The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

The Birchbark House

by Louise Erdrich

 Image Credit: The Birchbark House at https://www.publishersweekly.com

1. Bibliography

Erdrich, Louise.  The Birchbark House. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1999. ISBN 9780786814541

2. Plot Summary

This young adult novel is the story of a year in the life of a young Ojibwa girl who, over the cycle of four full seasons, comes to a deeper understanding of life, herself, and the relationship between the two. As it chronicles the year's events, the narrative thematically explores the connection between human beings and nature, the effect of whites on the indigenous culture, and the necessity of confronting fear.  (Summary Credit: The Birchbark House at bookrags.com)

3. Critical Analysis

Omakayas (or Little Frog in English) is the book’s principal character. The book's storyline follows her experiences, observations, and understanding, as she changes from an innocent, playful eight-year-old into a young woman. In many ways, she is a normal child - playful, occasionally uncooperative about household chores and tasks, admires her parents, annoyed by her siblings, and very emotionally involved with her grandmother. At the same time, she has clear unique abilities, especially her connection to nature. These two sides to her character are what make her an especially attractive, not to mention pertinent, character when it comes to the book’s target audience of young women.  Other characters important to Omakayas and her experiences are: her adored Grandmother Nokomis, her admired parents Deydey and Yellow Kettle, her “perfect” older sister Angeline, her irritating brother Little Pince and her much loved baby brother Neewo.  The story is set on an island (Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker) in Lake Superior (Moningwanaykaning) and follows characters from an Ojibwa tribe in 1847.

            Since this story takes place in 1847, it is very important for the story to show the Ojibwa culture in the correct time period.  The author does an excellent job of doing this by describing many aspects of the daily lives of the Ojibwa tribe.  She describes the characters clothing.  Different characters are described wearing a dress embroidered with white beads, makazins (moccasins), a turban, beaded velvet vest, calico shirt, fine red cloth, a bandolier bag, earrings, necklace of bear claws, partridge-tail fan, bracelets, armbands, ribbons, shawl, and Old Tallow’s coat (new furs of lynx, beaver, deer hide, dog hide, patched with discarded bright calico, even black-beaded velvets).  Many chores, and tools needed to do those chores, are described including tanning the moose hide with the brains of the moose, making the hide soft enough for makazins, scraping with the sharpened deer shoulder bone, moose antler hoe, hoe from crooked tree branch, knocking the rice grains off into the bottom of the boat, picking reeds to make mats, smoking the rice, treading rice to crush the tough hulls, caulking canoes, fishing nets, fishing spear, rabbit snares, ice fishing and paddling to the rice camp.

            Many objects from their surroundings are mentioned and described like their summer cabin of sweet-scented cedar, tobacco pouch, treasure wrapped in a leaf, beaded velvet wrapping, pipe made out of sumac wood with bands beaded in black and yellow and bowl in the shape of an otters head, medicine man, intestine of moose to store meat, bundles of roots, bag of berries and dried crumbled leaves, long curls of inner bark, rabbit skin blankets, toboggans of stretched furs, dance lodge, lean-to storage, moose hide, beaver furs, sleeping mats (woven reed mats placed over tufts of moss), and their winter birchbark house (lined with lush furs, sleeping robes, red-and-white-point blankets).

Certain descriptions of things and events help to identify the Native American culture and the Ojibwa tribe culture, more specifically.  Deydey is described as having “half-white blood”. The different seasons are Neebin, Dagwagin, Biboon, Zeegwun and the different Ojibwa clans are Anishinabe (wolf clan), Anishinabeg, Adisokaan, and the Awausesee (catfish clan).  Omakayas is described as being eight winters old, the island is described as the drum of the thunder-being, characters “starve for a vision” or going to the sweat-baths, Grandfather Owl and Mukwah the bear are characters in their stories, when Deydey gets smallpox the family is worried he will “run to the land of the spirits”, the wind is the windigo spirit or the Hungry One, one time of year is described as Crust on the Snow Moon, boy hunt and girls do “things girls normally do” and white people (Chimookoman) “cheat us with treaties.

            Other characters in the story have names like Old Tallow, Ten Snow, Day Thunder, Swan, Auntie Muskrat, Old Man Migwans, Waubanikway, Mikwam (Ice), Andeg (crow), Fishtail, Little Bee, Twilight, Akewaynzee, Two Strike Girl, and Wishkob. Ojibwa words are used; some are repeated in English and the rest you get the meaning from context.  Words and expressions used include booni, geget, pakuks, windigos, kinnikinnick, ahneen, mino aya sana, hiyn, gaween onjidah, ashaageshinh, tikinagun, N’dai, makuk, place called Where the Sisters Eat, bekayaan, wakaigun, neshkey, ombay, saaa, ahneen, neshemay, gaygo, minopogwud, neshkey, and pikwayzhigun.  The characters animals and plants typical of the Lake Superior region in 1847.  Those items mentioned in the story include moose, maple sugar, berries, wild onion, wild rice, bear grease, chokecherries, parched corn, dried fish, smoked venison, beaver (amik), plums, corn soup, juniper berries, swamp tea, and rabbit.  And, a few celebrations and religious practices appear in the story including Grandmother giving her tobacco to the water and asking for a safe and smooth crossing, or blessing the cache of food.  The characters give offerings, the dead are buried in grave houses and ceremonies include drumming.  Overall, the story is an excellent, realistic representation of the life of one Ojibwa girl and her family in the Lake Superior region of 1847.

4. Review Experts

National Book Award Finalist

~Kirkus Review - " With this volume, Erdrich launches her cycle of novels about a 19th-century Ojibwa family, covering in vivid detail their everyday life as they move through the seasons of one year on an island on Lake Superior. A baby girl crawls among the bodies of her family, dead from smallpox. After that stinging beginning, an unexpectedly enjoyable story follows, replete with believable characterizations, humor, family love, and misadventures. Omakayas, now eight adores baby brother Neewo, detests rambunctious five-year-old brother Pinch, and worships her beautiful teenage sister, Angeline. Omakayas works and plays through the summer and fall, learning the ways of her people; she has a frightful adventure with bears and adopts a young raven as a pet. But in winter smallpox again affects her life: Neewo dies, and Angeline is scarred for life.  Omakayas cannot find her way back to happiness until an odd old woman tells her the truth of her past, in a novel that is by turns charming, suspenseful, and funny, and always bursting with life.”

~Publishers Weekly: “Erdrich's (Grandmother's Pigeon) debut novel for children is the first in a projected cycle of books centering on an Ojibwa family on an island in Lake Superior. Opening in the summer of 1847, the story follows the family, in a third-person narrative, through four seasons; it focuses on young Omakayas, who turns ""eight winters old"" during the course of the novel. In fascinating, nearly step-by-step details, the author describes how they build a summer home out of birch bark, gather with extended family to harvest rice in the autumn, treat an attack of smallpox during the winter and make maple syrup in the spring to stock their own larder and to sell to others. Against the backdrop of Ojibwa cultural traditions, Omakayas also conveys the universal experiences of childhood--a love of the outdoors, a reluctance to do chores, devotion to a pet--as well as her ability to cope with the seemingly unbearable losses of the winter. The author hints at Omakayas's unusual background and her calling as a healer, as well as the imminent dangers of the ""chimookoman"" or white people, setting the stage for future episodes. Into her lyrical narrative, Erdrich weaves numerous Ojibwa words, effectively placing them in context to convey their meanings. Readers will want to follow this family for many seasons to come.”

5. Connections

~Read books for middle schoolers that have received the American Indian Youth Literature Award or Honors:

            Starr, Arigon. Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers. ISBN 0990694755

            Nelson, Jonathan. The Wool of Jonesy. ISBN 9780990694748

            Marshall, Joseph III. In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse. ISBN 141970785X

Charleyboy, Lisa and Mary Beth Leatherdale. Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices. ISBN 1554516862

Offer books by other Native American authors such as Michael Dorris, Gayle Ross, Shonto Begay or Virginia Driving Hawk.

~Other possible Louise Erdrich books to read:

            The Round House. ISBN 0062065246

            The Plague of Doves. ISBN 9780060515126

            La Rose. ISBN 9780062277022

Spirits Dark and Light by Tim Tingle

Spirits Dark and Light: Supernatural Tales from the Five Civilized Tribes

by Tim Tingle

Image Credit: Spirits Dark and Light at https://www.colorincolorado.org

1. Bibliography

Tingle, Tim.  Spirits Dark and Light. Little Rock: August House Publishers, 2006. ISBN 0874837782

2. Plot Summary

The term Five Civilized Tribes is the name commonly given to the five major tribes of the southeastern part of the United States: the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles. These tribes came into contact with Europeans early in American history and adapted quickly to new conditions. In the Native American tradition, there is a strong connection between the spirit world and the natural world. What happens in one has a definite impact on the other. In this collection, Native American storyteller Tim Tingle draws from the rich heritage of the Five Civilized Tribes and brings tales from the spirit world into our world. (Summary Credit: Spirits Dark and Light at fictiondb.com)

3. Critical Analysis

            Spirits Dark and Light is a book of short stories.  Stories are from 4-14 pages long.  As such, there are no central characters and not enough time in the stories to draw a well-defined character.  Settings are also lightly sketched with few locations mentioned (Bayou Lacomb). More often, a general location is referenced like a ceremonial plaza. The limited amount of time is spent to set up the tale and to build the stories to a climax.  The book is written in 5 sections, one for each of the Civilized Tribes.  Each section of the book begins with an explanation of the demographics of each tribe, how many members, where in the United States they are located, a brief history and some information on their belief system.  These introductions are helpful, as they let you watch for some indicators of these beliefs in the 5 tales that follow.  For instance, the first section is Cherokee Stories and the introduction explains that the Cherokee place great spiritual power in the number 7, they have unique creation stories involving the Upper World represented by the Eagle and the Lower World represented by the Snake.  These animals appear in the tales “Eagle Slayer” and “The Hunter and the Snake”.

There are several cultural references made within the stories that give reference to culture, time and place.  In the Cherokee stories, there are references to tomahawks, bows and arrows, warriors, Shawanos (clan), making a two-day journey for trading, spearheads, fine baskets, beaded clothing, a medicine man, animal skins and elders.  In the Choctaw stories, there are mentions of women carrying baskets, a cane-cutting knife, basket-making, a doll made out of cockleburs, a gate made of pine, resin and green cypress, and returning from the dead. The Chickasaw stories talk about if the neighbors had no food they’d share, a shawl, gender roles, and a buckskin dress.  The Creek stories remark on clan names (bear, wind, deer, bird, fox, snake, beaver, mink, alligator, skunk, buzzard, rabbit and raccoon), man and animals speaking to each other, shape-shifting witches, death journey, and love potions.

Character names are either in English such as Tobaccoburner, Longboy, Wing, The Immortal One, Raven Mockers, Swimmer, Spearfinger, Rain Woman, Blue Stone, Panther, Deerboy, No Name, Whispering Wind, Longbow, Treestump, and Spiceycorn.  Or, in their Native languages such as Uksushi, Naloosa Falaya, Hoashok Okwqa Huiga, Boshpo Hattak, Tanchi, and Tishomingo. Many stories include celebrations like an eagle dance, 12-year-old ceremony to bring them into adult tribe, bone-bundling to bury someone in the family mound, Chickasaw migration by guiding by white dog and traveling in the direction a pole was leaning, men’s talking circle, healing dance, return from ceremonies with embers from fire, and stomp dancers.  And, musical instruments used in religious and ceremonial practices (turtle shell rattles, Indian fiddles).

            Also, many religious practices are mentioned like smoking cedar branches, burning a doll, singing old songs, guiding dreams, a boy’s death song, a burial dress, mention of “the old ones never leave us”, and the “Maker of Breath”. A few Native words are used and not translated (pashofa, opa, holitopama, alikchi).  The food commented on in the stories include many hunting stories (squirrel, deer, rabbit), fish, corn, hominy, and grape dumplings.  The overall format of dividing the stories into different tribal stories helps ensure that the stories are not stereotyping all Native American into one culture.  You also get a sense of authentication since the stories were gathered from the tribes themselves and each section starts with an explanation of general beliefs from that tribe.

