This month's book reviews

How a teen-age Indian girl becomes
a key part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Increasing attention in the St. Louis area will be focused on the Lewis and Clark Expedition during this next year. Schools, libraries, and museums are all participating in the two hundred-year anniversary of the expedition. "Streams to the River; River to the Sea" is author Scott O'Dell's story of Sacagawea, the Indian woman who traveled with Lewis and Clark.

As a young girl, Sacagawea, or "Bird Woman," had been captured from her Shoshone tribe, and brought by her captors to live in a camp close to the Missouri River. While in her teen-age years, she caught the eye of a half-Indian and half-French fur-trader named Charbonneau. Even though Sacagawea had been promised in marriage to an Indian brave, Charbonneau won the girl in a game of chance played with the tribal leader. Sacagawea was forced to marry the fur-trapper. Shortly after their marriage, Charbonneau went off to trade for furs and Sacagawea was left behind to wait for his return. While he was away, Sacagawea gave birth to their son.

Early in their trip, Captain Lewis and Captain Clark landed near the Indian village where Sacagawea lived. They were interested in hiring Charbonneau as a guide to take them deep into the Rocky Mountain area, a place where the fur trader had traveled before. They were even more interested when they found out that the fur-trader's Indian wife had come from the Shoshone tribe and spoke the language of the Indians in the Rocky Mountain region.

Sacagawea was happy to join the expedition. She could carry her new son in a special carrier on her back. She had come to admire Captain Clark, especially, and looked forward to the possibility of seeing her real family members among the Shoshone. Soon after they set out she was surprised to find that Lewis and Clark had been more interested in her joining their expedition than in hiring Charbonneu.

The reader experiences many of the adventures of the famous journey of exploration, but events are described in the words of Sacagawea, a lonely Indian girl who had quickly matured into womanhood.

 

A young Indian boy wants a horse of his
own - not just any horse but a special one

This story takes place in what was then the Blackfoot Indian country of the 1770's. Running Crane, who is only twelve-years-old and not a very good horseback rider, is surprised when Wolf Eagle, a great warrior, picks him to go on a raid with other warriors. Running Crane had spent his early years with a different group of the Blackfoot tribe and had not learned to ride as well as the young boys in his new village. The older boys, especially Weasel Rider, made fun of him for his poor riding skills.

Weasel Rider begins to bully Running Crane even more because he wanted his own brother to go on the horse stealing raid rather than the younger Running Crane. Weasel Rider kept up his bullying behavior during the journey and right up to the time the warriors slipped into the camp of their enemies, the Snake tribe. During the chaotic raid, Running Crane is separated from the rest of his companions. He barely escapes with his life as Snake warriors try to hunt him down.

As he is eluding his pursuers, Running Crane comes across the beautiful stallion that the Snake Indians had held captive in their camp. The stallion, considered a Spirit Horse, had escaped during the raid. Luckily, Running Crane manages to trap the Spirit Horse in a canyon without an outlet. Only after many days of carefully studying the horse and earning his trust, is Running Crane able to get to the place where he can ride the stallion.

With his new self-confidence at being able to survive on his own after the chaotic raid and then to capture and train the beautiful Spirit Horse to be his mount, Running Crane goes on to other great accomplishments. He has to deal with the treachery of Weasel Rider once again before he can finally return home as a true hero and recognition as a warrior.

 

As his father flies a bomber in
World War II, a boy's family goes
to live on the New England coast

"The Art of Keeping Cool" isn't a title that seems to fit this book. It's a serious story about Robert Saunders, a twelve-year-old, who, early in World War II, has to move from his Ohio farm home to live with his father's family on the Rhode Island coast. His mother and little sister move with him and they live in a small house close to his grandfather's larger home. The grandfather is the town doctor and he rules his family with an iron hand. Robert is pretty independent and he resents his grandfather's criticism and harsh rules. He doesn't understand why his father, a bomber pilot in Europe, is never spoken of in his grandfather's house.

Robert is surprised when his finds out that his mother has not written to his dad to tell him that the family in now living in his old hometown with his family. Robert tries to understand his cousin, Elliot, who is about the same age as Robert, and seems not to react at all to his bullying grandfather's treatment. Elliot, who is an exceptionally good artist, ignores the family problems and seems to go off and live in his own private world.

As we read about the strange family interactions with each other, we are provided with an understanding of how Americans felt early in World Was II. Especially, people who lived close to the ocean felt insecure and thought they could be in danger from German commandos or gunfire from German submarines or warships. So the story unfolds in a wartime atmosphere of fear and anxiety.

If you are interested in acquiring a better understanding of this period of history - how Americans lived in the 1940's during World War II - this is an excellent book for you to pick up and read. Our lives today are very different because of changes that occurred during that period.

 

Ten-year-old girl travels back in time and
meets her great-great-great grandmother

Rosemary Rita looked forward to receiving postcards from her grandmother. Her grandmother was named Rosemary Regina, but Rosemary just called her Mimi. They even wrote the messages in a secret code on their cards. On her tenth birthday, Rosemary was disappointed when there was no postcard from Mimi in the mail. There was a notice from the post office, however, that said a package was waiting for her to pick up at the post office.

What Rosemary found at the post office were ten boxes, all numbered from one to ten. The boxes were filled with old post cards and old fashioned girl's clothing. A note told her not to open the box numbered 10 until her grandmother was there with her. Naturally, Rosemary was so curious she had to just peek in the last box. An hourglass was inside. As she looked at it, she turned it over. Instantly, she was transported back in time.

Rosemary found out that she had been taken back over a hundred years to 1870. She was in a strange city where people were speaking a language different from English. The first person she met was a young girl named Rosemarie, who asked her if she was lost. The girl looked strangely familiar and even though she was speaking German, Rosemary could converse with her. Before opening box number 10, Rosemary had put on one of the old dresses Mimi had sent her. So she did not seem out of place. She also thought fast enough to make up a story about having been separated from her family and being lost in this strange city.

You can already guess that Rosemarie turned out to be Rosemary's great-great-great grandmother. Rosemary went on to meet her ancestors as she and Rosemarie enjoyed some adventures together. How did Rosemary keep her German relatives from knowing that she was from the future? How did Rosemary get back home? You need to read the book to find out. And if you really like the book, you will be pleased to find out that it's just one in a series of time travel adventures for Rosemary.