they are, I didn't need that detail. I was with them right away. I want to spend time thinking about what that means...
For now, I'm just going to recommend that you get Girl Meets Boy (published in 2012 by Chronicle Books).
1 Comments on GIRL MEETS BOY, edited by Kelly Milner Halls, last added: 1/30/2013
Have you heard Joe Bruchac tell a story? He's got a terrific voice for telling stories. As I read Rabbit's Snow Dance, I was able to play that voice in my head as Rabbit says:
"I want snow," he said. "I want it, I want it, I want it right now!"
Rabbit's Snow Dance is by Joe and his son, James. And, I gotta say, it is absolutely delightful!
Rabbit, you see, wants the tasty leaves and buds at the top of the trees. He can't reach them, but he knows that if there was a lot of snow on the ground, he could stand on it and get those tasty treats. He knows a snow dance, too, and thinks he'll sing the song and do the dance, even though it isn't the right season to do it...
The combination of the Bruchac's storytelling and Jeff Newman's illustrations works perfectly. Here's the cover:
On the cover, Rabbit is playing a hand drum. Notice the drumstick in his left paw? Newman obviously did some research, or, maybe he knows from experience that Native peoples do not play a drum with a bare hand. So many illustrators get that wrong! Newman got it right.
Rabbit's Snow Dance, we learn on the title page inside, is a traditional Iroquois story. Back in 1993, Betsy Hearne developed a Source Note Countdown as part of her article, "Cite the Source: Reducing Cultural Chaos in Picture Books, Part 1." In model source notes, we'd learn just where the story came from, when and how it ought to be told (its cultural context), and, how the teller changed it from the version he or she heard/read it from. We don't have any of that in Rabbit's Snow Dance. Joe has provided it for other books. I wrote to a storyteller a couple of years ago. He told me that publisher's don't want to give authors space for that information. If that is the status of model notes right now, I think we're all losing out. There are, for example, six different tribal nations within the Iroquois: Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, Tuscarora, Mohawk, and Cayuga. Do they share this story? Or, does it belong to one in particular?
That said, I do think Rabbit's Snow Dance has a lot to offer as a read-aloud and highly recommend it. I'll look around for some source info and share it when I get it. Perhaps you can print it out and insert it yourself.
Details! Rabbit's Snow Day As told by James and Joseph Bruchac Illustrated by Jeff Newman Published by Dial, in 2012.
Order it from your favorite independent bookseller right away so you'll have it for the snowtimes that are upon us---not because of Rabbit's dance, but because its Wintertime. Snowtime!
3 Comments on James and Joseph Bruchac's RABBIT'S SNOW DANCE, last added: 12/30/2012
Beverly Slapin is unable to make the comment interface work. She asked me to post this on her behalf:
"Apparently, “Azikanapo!” is Abenaki for “It snows foot wrappers!,” a descriptor of very large snow flakes. It would seem that Joe and Jesse worked carefully with the illustrator to make sure the cultural details were accurate. And each of their other children’s books published by Dial, How Chipmunk Got His Stripes (2001), Raccoon’s Last Race (2004), and Turtle’s Race with Beaver (2003), contains an author’s note that sets the story in the context of source, time, place, language and culture, something that Joe is always careful to disclose. In my workshops, I’ve stressed the importance of knowing the source and the other attributes of a story, so it puzzles me that this information was left out of Rabbit’s Snow Dance." --Beverly Slapin
"The front matter labels the story as a “traditional Iroquois story, and the description (written by the publisher) says that Rabbit uses “a traditional drum and song, to make it snow”—yet the word is an Abenaki expression, not “Iroquois.” And I may be wrong, but “I will make it snow” does not sound like a traditional song, either. It sounds like something Rabbit might sing, but it doesn’t sound “traditional,” which may be the point of the story. Just a guess."
Thanks so much for posting this! I am a children's librarian at a public library, and I was looking for those notes, too. This book is delightful! I immediately brought it home for my kids, who are "too old" for picture books now but still are happy to curl up with a good one when I bring it home. They both loved the humor in this one.
On Sunday, October 7, 2012, the Eat Sleep Read group on Facebook posted this image:
Isn't the image cool? I like it a lot and am sharing it here, along with a book recommendation...
I recommend you give, and read, Joe Bruchac's Skeleton Man. It is one of my favorites. I still remember reading it aloud with my daughter. We were so engrossed in it that we were startled when my husband came home from work that day!
And all those stories with Indian ghosts? Avoid them, too! I see those ghosts in a lot of stories, and it irks me (sometimes, 'irks' is an understatement).
People sure seem to like Indian ghosts that haunt places! I know, for example, that a lot of people liked Gensler's The Revenant but I didn't. Her ghosts put me off. So did the ghosts in the melon patch in Peck's Season of Gifts.
0 Comments on Read Bruchac's SKELETON MAN for "All Hallows Read" as of 10/9/2012 11:52:00 AM
A few of us made it out for the Brooklyn Book Festival this weekend, so I thought I’d share a few shots of the event. It was a bright, beautiful fall day, and it was great to see so many people come out to celebrate reading (a record 40,000, according to this article).
