Fire Keeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

 

-from Macmillan

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Boulley, Angeline. 2021. FIRE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 978-1-250-76656-4.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Daunis Fontaine and her family have had more than their fair share of tragedy.  In fact, Daunis Fontaine herself feels like she was an unfortunate event, being born to a sixteen year old mother, whose family didn’t approve of her father because he was Ojibwe Indian. In order to prevent more tragedy from happening to her community, Daunis agrees to go undercover with the FBI to stop a local drug ring. She has lived her whole life, split between her Native family and her Zhaaganaash (white) family. Now Daunis will need both sides to help her stay alive and find the ones who are trying to destroy everything she loves. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Daunis Fontaine is a modern, young Native American woman.  Her daily life is a beautiful depiction of what ancient culture and tradition can look like in the present day. Each morning, Daunis’s prayers begin with a pinch of semaa (tobacco) at the eastern base of a tree, and a declaration of her Spirit name. Boulley introduces several elements of Ojibwe religion to the reader throughout the book. Daunis speaks about the Seven Grandfather teachings, 

The religious beliefs are closely tied to the medicines and ceremonies in the book. The knowledge and power of natural medicines is referenced several times. There is a great contrast between the good tribal medicines found within and the harmful drugs or bad medicine that is brought from outside the community.  The powwows that the characters attend also facilitate more room for cultural teaching; the most poignant is the Jingle Dance of healing. 

There are so many rich cultural markers within this book. Another is how the book is divided into the four directions, East, South, West and North. Each means something different to one’s journey.  Divisions of four is a marker of American Indian lore.  Also, there are many incorporations of the Anishinaabemowin language.  Daunis uses it frequently with her friends and family, and also in her inner dialogue with herself. The most simple are “Aho” for the end or Amen, and “Kwe” means woman. 

Boulley does an excellent job of highlighting the beauty of her culture, but she also shines a light on the ugliness that plagues it.  The abuse of substances is a salve that continues to fester the wounds of the Native American tribes.  Also, the abuse and violence toward native women that goes unprosecuted is deplorable.  There needs to be more action and assistance in addressing these crippling issues.     

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

American Indian Youth Literature Honor, 2022

Michael L. Printz Award, 2022

William C. Morris YA Debut Award, 2022

Booklist starred, February 2021: “Boulley, herself an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, writes from a place of love for her community and shares some key teachings from her culture, even mixing languages within the context of the story. She doesn’t shy away from or sugar-coat the very real circumstances that plague reservations across the country… An incredible thriller, not to be missed.”

Horn Book Magazine starred, May 2021

Kirkus Reviews, January 2021: “While dealing with tough topics like rape, drugs, racism, and death, this book balances the darkness with Ojibwe cultural texture and well-crafted characters. Daunis is a three-dimensional, realistically imperfect girl trying her best to handle everything happening around her. The first-person narration reveals her internal monologue, allowing readers to learn what’s going on in her head as she encounters anti-Indian bias and deals with grief. A suspenseful tale filled with Ojibwe knowledge, hockey, and the politics of status.”

Publishers Weekly starred, February 2021: “Hitting hard when it comes to issues such as citizenship, language revitalization, and the corrosive presence of drugs on Native communities, this novel will long stand in the hearts of both Native and non-Native audiences.”

School Library Journal, March 2021

E. CONNECTIONS

Firekeeper’s Daughter gives a clear, yet sobering look at modern day tribal life. Other well-reviewed books that give an authentic look into the lives of American Indians are The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls by James Bird, The Star that Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson, and Rez Ball by Byron Graves. 

**Listen to the prayers from the book in the Anishinaabe language at : https://ojibwe.net/firekeepers-daughter/

Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac

 

-from goodreads.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph. 2018. TWO ROADS. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-72542-440-1.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Two Roads is a story about Will and Cal Black, a father and son who are living the Hobo life in the 1930s. After losing their beloved wife/mom, they also lose their farm, and they are forced into a transient life. The two live by the rules of the road together. In a life-defining moment, Will reveals to Cal that they are Creek Indian, and when Cal is sent to Indian boarding school, he will embark on his biggest adventure yet.  

