DIAMOND WILLOW - Helen Frost

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frost, Helen. 2008. Diamond Willow. New York: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 978-0-374-31776-8

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Diamond Willow is a novel in verse about Willow, a shy, twelve-year-old girl, who lives with her family in Alaska. Diamond Willow is like a diary of her hopes, fears, and love of mushing with her father’s sled dogs. Like many girls her age, she struggles with who she is and who she wants to be, yearning for both acceptance and independence. Finally, her parents allow her to mush the dogs out to her grandparents’ house alone. And so begins her journey, one filled with beauty, tragedy, and surprising realizations about herself.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The title for Diamond Willow reflects not just the name of the main character, but the phenomenon where certain varieties of willow will develop a diamond-shaped mark with a dark center under their bark when a branch is removed. In the Author’s Note, Frost describes her own diamond willow lamp and walking stick, whose photo appears as a decorative element in the book. These objects were the spark for this story, which is told through a series of vignettes typeset in diamonds. Words near the center are set in bold, and can be read for their own meaning, a subtext of what Willow has the most trouble confiding and will not say directly even here.

Willow’s story is told in first person present tense, so the reader experiences the story as Willow experiences it. Interspersed among the poems are prose interludes, which are the observations of animals who carry the souls of her ancestors (Willow’s mother’s family are Native Americans in the Athabascan tribe, as described in the Author’s Note and references in the text). As they watch over Willow, the animals share insights with the reader, so there are times when the reader knows more than Willow herself.

The diamond-shaped poems are free verse, having no meter or rhymes. They are written as prose, with line breaks to fit the visual pattern more than phrasing. As a story more than poems, language is more natural with very few poetic elements like alliteration or onomatopoeia. Frost does craft similes and metaphors between Willow and her natural world, in one case comparing nagging doubts to hawks ready to dive on a timid mouse. Frost’s descriptions allow the reader to make their own mental pictures of what is happening in the story. Her words are carefully chosen to convey the events and their impact concisely and in the voice of a twelve-year-old. Each scene fits in the bounds of one diamond figure, and they gain beauty through their form. Each diamond is unique, just as each event in our lives leaves a different impression on who we are.

Traveling with Willow on her inner and outer journeys will take the reader through a myriad of emotions: from self-consciousness and doubt to despair and shame, panic and desperation, all the way up through strength, devotion, and love. (I needed tissues!) The emotions flow naturally out of Willow’s own reactions, bringing the reader deeper into the story.

There are no illustrations in Diamond Willow, though the cover illustration gives clues to the story. Some are obvious from the beginning of the story, but there are meanings that only become apparent once the reader has reached the end.

Diamond Willow would be most appropriate for upper elementary and middle grade readers. With themes of self-discovery and perseverance through adversity, Diamond Willow will resonate with youth who may be dealing with similar feelings in their own lives. The story has a timeless quality to it, and doesn’t contain any popular culture references that would date it in the future.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS

Best Books For Middle And Junior High Readers: Grades 6-9 - Second Edition (2009)

Texas Lonestar Young Adult Reading List Nominee, 2009

CCBC Choices List, 2009

Bank Street’s Best Children's Book of the Year, 2009

Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens, 2009

Winner of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award (Pennsylvania Center for the Book) and the Mitten Award (Michigan Library Association)

The Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry Honor Book, 2009

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: “Frost has spun metaphoric gold out of an evocative natural landscape, and she knows just how to craft it into an elegant and moving story of a young girl’s deepening understanding of the relationships she shares with those around her.”

BookList: “Set in a remote part of Alaska, this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl’s discovery of family roots and secrets… The casual diamond shape of the poems reflects how precious jewels of wisdom can grow around painful scars.”

School Library Journal: “As she unravels the truth, Willow comes to understand the diamonds and scars that bind her family together. She also gains awareness of her own strength and place in her community…Frost casts a subtle spell through innovative storytelling. Her poems offer pensive imagery and glimpses of character, and strong emotion. This complex and elegant novel will resonate with readers who savor powerful drama and multifaceted characters.”

School Library Media Activities: “The imagery of the poetry is powerful. Readers will be intrigued by the form of the storytelling and cheer for the strong and independent Willow who is well on her way to discovering who she is.”