4. Review Experts

~Booklist: “"Maybe it looks like a pile of leaves lying on the ground. Better not step on it; it might have fangs." Choctaw storyteller Tingle tells 25 deliciously scary tales collected from the five major Native American tribes of the southeastern U.S.--the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. The stories tell of frightful shape-shifting spirits, witches, slithering snakes, and owls as messengers and bringers of death. There are tales about healers, too, as well as stories of love and grief, but the monsters steal the show, as in the Seminole story "Hungry for Meat," in which disturbing a gravesite awakens the dead. For each tribe, Tingle begins with background on history, culture, and folklore. The language is clear and informal, and the dialogue is immediate. This will be great for sharing, especially at Halloween.”

~School Library Journal - "At once eerie and compelling, sometimes gruesome and always satisfying, this highly readable collection effectively conveys the connection between the natural world and the world of the spirit common in Native American lore. Drawing on stories from the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles, an expert storyteller entrances readers with vivid language that conjures up all manner of supernatural creatures, from shape-shifters and tricksters to talking animals and witches."

5. Connections

~Use in addition to other scary books at Halloween

~Other possible Tim Tingle books to read:

            House of Purple Cedar. ISBN 1935955241

            How I Became a Ghost. ISBN 1937054551

            Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner. ISBN 193905303X

~Read books for middle schoolers that have received the American Indian Youth Literature Award or Honors:

            Starr, Arigon. Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers. ISBN 0990694755

            Nelson, Jonathan. The Wool of Jonesy. ISBN 9780990694748

            Marshall, Joseph III. In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse. ISBN 141970785X

Charleyboy, Lisa and Mary Beth Leatherdale. Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices. ISBN 1554516862

~Readers who enjoy this might also enjoy:

Aiken, Joan. A Fit of Shivers. ISBN 0440411203

Vande Velde, Vivian All Hallows' Eve.  ASIN B003K16PQY

Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back by Joseph Bruchac

Thirteen Moons on Turtles Back: A Native American Year of Moons

by Joseph Bruchac and Jonathan London  Illustrated by Thomas Locker

Image Credit: Thirteen Moons on Turtles Back at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com

1. Bibliography

Bruchac, Joseph and Jonathan London.  Illustrated by Thomas Locker.  Thirteen Moons on Turtles Back.  New York: Putnam Berkley Group, 1997. ISBN 0698115848

2. Plot Summary

To many Native Americans, the 13 cycles of the moon represent the changing seasons and the passage of time. Each moon has its own special name that, while varying among the tribal nations, is consistent with the legend that the 13 scales on Old Turtle's back hold the key to these moons. The authors present 13 poems that take readers through the year, from the ``Moon of Popping Trees''--when the ``cottonwoods crack with frost''--to the ``Big Moon'' of the Abenakis. (Summary Credit: Thirteen Moons on Turtles Back at publishersweekly.com)

3. Critical Analysis

The main characters of the story are Sozap and his Grandfather.  While Sozap’s Grandfather is carving a turtle, Sozap asks about how many scales are on the turtle’s back.  The Grandfather explains that the thirteen scales relate to the number of moons in a year.  What follows are various tribes retelling about how each moon received its name. The characters in the various stories (e.g., Frost Giant, Moose, Coyote, Old Man Winter, and Thunder Eagle) are only roughly drawn to advance the tale.  The setting locations are mostly told through the illustrations.  The setting is mostly devoid of human characters and shows mostly a natural setting through various seasons.

There are many ties to the different tribal cultures.  Grandfather explanation of the turtle's ties to the thirteen moons, is one such example.  The author explains that storytelling and respect for nature are hallmarks of Native American culture and are prevalent throughout the book.  Each tale is identified by which tribe from which the tale came.  Tribal tales are included from Abenaki, Northern Cheyenne, Potawatomi, Anishinabe, Cree, Huron, Seneca, Pomo, Menominee, Micmac, Cherokee, Winnebago, Lakota Sioux, and Abenaki tribes.  There is mention of the way the different cultures live in the stories.  The tales mention buffalo robes, snowshoes, maple sugar making, lodges, and canoes.  Different tribal language terms are used throughout, some are interpreted and some are not.  The primary is the naming of the moons.  These are listed in English.  They are moon of popping trees, baby bear moon, maple sugar moon, frog moon, budding moon, strawberry moon, moon when acorns appear, moon of wild rice, moose calling moon, moon of falling leaves, moon when deer drop their horns, moon when wolves run together, and big moon).  Other words used include kway, kina, manabozho, jogeoh, shunk manitu tanka, pehtonbagok, and kitchee keesos).  The characters in the tales have Native American names such as Amik, Omakaki, Juskeha, Glooskap, Nanabush, and Ohzeehozo which are not interpreted. And, a few names that are interpreted such as Wisakedjak (Trickster).  The Creator is mentioned in a few tales and the name of the creator is given in either English or the tribal language.  Creators mentioned include Git-chee Manitou, Earth Elder, Good Mystery, and Earth Maker.  Some of the foods eaten are mentioned such as hunting for game, strawberries, maple syrup, corn, and wild rice.  And, one celebration instrument is brought up, the birch bark horn.

            The illustrations are mostly of nature scenes which include much of the wildlife including wolves, moose, beaver, frog, owl, bear, raccoon, and deer.  The few scenes that show humans in their environment show Cheyenne teepees, a Huron lodge, Winnebago Medicine lodge, and Seneca canoes.  There are only 5 pictures that illustrate actual people and 2 of these are from a distance you can’t make out (people in canoes on the river).  Those you can actually see people show people in animal skins, with moccasins and black hair with headbands or pigtails or ponytails. Overall, this book shows a non-stereotypical depiction of Native American.  Because it does not include the entire culture into one set and allows the telling of different moon stories from the perspective of different tribes, it celebrates the diversity within the Native American culture.

4. Review Experts

A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts
An IRA Teacher's Choice Book
A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies 

~Publishers Weekly: The book's effective design consists of verses in vertical columns at the left of each spread, with the remainder occupied by Locker's (Family Farm; Catskill Eagle) typically lush artwork. His oil paintings are eye-catching in their depth of color reflecting dramatic seasonal changes. Trees, skies and woodland creatures are rendered in vivid hues that combine to produce an enthralling vision. This unusual and intelligent book is an exemplary introduction to Native American culture with its emphasis on the importance of nature.

~American Bookseller: This book instills a spiritual respect for our land and an appreciation for the people who were its first caring guardians.

5. Connections

~Science – Use the book to discuss the appearance of the moon over time.

~Social Studies – Compare the Gregorian calendar with the Lakota calendar.

~Include in reading set about the Native American culture.  Include other quality picture books such as:

            Marks, Johnny and Hans Chester. Shanyaak’utlaax: Salmon Boy. ISBN 194601902X

            Gonzalez, Xenlena. All Around Us. ISBN 1941026761

            Flett, Julie. Black Bear Red Fox. ISBN 1554765218

Vandever, Daniel W. Fall in Line, Holden! ISBN 1893354504

Gleeson-Lyall, Melaney. I Am Dreaming of…Animals of the Native Northwest. ISBN 1554765226

Herrington, John. Mission to Space. ISBN 1935684477

~Other possible Joseph Bruchac books to read:

            Code Talker. ISBN 0142405965

            Wolf Mark. ISBN 160060661X

            Killer of Enemies. ISBN 1620142767

            Native American Tales of Terror. ISBN 0802775764

Malala: Activist for Girls' Education by Raphaëlle Frier

Malala: Activist for Girls Education

by Raphaelle Frier

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan & Peter Sis

The Dreamer

by Pam Munoz Ryan & Peter Sis

Image Credit: The Dreamer at https://www.pammunozryan.com

1. Bibliography

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Drawings by Peter Sis. The Dreamer. New York: Scholastic Press, 2011. ISBN 9780521839181

2. Plot Summary

From the time he is a young boy, Neftalí hears the call of a mysterious voice. Even when the neighborhood children taunt him, his authoritarian father ridicules him, and he doubts himself, Neftalí knows he cannot ignore the call. Under the canopy of the rainforest, and into the fearsome sea, and through the persistent Chilean rain, he listens and he follows. This story combines elements of magical realism with biography, poetry, literary fiction, and sensorial illustrations by Caldecott Honor recipient and MacArthur Fellow, Peter Sís. (Summary Credit: The Dreamer at https://www.pammunozryan.com)