Joseph Bruchac, author of Wolf Mark, Buffalo Song, and several other titles, was on a panel about sports stories for boys with Jon Scieszka and Gordon Korman, moderated by Lisa Yee. They were hilarious!
From L: Lisa Yee, Jon Scieszka, Joseph Bruchac, and Gordon Korman
When asked to tell one truth and one lie about himself, Joseph Bruchac offered these two facts:
A.) He once wrestled alligators in high school in upstate NY.
B.) He goes into jails to read/write with criminals, including serial killers.
So, which is true?
The audience guesses were about 50-50, but it turns out that Joe DOES work with a program that brings authors into jails to read and write with inmates. He actually was a wrestler and was asked to wrestle alligators in high school, but turned down the offer because, in his words, “I liked all ten of my fingers.”
Here’s Tu Books Editorial Director Stacy Whitman (right) with Nora de Hoyos Comstock (center) from Las Comadres, along with an author.
[Sidenote: Las Comadres Para Las Americas is a national organization that connects Latina women. And if you happen to be in the NYC area, their Comadres y compadres Writer's Conference is taking place on October 6 - and our very own Stacy Whitman will be there critiquing manuscripts. If you're an aspiring author, it's a great chance to get feedback on your work.]
From the looks of it, Bird illustrator Shadra Strickland had a pretty good time at the Brooklyn Book Festival this year too. All in all, a lovely day!
Below is Beverly Slapin's review of Joseph Bruchac's new book, Wolf Mark. It may not be reprinted elsewhere without her written permission. All rights reserved.
Bruchac, Joseph,Wolf Mark. Lee & Low, 2011,grades 7-up
Joe Bruchac isnot yet known for his YA werewolf/vampire/espionage novels, but this talentedwriter can sure pull off the genre(s). Middle readers who have the ability tosuspend disbelief will relate to the teen protagonist, an Abenaki wolf-boy withmultiple challenges. Such as doing well in school and winning over the girl hereally likes. Such as keeping himself from ripping out someone’s throat whenhe’s annoyed or angry. Such as rescuing his father from a megalomaniacgene-blending scientist who’s plotting to take over the world.
In Wolf Mark, everything is extreme: theaction, the gore, the metaphors, the allusions to uncontrolled corporate greedthat threatens to devour us all. And amidst all of this, Bruchac takes everyopportunity to bust stereotypes: about American Indians, about women, aboutMuslims, about Russians, about werewolves and vampires.
In what may be a parody of badlywritten YA novels featuring Indian protagonists who abruptly break thenarrative in order to insert for young non-Indian readers the supposedlyrequired ethnographic expositions, our Abenaki wolf-boy hero breaks hisnarrative in order to posit a Freudian analysis of himself: “Was thatbloodthirsty, drooling monster a virtual manifestation of my own out-of-controlanimal nature? Or an archetype? Not a creature threatening me from outside butthe beast within?” Or maybe it’s a parody of such paragons of horror as H.P.Lovecraft.
Not dissimilarto what Thomas King did in Green Grass,Running Water, Bruchac places an allusion, covert or overt, on almost everypage. There are snippets from poems cleverly disguised as the narrator’s ownwords and not-so-hidden references to “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Rocky andBullwinkle.” There’s a nod to the wisdom of Pogo. There’s a melding of JackKerouac and Jack London, and of Lon Chaney and Dick Cheney. There are quotesfrom Shakespeare, Stephen King and Joe Friday; lyrics from “The Wizard of Oz,”Piledriver and Bob Dylan; and rewriting of some of the winning entrants fromthe Bulwer-Lytton bad prose contests (my favorite being “a constellation ofzits”). And, in homage to Thomas King, Bruchac gives his name to theprotagonist’s father.
This readerwildly careened between being breathlessly swept
0 Comments on Beverly Slapin's review of WOLF MARK, by Joseph Bruchac as of 1/1/1900
LEE & LOW BOOKS celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and to recognize how far the company has come, we are featuring one title a week to see how it is being used in classrooms today as well, as hear from the authors and illustrators.
of the legendary Native American, Jim Thorpe (1888–1953), focusing on his early childhood and how school and sports shaped his future.
Veronica has a degree from Mount Saint Mary College and joined LEE & LOW in the fall of 2014. She has a background in education and holds a New York State childhood education (1-6) and students with disabilities (1-6) certification. When she’s not wandering around New York City, you can find her hiking with her dog Milo in her hometown in the Hudson Valley, NY.
The Impossible Knife of Memory
Fallen Angels
How to bring a LEE & LOW author or illustrator into your classroom live or virtually:
Ink and Ashes
Summer of the Mariposas is a retelling of the Odyssey set in Mexico. When Odilia and her sisters find the body of a dead man in the Rio Grande, they decide to take his body back to Mexico.
Sky Dancers
Stacey Lee’s UNDER A PAINTED SKY got a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. I’m just sayin’.