5. CONNECTIONS

-          Give a book talk about the plot of Diamond Willow, ending by reading the first couple of poems out loud. Then, use a document camera to show the students what the pages look like.

-          Read an interview with Helen Frost at http://www.helenfrost.net/item.php?postid=23

-          Learn more about dog sleds and the Iditarod. Here are two websites mentioned on Helen Frost’s website:

http://iditarodblogs.com/zuma

http://www.iditarod.com

-          Find out more about the Athabascan Native Americans

http://www.anchoragemuseum.org/galleries/alaska_gallery/athabascan.aspx

http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=193

http://www.aaanativearts.com/alaskan-natives/athabascan.htm

-          Explore diamond willow photographs. Many are available online; teachers could select appropriate websites prior to showing to classes.

-          Ask students to write poems in a diamond shape with hidden messages as in the format of Diamond Willow. Poems could be about family, friends, beloved pets, or challenges. Allow students to write on a topic that is not sensitive or embarrassing.

-          Ask students to write poetry in other natural shapes that have meaning to them, like spiraling shells or clouds. For more inspiration, check out:

Joyce Sidman, Joyce, and Krommes, Beth. Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature. ISBN 978-0547315836)

Yolen, Jane. Shape Me a Rhyme: Natures Forms in Poetry. ISBN 978-1590784501

Module 2 Reviews: Traditional Literature

Here are three book reviews: Swamp Angel; Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig; and Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear. One is a tall tale, one is a twist on a well-loved story, and the last is an anthology of Native American tales. I hope they will be helpful.

SWAMP ANGEL - Anne Isaacs

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Isaacs, Anne. 1994. Swamp Angel. Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 9780525452713

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Swamp Angel is a tall tale, and I do mean tall. The heroine of the story is Angelica Longrider. As a newborn, she was “scarcely taller than her mother.” Needless to say, she certainly became someone to look up to! When Tennessee was ravaged by a voracious (and enormous) bear, many men tried to take him down. Thundering Tarnation, as the bear was known, would not be bested by any of them. Angelica decided to take her turn, even though people told her that she should be at home sewing and cooking. Angelica’s battle with the bear reached epic proportions, including tornado wrangling and the origin of the Great Smoky Mountains. In this match of equals, who would win?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Swamp Angel is an original story based upon the tall tale traditions of the American frontier. While it is not a retelling of an existing folk tale, Isaacs has certainly captured the flavor of one. She has created a romping tale which moves from one episode to the next on every page. Set in Tennessee in the early part of the 1800s, Angelica personifies the tenacity of pioneers, who struggled to stake and protect their claims. Pioneers watched out for each other, helping each other where they could. She had her own mind, though, and wouldn’t be boxed into the expected roles of women at the time. Angelica’s foil is the greedy bear, which steals away the results of all their hard work and puts them at risk of starving in the winter to sate its own appetite. Their struggle is an allegory for the conflicts between hard work and taking without contributing, between doing what is right and doing what is easy, between the good of the community and a focus on self. The reader is likely to assume that by the end of the struggle, Angelica will have removed the threat of the bear in one way or another. Their struggle lasts for at least ten days and takes them all over Tennessee. The story ends happily for Angelica, but Thundering Tarnation makes his mark, even today.

The text in Swamp Angel captures the feel of a rural American dialect and could easily be read out loud. As a story rife with hyperbole, realism in the story events is not an expectation. Individuals and common activities become caricatures, based in reality but exaggerated beyond the truth. By examining the illustrations, a young reader could learn about the hardships, chores, and entertainment of daily life on the frontier in the 1800s (if taken with a grain of salt!). As with many traditional tales, it begins with an introduction of the main character as a baby and closes with “proof” of how you can see that the story is true because of something that can be observed in the real world.

  

Angelica is larger than life, and Paul Zelinsky uses perspective to depict how she dwarfs everyone around her – including her loyal, if diminutive, dog, who can be spotted on almost every page if you look carefully. On the other hand, he plays with perceptions. At the beginning of the book, there is a portrait of Angelica with no background to give perspective. She looks like an average young woman, until you realize the small bouquet of flowers she is holding is sunflowers and not wildflowers. Emotions are easily recognizable, whether it is a human or animal. Zelinsky even manages to portray the passage of time in his illustrations, particularly during a three-day wrestling match between Angelica and the bear. The illustration spread shows them battling in multiple locations, as if taken by time lapse photography. To add to the rustic feel of the story, Zelinsky chose wood grain for the backgrounds throughout the book. There is a note on the title page verso that the illustrations were painted on wood veneers, so those backgrounds are his actual painting surfaces. Scenery and clothing are appropriate to the time period, helping to draw the reader into the world of settlers in the nineteenth century. As noted previously, many details about life in the nineteenth century are incorporated into the illustrations, giving a broader view of the time and culture. A comparison of Zelinsky’s illustrations to nineteenth century paintings of the American frontier, especially by artists like Bierstadt, show similar color choices and styles. The illustration on the final page shows a contemporary scene, tying in several elements to the story and bringing the story into modern times.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS
Caldecott Medal Honor, 1995

Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee, 1997

“Most highly recommended” by H. W. Wilson’s Children’s Core Collection

School Library Journal: “The pictures and words cavort across the page in perfect synchronization, revealing the heroine's feisty solution.”

New York Times Book Review: “There are very few tall tales about extraordinary women in American folklore compared to those that extol the virtues of men, and this comic rendition about a gifted, powerful and helpful woman is in all ways superb.”

Booklist: “Isaacs tells her original story with the glorious exaggeration and uproarious farce of the traditional tall tale and with its typical laconic idiom—you just can't help reading it aloud....Zelinsky's detailed oil paintings in folk-art style are exquisite…”

5. CONNECTIONS

-          Students could compare and contrast Swamp Angel with other American tall tales.

Kellogg, Steven. Paul Bunyan: A Tall Tale. ISBN 0-688-05800-0

Kellogg, Steven. Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale. ISBN 0-688-09924-6

Osborne, Mary Pope. American Tall Tales. ISBN 0-679-90089-6

Wood, Audrey. The Bunyans. ISBN 0-590-48089-8

-          Students could examine the portrayal of women in other tall tales.

Osborne, Mary Pope. American Tall Tales. ISBN 0-679-90089-6 (This book includes a story about Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind.)

San Souci, Robert D. Cut from the Same Cloth: American Women of Myth, Legend, and Tall Tale. ISBN 0-698-11811-1

Mora, Pat. Doña Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Woman with a Big Heart. ISBN 0-375-92337-3

Brimner, Larry Dane. Calamity Jane. 0-7565-0600-X

Nolen, Jerdine. Thunder Rose. 978-0-15-216472-0

-          Students could compare and contrast Swamp Angel with other historical fiction or nonfiction materials to learn more about life in the nineteenth century or the locations mentioned in the text, watching for details in the illustrations.

-          Students could watch the video adaptation to see how the original book and the video differ, if there are places where it is handled better in the book or the video, or in preparation for readers’ theater.

Lester, Julius, and Isaacs, Anne. American Tall Tales. (DVD) ISBN: 978-0-439-90438-4

THE THREE LITTLE WOLVES AND THE BIG BAD PIG - Eugene Trivizas

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Trivizas, Eugene. 1993. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. Ill. by Helen Oxenbury. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 0-689-50569-8

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this version of The Three Little Pigs, our introduction describes wolves as “cuddly little wolves with soft fur and fluffy tails.” Their mother sends them out into the world with a warning to watch out for the big bad pig. They decide to live together, and start out with a house made of bricks. This seems like an auspicious beginning (much better than the pig’s straw house!) … until the big bad pig shows up with a large sledge hammer. Of course, it escalates from there. Children will enjoy the extreme construction and demolition. The end is a major twist on the traditional tale.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The text of The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig would lend itself well to reading aloud, almost begging to be told to a child or group. The text and illustrations break in the right spots to create suspense for what the pig will try next. Interspersed with Helen Oxenbury’s watercolor and pastel illustrations, she has added small ink drawings with details to supplement the story. There are quite a few higher level terms, like pneumatic drill, which are made clear for younger readers through the illustrations. They can make a visual link to things they have seen, even if they didn’t know the word for them. This makes the story more accessible. Motion, effort, and emotions are evident in the illustrations, bringing extra depth. The endpapers are blanketed with teapots and teacups, a clue to the importance of the teapot in the story (watch for its escape along with the wolves!).

It is very clear which characters in The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig fall into the good side and the bad side. In addition to being experts in construction, the wolves play croquet and drink tea. The pig, true to “big bad” form, is a bully. There is no reason given for why he wants to get into their houses. There are no shades of gray or potential justifications for the pig’s behavior. For as predictable as the pig is, these wolves think outside the box to find a solution.

Unlike the many folk tales, the setting for this story is the modern world based on construction materials. But, there is no reference to how much time passes during each construction phase. This is not a variant with a cultural perspective, regional setting, or area-specific idioms.

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig follows the repetitive patterns of traditional tellings, so children familiar with one of those stories will find the action they expect with a great deal of predictability. The book starts with “Once upon a time…” There are the requisite huffing, puffing, and “chinny-chin-chins.” In some retellings of The Three Little Pigs, the wolf gets his just desserts in the chimney. Children may very well root for the pig to be punished here. Children need to learn how to deal with bullies, and this story shows that it is possible for bullies to change. Most people will have to deal with someone difficult at some point, so this is a theme that will resonate with a lot of children. Trivizas even gives the reader a “happily ever after ending.”

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS

ALCS Notable Children’s Books, 1994

Books For Growing Minds - Best Of The Backlist, 1995

Booklist Editors Choice, 1993

Baker & Taylor Elementary School Core Collection - Level 1, 1997

School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

Booklist: “The concepts that beauty can facilitate change and that tenderness works better than toughness won't be lost on kids.”

Publishers Weekly:  “A talented team ingeniously up-ends the classic tale of the three little pigs, and the laugh-out-loud results begin with the opening illustration…Oxenbury's watercolors capture the story's broad humor and add a wealth of supplementary details, with exquisite renderings of the wolves' comic temerity and the pig's bellicose stances. Among the wittiest fractured fairytales around.”

5. CONNECTIONS

-          Students can read a variety of different retellings of the Three Little Pigs to look for common elements and the changes they enjoy.

Brett, Jan. The Three Little Dassies. ISBN 978-0-399-25499-4 (Southern Africa)

Ketteman, Helen. The Three Little Gators. ISBN 978-0-8075-7824-7 (East Texas/bayou)

Lowell, Susan. The Three Little Javalinas. ISBN 0-87358-542-9 (Southwest)

McNamara, Margaret. The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot. ISBN 978-0-375-96689-7

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. ISBN 0-670-82759-2

Sierra, Judy. Tell the Truth, B. B. Wolf. ISBN 978-0-375-95620-1

Wiesner, David. The Three Pigs. ISBN 978-0-618-00701-1

-          The class could create their own story, giving it a twist particular to their town or even school.

-          Students could prepare a puppet show for one of the younger grades, and could even find or create sound effects to go along with it.

-          This book could be used in conjunction with guidance lessons on bullying or No Place For Hate, as a jumping point for discussions of how to interact with peers or resolve conflicts.

FLYING WITH THE EAGLE, RACING THE GREAT BEAR - Joseph Bruchac

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph. 1993 Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear: Stories from Native North America. Ill. by Murv Jacob. N.p.: BridgeWater Books. ISBN 0-8167-3026-1

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear  is an anthology of sixteen Native American traditional stories representing tribes in the Northeast, the Southeast, the Southwest, and Northwest regions. These stories focus on boys’ transitions to adulthood, with challenges, quests, guides, and rites of passage. They show the consequences of poor decisions, the rewards of wise decisions, and an individual’s interdependence with other people and the natural world. In the introduction to the book, Bruchac said that these stories help the young prepare for their adult lives, but also help adults remember their own youth. While most of the stories are traditional tales, there are two biographical stories included, told in the style of a traditional tale.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

While it would be impossible to collect all the stories told by Native American tribes, Bruchac has amassed a representative sample. His choice to group the stories into fours is greater than a simple organizational scheme. Bruchac explains in the introduction that the number four holds significance for Native Americans, and can often be found woven into the stories they tell. He provides an introduction to each section, giving background information that will help the reader connect with the stories through themes, symbols, language, and culture. Bruchac helps the reader to see similarities between the stories told by different tribes and in different regions, while maintaining each tribe’s unique perspective and heritage. Unless children are of Native American descent, it is unlikely that they will recognize any of these stories, though some elements have been absorbed into popular culture. The representations in this book are more culturally authentic than what is shown in many books, movies, or television shows. Bruchac, himself, is Native American, and the afterword describes the input from individuals from multiple tribes who have shared their stories with him. This book could be read by older children or shared between children and adults. Some of the stories would be short enough that they could be presented as a read aloud.

Traditional tales fulfill two roles: the enjoyment of the story and passing wisdom and lore down to new generations. In their capacity of entertainment, these stories are full of drama, cliffhangers, magic, revealed identities, battles, and adventure. In the role of oral education, the stories carry messages to the listeners about the tribe’s mores. The alignment of characters, either human or animal, between good and bad is fairly straight forward. Many characters represent a virtue or a vice, some of which are relatively universal and others of which are specific to Native American cultures. There are, however, characters in between, who start the stories making poor decisions and then learn from their mistakes. Challenges and choices are an inherent component of these stories, as they are in the lives of real people. The power to change is honored. Conflicts may be external with animals, monsters, or other tribes. The conflict may be internal as well, where the resolution is increased wisdom or a new perspective. Not all the stories have happy endings: sometimes there are consequences to your actions that cannot be undone. Even if not happy, justice and balance prevail. Some are pourquoi tales, explaining the origin of a natural phenomenon or animal.

As in many folk tales, time passes to suit the needs of the story. Sometimes, the passage of time is accelerated to move a character from being a baby or child to becoming an adult. Some spans are made explicit, especially if tied to a significant number, like four. As oral histories, they are rooted in times gone by. Except for the biographical stories, there is little to tie them to a specific time period. Bruchac describes settings in broad brush strokes, matching what would be expected in the historical territory of a certain tribe. Locations are referenced by tribe names rather than a specific geographic marker.

As an anthology of stories, Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear does not have the same quantity of illustrations as a picture book. Murv Jacob, also a Native American, has created illustrations for the cover, title page, and regional introductions, presenting montage of characters and events that will appear in upcoming stories. He also used traditional decorative motifs to frame those pages. As they are different for each region, they may be patterns that are unique to the tribes featured in that section. The illustrations help to set the stage, adding visual cues to help the reader visualize the stories.

Most of the stories in the Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear anthology begin with “long ago.” One even starts with, “Ne onendji. Hear my story,” formally incorporating the storyteller into the telling. Stories wrap up with statements like “and so,” explicitly pointing out what the main character learned or how the story relates to the tribe’s culture or something that can be observed in the world. It is easy to imagine sitting with a group and listening to someone tell these stories by memory. A common element in traditional tales, these stories make use of many supernatural or magical devices. Travels to the stars, bringing people back to life, transformations, bows and arrows with special powers, and the like are found in many of the stories. Talking animals appear in stories form other cultures, but guidance from animals is a part of Native American cultures, giving this greater importance to the story. Maintaining authenticity to the culture and to the story was important to Bruchac as he recorded them. In the afterword, he urges the reader to look for stories transcribed by Native Americans as more accurate. The book contains a small bibliography of other recommended readings by Native Americans.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) AND AWARDS
Baker & Taylor Elementary School Core Collection - Level 1, 1997

CLS Opening Day Collections Audit, June 2002 and ongoing

Skipping Stones Honor Award, 1994

Lifetime Achievement Award, Native Writers Circle of the Americas

Storyteller of the Year, Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers

Kirkus: “…[Bruchac] has drawn few (if any) of these stories from printed sources; thus, he offers readers new insight into a range of Native American cultures--and into history, too…”

Publishers Weekly: “Words and phrases from various Native American languages liberally stud the well-cadenced text, enhancing the already authentic atmosphere.”

School Library Journal: “A volume that will be useful to students of multicultural folklore as well as to those interested in good storytelling.”

Booklist: “The tales are easy to follow and to envision, but they can be understood and interpreted on many levels.”