3. Critical Analysis

The main character in The Dreamer is a young boy named Naftali.  Naftali is based on the real-life Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.  Naftali’s father, Jose Reyes constantly ridicules him.  He believes that Naftali is wasting his time by daydreaming and writing because he thinks Naftali should go into business or medicine and should spend all his time studying. Another character is his Uncle Orlando who is a journalist for whom Naftali would like to work. The story revolves around Naftali’s struggle to become the future writer/poet he becomes and gaining his father’s acceptance. The setting of the story is the early 1900s in Temuco, Chile. Peter Sis’s dreamlike simple drawing add to the illusory quality of Naftali’s life and the future imagery of his poems.

While cultural markers are subtler in this story, they still exist is more restrained ways. The author uses some Spanish words in the text such as guitarrista (guitar), el pan amasado (homemade bread) and Buena serta (good luck).  She uses the literal translation method for most with some contextual translation.  You can also see the culture in the family dynamics where the father is the patriarch and children are expected to obey.  The author uses place names from Neruda’s life as the setting of the story such as the Andes Mountains, Mount Llaima, River Cautin, Labranza, Boroa, and Ranquilco.  The characters names reflect this area of Chile and include Rodolfo, Jose Reyes, Orlando, Laurita, Mamadre, Valeria, Guillermo, Enrique, and Blanca.

4. Review Experts

~The Pura Belpre Medal

~ALA Notable Children’s Book – Older Readers

~Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor

~Horn Book Fanfare Book of 2010

~Kirkus Best Children Books of 2010

~Smithsonian Notable Book

~Booklist Editor’s Choice 2010

~From Publishers Weekly: Ryan's (Paint the Wind) wandering and imaginative prose and Sís's (The Wall) quietly haunting art fuse in this fictionalized account of Pablo Neruda's upbringing in the small town of Temuco, Chile. Precocious, terribly shy, and insightful, Neruda (known then by his birth name, Neftalí Reyes) is curious about all facets of life, particularly the wonders of nature. Printed in green ink (as is the text), Sís's stippled illustrations provide surreal visual teasers for each chapter. Larger images pair with poetic questions (“Is fire born of words? Or are words born of fire?”) that echo Neruda's The Book of Questions. Stressing “the importance of following dreams and staying determined,” the book is an immaculately crafted and inspiring piece of magical realism.

5. Connections

~Read other books by Pam Munoz such as:

            Becoming Naomi Leon. ISBN 9780439269971

            Esperanza Rising. ISBN 9780439120425

            Paint the Wind. ISBN 054510176X

            Riding Freedom. ISBN 9780590957663

~Read other books about Chile such as:

            Shields, Charles. Chile. ISBN 1422206343

            Dipiazza, Francesca Davis. Chile in Pictures. ISBN 0822565870

            Castillo-Feliu, Guillermo. Culture and Customs of Chile. ISBN 0313307830

            Pitcher, Caroline. Illustrated by Jackie Morris. Mariana and the Merchild: A Folktale from Chile. ISBN 9780802852045

~Geography – Look up information about the country of Chile—its geography, climate,

political history, and indigenous people, especially the Mapuche. Find out what is unique

about the part of the country near the city of Temuco, where most of this story takes place.

Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle

Hurricane Dancers

by Margarita Engle

Image Credit: Hurricane Dancers at https://www.kirkusreviews.com

1. Bibliography

Engle, Margarita. Hurricane Dancers. New York: Henry Holt, 2011. ISBN 9780805092400

2. Plot Summary

Newbery Honor author Engle (The Surrender Tree, 2008) spins three intertwined tales in frequently lyrical free verse. In the Caribbean in 1509, the cruel pirate Bernardino de Talavera has captured brutal Alonso de Ojeda, governor of Venezuela and a former conquistador. Mixed-race slave boy Quebrado, whose name means “broken,” works on Talavera’s ship as a translator and deckhand. When a hurricane sinks the ship, the three find themselves washed up individually on an island inhabited by naturales, native Ciboney Indians. Caucubú, a chieftain’s daughter, wants desperately to avoid an arranged marriage and to pursue her love for Naridó, a fisherman. (Summary Credit: Hurricane Dancers at kirkusreviews.com)

3. Critical Analysis

The characters come from different backgrounds but are mostly based on historical figures.  The ship captain is the first pirate of the Caribbean Sea and is mostly an evil character however they give some context to his villainy.  The pirate’s hostage is a brutal conquistador who only cares about the riches to be made from any situation.  The young main character is the pirate’s slave, a young boy of mixed Indian and Spanish ancestry.  The balance of the good versus evil is predictable but necessary to drive the conflict of the story.

The story takes place on a pirate ship and in the Caribbean Sea before, during and after a hurricane.  The setting is set by the inclusion of the environment and plant life (swamp, palm trees, and orchids) and animal life (parrot, macaw, turtles, bats, spiders, iguana and crocodiles).  And, you get a sense of the time period in which the story is set (palm frond torches, weaving palm fronds for the roof, and sphere court – a sport used to settle disputes played with a ball made out of sap and cotton).

The cultural details help envision the setting, time period and life of the people within the story.  The conquistador mentions taking slaves from ‘Hispaniola’ to Spain to sell them as ‘curiosities’.  The natives of the island wear loincloths, white cotton skits, necklaces of spiky barracuda teeth and decorate their faces with fiery designs made from paints made from bija seeds jagua fruit.  They mound soft red mud into hills and dig holes with a sharp stick to plant.  The slave boy says his mother’s people used to settle disputes by ‘trading names’. There are a few words in Spanish throughout the story that are immediately translated (cu ba – Big Friend, gua iro – land man, caciue – leader, behiques – healer, turey – sky).  And, the names of the characters help get the feeling for place.  The historical characters are Bernardino de Talavera (the pirate) and Alonso de Ojeda (the conquistador). The main character, the slave boy who starts out as Quebrado (broken one), is called Hurara (born of wind) by the island people) and finally names himself Yacuyo (Far Light).

Further cultural references that enhance the story are the food (guava, ginger, vanilla, spicy pepper seeds, sweet potatoes, corn, peanuts, papayas, pineapple, fish, lizards, wild manioc tubers, toasted cassava bread, lobster and shark).  They celebrate by dancing in a circle, using instruments painted with fire designs, painting their faces with red zigzags and black spheres.  They dance to ward off the Woman of Wind and her beast Huracan (hurricane) and they wear dance masks made from manatee bones.  The Spanish conquistador prays to Santiago, the patron of my homeland. And, music is a major factor in the daily lives of the characters.  The pirates use flutes, drums, ships bells, a chanted story, and a heroic song. The island people use hollow-gourd rattles, bird-bone flutes and tree-trunk drums all of which help bring a rich portrayal of a people, place and time.

4. Review Experts

~Pura Belpre Honor Book

~ALA Notable Children’s Book

~ From Kirkus Review: Engle continues to explore issues of captivity and freedom in the historical setting of her ancestors. She tells her tale in the alternating voices of her five main characters, all of whom are historical figures save Quebrado. Quebrado warns the Ciboney about the dangerous Spaniards, and the two are cast out. He helps the young lovers flee and claims true and total freedom for himself. Taken individually the stories are slight, but they work together elegantly; the notes and back matter make this a great choice for classroom use.

~From Publishers Weekly: Newbery Honor–winner Engle (The Surrender Tree) continues to find narrative treasure in Cuban history. Like her other novels in verse, this one is told in multiple voices (too many, in fact), some based on historical figures. The story, based on historical events, feels too rich for Engle's spare, broken-line poetry. Still, the subject matter is an excellent introduction to the age of exploration and its consequences, showing slavery sinking its insidious roots in the Americas and the price paid by those who were there first.

5. Connections

~Read other books by Margarite Engle including:

            The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom. ISBN 9780312608712

            Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir. ISBN 148143523X

            The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist. ISBN 9780544541122

            Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal. ISBN 0544668707

            The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. ISBN 9780312659288

~History – Research the historical characters Alonso de Ojeda and Bernardino de Talavera

~History – Build a timeline for early Spanish conquest and colonization.

~Geography – Talk about countries in the Caribbean.

~Science – Look up and talk about how a hurricane is created and what are the effects of a hurricane.