5/5/2017 0 Comments The Birchbark House1999, Written & Illustrated by Louise Erdrich National Book Award Finalist (1999), American Indian Youth Literature Award (2006) Omakayas is a strong, plucky seven-year-old Ojibwe girl living in 1847. When Omakayas was a baby, she was the sole survivor of a smallpox epidemic on her home of Spirit Island. Rescued by a fearless woman named Tallow, Omakayas is adopted by an Ojibwa family on Madeline Island. As Omakayas partakes in the rhythms of daily life on the island—from making birchbark houses and tanning moose hides, to picking berries and harvesting wild rice—she forges stronger connections both with her family and with unexpected friends. But when the dreaded smallpox returns to Omakayas’ life, she has to find a talent and inner strength that she did not know she had. As someone who grew up loving the Little House series, The Birchbark House was right up my alley, but I think would appeal to a wide variety of readers as well. Omakayas is such a great heroine: she is plucky, intelligent, strong, and kind, but she also has flaws. The amount of character growth not only from her but from other characters as well (particularly her brother Pinch and her sister Angeline) is masterfully done. Omakayas is a very relatable heroine, despite living over 150 years ago. I love how the book teaches about Ojibwa daily life from the mid-1800s, which is something that is not often explored in literature, and is something that I found particularly interesting. There is such a strong family dynamic as well, and not just with the immediate nuclear family but with extended members of her tribe as well. The animal characters were a great addition, and would appeal to many children. I have read adult novels by Louise Erdrich before, and I appreciated how she crafted her writing style to fit a younger audience, without ever talking down to them. I would suggest this book for students (especially girls) aged 8-12, or for younger students as a read-aloud. It would appeal to anyone who loves American history (especially the Little House on the Prairie series, as it is very similar), adventure stories, animals, nature, and family stories.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |