THE GAME OF SILENCE by Louise Erdrich

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Erdrich, Louise. 2005. THE GAME OF SILENCE. Unabridged ed. New York, NY: Harper Children’s Audio. ISBN 0060758392.

PLOT SUMMARY
Omakayas, or Little Frog, is a nine-year-old Ojibwe girl living on the shores of Lake Superior in 1850. Her family is camped in their summer birchbark house when a raggedy, starving group of Ojibwe approach the island in waterlogged canoes, bearing the news that their entire tribe is soon to be removed into the lands held by their feared Lakota and Dakota enemies. As the strongest men of Omakayas' clan set forth to find out their fate, the family waits though summer and fall to learn the nature of their future.
The book is a sequel to The Birchbark House and describes another year in the life of Omakayas.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS
With The Game of Silence Louis Erdrich brings a taste of Native American fiction at its best. The dramatic and impressive story presents the responsibilities and challenges that the Ojibwe tribes faced to survive, and the consequences for them when the chimookomanag, or the white people came to their lands, changing their life. Their everyday ordinary tasks are described in loving detail, enabling readers to gain a fuller picture of a time, a place, and a way of life. All facts about the Ojibwe people are accurate and well researched by the author, making the historical aspect of this novel appeal to the audience.

The writer’s interesting, creative, yet believable, fictional plot line makes the reading a page turner that really draws in the readers and connects them to the characters. The story is told from Omakayas’s viewpoint, in a vigorous narrative that is complemented by the use of dialect and specific Ojibwe terms. Eldrich’s rich, evocative prose and vibrant imagination creates characters that are very likable and easy to relate to. A major theme is the unveiling of Omakaya's gifts and the acceptance of her maturing identity, which creates timeless parallels to the agitations of the modern day children.

The Game of Silence is a good choice to listen to as an audio book. Anna Field’s excellent performance brought the voice and personality of Omakayas and the other characters to life. She clearly voiced all of the dialogue in a convincing Native American manner of speaking, using different intonations for the different characters both male and female. Her performance, along with Erdrich's well-written narration and dialogue, transports the listener/reader straight into the everyday life of Ojibwe tribe in mid-1800’s. The descriptions, vocabulary, and all traditional words interspersed among the text, perfectly set the tone for this story. Listening to the audio while reading along in the book would be a perfect literature experience.

Readers who enjoy Erdrich’s character-driven style will not be disappointed from this lyrical,relaxed paced and yet moving and stylistically complex novel.

AWARDS
ALA Notable Children's Books - Middle Readers Category: 2006
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Middle Readers Category: 2005
New York Times Notable Books - Children's Books: 2005
Parents' Choice Awards - Fiction: 2005
Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award

REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Librarly Journal: “Omakayas's tale, begun in The Birchbark House, continues in this book. Older and more insightful, Omakayas begins to understand the elements of life more fully as she accepts her gift of telling dreams. Changes are coming to the Ojibwa people and she struggles to deal with all that she is experiencing and her dreams foretell.”

Publishers Weekly: "… this meticulously researched novel offers an even balance of joyful and sorrowful moments while conveying a perspective of America's past that is rarely found in history books."

Kirkus Reviews: ”Omakayas's relationships with her prickly brother Pinch, the white child she calls Break-Apart Girl and Two Strike, who scorns women's work, allow for emotional resonance. She learns not only from the hands of her grandmother, mother and Old Tallow, but by her own sharp observation and practice. Eager readers beguiled by her sturdy and engaging person will scarcely notice that they have absorbed great draughts of Ojibwe culture, habits and language. It's hard not to weep when white settlers drive the Ojibwe west, and hard not to hope for what comes next for this radiant nine-year-old.”

CONNECTIONS
*Follow the story of Omakayas:
THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE (book #1). ISBN 0060297875
THE PORCUINE YEAR (book#3). ISBN 0060297875

*Expose children to other selected books about Native American people:
Hamm, Diane Johnston. Daughter of Suqua . ISBN: 9780807514771
O'Dell, Scott . Island of the Blue Dolphins. ISBN: 9780395536803
Bruchac, Joseph. The journal of Jesse Smoke : a Cherokee boy. ISBN: 9780439121972
Bunting, Eve. Cheyenne again. ISBN: 9780395703649
Bruchac, Joseph. Children of the longhouse . ISBN: 9780140385045

HATTIE BIG SKY by Kirby Larson

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Larson, Kirby. 2006. Hattie Big Sky. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780385733137

PLOT SUMMARY
Hatie Brooks is a sixteen-year-old orphan. Her parents died when she was very young, and since then she has been shuffled around from one relative to another. She has never felt honestly wanted; she has never had a real home. When an uncle she has never met leaves her a homestead in Montana, Hattie decides that his claim is her chance for a home of her own. In order to prove the claim, she must learn a new set of skills to survive. Hattie has to deal with a frigid winter, a threat of no crops, and her own inexperience and loneliness. At the end, when a disaster strikes, Hattie will unveil the true meaning of home and the full scope of friendship; she will dicover that the possibilities are always around her.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Inspired by the author's great-grandmother, who did homestead by herself in eastern Montana, this absorbing story introduces us to the questing, indomitable Hattie, one of the strongest pioneer girl characters. Through these pages, we witness her evolution from the child who calls herself "Hattie Here-and-There" to the young woman who says “there were bigger things in life than proving up on a claim. I was proving up on my life”. She grows to a person who does what needs to be done, and learns the true life values. Hattie’s struggle for survival is shown in vivid details and readers could relate to her grit, determination and humor.

The historical aspects of the plot are very believable, without being overwhelming. Set in 1917 during World War I, the novel not only portrays the challenges of pioneer life as experienced by a young woman, but also accurately represents the background of the war, and associated with it privations and pressures. Even in the wilderness of Montana, the war against the Germans causes a wave of anti-German sentiment and adds tension. The book deals openly and frankly with the universal themes of loyalty, prejudice, patriotism and human morals. The authentic first-person narrative, full of hope and anxiety, as well as Hattie’s letters and newspaper articles, convey additional themes about struggle and survival and finding your place in the world, so relevant in today’s world.

Larson’s capturing writing style will keep the reader interested until the very last page. Full of both triumph and heartache and beautifully written, the story combines sufficient action, historical accuracy and compelling description to attract even reluctant readers. Hattie Big Sky is a fantastic story about courage and friendship.

AWARDS
ALA Notable Children's Books - Older Readers Category: 2007
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 2006
Montana Book Award
School Library Journal Best Books: 2006
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 2007


REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal: “Larson creates a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered.”

Booklist: “Writing in figurative language that draws on nature and domestic detail to infuse her story with the sounds, smells, and sights of the prairie, she creates a richly textured novel full of memorable characters.

Horn Book : “Set in Montana during World War I, Larson's novel tells a gripping story of frontier life through the eyes of an unlikely homesteader--a sixteen-year-old orphan girl. Pressures to be a "loyal" American complicate her situation after she befriends a German couple. Evocative yet straightforward language ably depicts Hattie's joys and struggles.”

CONNECTIONS
* Introduce other historical fiction novels, discussing teens who discover their self-reliance:

Van Leeuwen, Jean. Cabin on Trouble Creek . ISBN: 9780803725485

MacColl, Michaela.Prisoners in the Palace : How Victoria Became Queen With the Help of her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel. ISBN: 9780811873000

Finn, Mary.Anila's Journey. ISBN: 9780763639167

THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE by Karen Cushman

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Cushman, Karen. 1995. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Harper Trophy. ISBN 9780064406307.

PLOT SUMMARY:
Brat is “unwashed, unnourished, unloved and unlovely” young girl with no home, no family; nothing. She doesn’t know other name than Brat; she doesn’t know her actual age. She has no past and no future until she meets the village’s midwife and becomes her apprentice. While her hunger drives her to work for the sometimes cruel midwife, the girl-who renames herself Alyce- begins to discover more about herself and her own abilities, and gains the courage to want something from life: "A full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world.”


CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Karen Cushman has created a lively, gritty story with an unforgettable female heroine in this compact, dense novel.
Setting the story in pre-1500's England, Cushman has done her research to give an authentic picture of life in a medieval village. The book gives a realistic portrayal of the culture of the country, as seen through the eyes of the protagonist. Accurate, historical details are vividly described without calling too much attention. Cushman’s medieval village is dirty, smelly, and completely realistic, as opposite of the romanticized images of castles and princesses. The dialogue used captures very well the speech patterns used during medieval times.Even more impressive is the fact that her protagonist (in spite of the book’s shortness) is fully-fleshed and believable: Alyce is a plucky, gawky, and endearing heroine, and her story is utterly compelling. We see her transformation from a girl who runs from failure, to a self acknowledged person who learns that she is worthy of other people's respect, care and love.

Children today will recognize and empathize with Alyce's predicaments: feeling unwanted, being different, moving into unfamiliar territory. While they won’t face trials as extreme as the girl’s in the novel, they still must develop self-confidence and determine what their own dreams are. The main theme of the book is Alyce's survival and maturity. Cushman doesn't sugarcoat her struggles: life was hard for such children during those times. Alyce, while imperfect, is shown as a character that grows and begins to build her own identity. The story definitely reflects the morals and attitudes existing at the time. Younger children may be challenged to read this historical fiction novel, but those who enjoy fast-paced, witty, atmospheric, and descriptive stories may enjoy the book.

Cushman successfully manages to bridge the gap between illusion and reality, combining specificity of historical detail with adventure and mystery - a hearty concoction of literary appeal for any young reader.


AWARDS:
ALA Notable Children's Books: 1996
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 1995
Newbery Medal
Parents' Choice Awards - Story Books: 1995
School Library Journal Best Books: 1995
YALSA 100 Best Books (1950-2000)
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 1996
Young Reader's Choice Award (Pacific Northwest): Senior

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Kirkus Reviews: “How Brat comes to terms with her failure and returns to Jane's home as a true apprentice is a gripping story about a time, place, and society that 20th-century readers can hardly fathom. Fortunately, Cushman does the fathoming for them, rendering in Brat a character as fully fleshed and real.... in language that is simple, poetic, and funny”.
Publishers Weekly: “The force of the ambience produces more than enough momentum to propel the reader from start to finish in a single happy sitting. “
School Library Journal: “Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people's occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart. Earthy humor, the foibles of humans both high and low, and a fascinating mix of superstition and genuinely helpful herbal remedies attached to childbirth make this a truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children's literature.”


CONNECTIONS:
*Introduce children to other books featuring ordinary medieval people with strong personalities:
Alder, Elizabeth. The king's shadow. ISBN: 9780440220114
Avi. Crispin: the cross of lead. ISBN:9780786808281
DeAngeli, Marguerite. The Door in the Wall. ISBN: 038507283X
Cadnum, Michael. The Book of the Lion. ISBN: 9780142300343

* Create a discussions of the middle ages and young girls in medieval England using other books by Karen Cushman…
CATHRINE, CALLED BIRDY. ISBN 0395681863.
MATILDA BONE. ISBN 0440418224.