5. CONNECTIONS

-          Balance Flying with the Eagle, Running with the Great Bear with other Native American stories which feature girls and families.

 * Bruchac, Joseph, and Ross, Gayle. The Girl Who Married the Moon: Tales from Native North America. ISBN 978-1555915667 (This book is a companion to Flying with the Eagle, Running with the Great Bear, looking at stories for girls.)

Bierhorst, John. Is My Friend at Home?: Pueblo Fireside Tales. ISBN 0-374-33550-8

Clark, Ann Nolan. In My Mother’s House. ISBN 978-0-14-054496-1

Ebensen, Barbara Juster. The Star Maiden: An Ojibway Tale. ISBN 0-316-24955-6

Kavasch, E. Barrie. Apache Children and Elders Talk Together. 0-8239-5225-8 (This title is part of a series which features a number of different tribes.)

Keams, Geri. Snail Girl Brings Water: A Navajo Story. ISBN 0-87358-662-X

Miller, Jay. American Indian Families. ISBN 978-0-516-20133-7

-          Examine other Native American tales to look for commonalities and differences.

Ardagh, Philip. North American Myths & Legends. ISBN 0-7166-2611-X

Goble, Paul. The Great Race of the Birds and Animals. ISBN 0-689-71452-1 (Goble has transcribed many Native American tales.)

McDermott, Gerald. The Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest. ISBN 978-0-15-265661-4 (McDermott has transcribed many Native American Tales.)

Rodanas, Kristina. Dragonfly’s Tale. ISBN   978-0-329-02692-9

Ross, Gayle. The Legend of the Windingo: A Tale from Native North America. ISBN 0-8037-1898-5 (Ross Partnered with Bruchac in The Girl Who Married the Moon. This book was illustrated by Murv Jacob, who also illustrated Flying with the Eagle, Running with the Great Bear.)

Sita, Lisa. Indians of the Northeast: Traditions, History, Legends, and Life. ISBN 0-8368-2646-9 (This title is part of a series looking at different Native American tribes.)

Steptoe, John. The Story of Jumping Mouse: A Native American Legend. ISBN 0-688-01903-X

-          Expand Native American stories by incorporating crafts and other activities.

Caduto, Michael J., and Bruchac, Joseph. Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children. ISBN 978-1555913861 (This title is part of a series looking at different topics, including the environment.)

Rudolph, Nancy Lyn. Paper Animal Masks from Northwest Tribal Tales. ISBN 978-0-7567-7073-0

Thomson, Ruth. Indians of the Plains: Facts, Things to Make, Activities. ISBN 0-531-14157-8

-          Read Native American poetry to see how it matches poetic forms students have already studied or how it is different. Look for similar messages, symbols, and motifs.

Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. Dancing Teepees: Poems of American Indian Youth. ISBN 978-0-8234-0724-8

Bruchac, Joseph. The Earth Under Sky Bear’s Feet. ISBN 978-0698116474

-    Try putting on a play.

-                                Bruchac, Joseph, and Flavin, Teresa. Pushing Up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for

                         Children. ISBN 978-0803721685 (These plays are arranged for use with groups of children.)

-          Learn more about Joseph Bruchac, his life, and the books he has written.

Parker-Rock, Michelle. Joseph Bruchac: An Author Kids Love. ISBN 978-0766031609

Visit the author’s website: Joseph Bruchac Storyteller & Writer at http://www.josephbruchac.com/

-          Study Native American art and create images similar to Jacob’s illustrations.

-          Rewrite story from the perspective of a different character, like the mother or the weasel.

-          Take a look at Native American languages.

http://www.native-languages.org/

http://ourmothertongues.org/Home.aspx

http://www.plumsite.com/palace/native.htm

http://www.nativeweb.org/resources/languages_linguistics/native_american_languages/

-          Watch online Native American storytellers. These videos are long, and should be previewed to select the best segments for your students. The presenters give factual information as part of their presentations. Other videos can be found online, but should be evaluated for their cultural authenticity.

Tales From the Longhouse - Native American Winter Storytelling Festival at the Smithsonian. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UbmB6HG1yg

Seminole Stomp Dancers at the Smithsonian. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DWK2VE6FyE