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
For the first sixty-plus pages, the main character (and the reader) are completely unaware that this is a Native American story. The young narrator, Cal Black, tries to forget the immense loss he has already experienced in his young life, and focuses on learning the ways of the “Knights of the Road” life with his father.  

There are clues that his dad, Will, may be unique among the other hobos.  He is keenly aware and uses his senses readily. Early on, he and Will track a thief that was stealing from a friend.  Will is also a great storyteller, and he has a gift with animals.  These are stereotypical skills of an American Indian.   

The story centers on the abhorrent experience of the Native American Boarding school.  First, Will prepares Cal by recounting some of his experiences from his youth.  The intentions of the school are absolutely awful. From Cal’s dialogue, the reader learns that these “schools” were meant to strip the native culture from the children and replace it with complete conformity to white government standards. First their appearance was changed; hair was cut; clothes replaced.  Then they were told to only speak English, and they were punished for speaking any native languages. The children were forbidden to practice their religion or ceremonies 

However, the magnificent irony of this tale is that it is at the boarding school where Cal learns about his Creek Indian culture.  He learns more of the language and customs from the other boys. One of the most moving acts of rebellion that the boys do is to practice their stomp dances out in the woods together.  For Cal’s situation, the boarding school has some redeeming qualities, like a bed to sleep in every night, regular meals, and skill-based learning. Nevertheless, it is the brotherly camaraderie and the Creek customs that are the most meaningful.     

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist, October 2018

Horn Book Magazine starred, November 2018: “Cal, who always believed he was white, confronts this heretofore-unknown part of himself while adjusting to a school designed to "kill the Indian" within him. His first-person narration rings true in this tautly paced, compelling story of family and identity.”

Kirkus Reviews, September 2018

New York Times, November 2018: "Cal's cleareyed first-person narration drives the novel. Meticulously honest, generous, autonomous and true, he sees things for what they are rather than what he'd like them to be. The result is one of Bruchac's best books." 

E. CONNECTIONS
Two Roads is a historical fiction novel from the 1930s.  To get a fuller picture of Native American culture, one could read other novels like the highly reviewed Rez Dogs by Bruchac, which is set in modern day or Moon of two dark horses by Sally M. Keehn, set in the American Revolution time period. 

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom by Tim Tingle, Illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges

 

-from Lee & Low Books

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tingle, Tim. 2006. CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP & FREEDOM. Ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 978-0-329-70170-3.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
In the days when one side of the river meant freedom, and the other meant slavery, a friendship was formed between a Choctaw girl named Martha Tom and an enslaved boy named Little Mo. Crossing Bok Chitto was dangerous for Martha Tom, when she went searching for berries, but it became life or death for Little Mo and his family, when they went searching for freedom. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

I love this book! The illustrations are enchanting, and the story is uplifting. Tim Tingle tells a powerful story of friendship and freedom, and then he gives great contextual information afterward on the Choctaw nation and Choctaw storytelling. Tingle says, “We Choctaws live by our stories.”

This story highlights the kindness and bravery of the Choctaw. The girl and her mother show great kindness to their “neighbors” of a different culture. It also shows the cleverness of the tribe, both in the way the tribe built up stones in the river to create a safe path and in the way they help save the slave family. At the end, Tingle quotes an elder that says people within the Mississippi Choctaw band did help slaves escape to freedom. 

There are markers in this story for both the Choctaw culture and the African American culture.  

The power and unity in family is present for both. The strong familial ties extend beyond the nuclear family for both cultures, and into their communities.  It was the help of the community that got Little Mo and his family across the river during their escape. 

Another strong element of culture- music- tied the two communities together.  Martha Tom heard the captivating and unifying songs of the slave church, and she made them her own by singing them in Choctaw. Music can be a beacon of hope, as well as a strong bond between people.   

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2007

American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2008

Booklist starred, April 2006: “In a picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between Native Americans in the South and African Americans in bondage, a noted Choctaw storyteller and Cherokee artist join forces with stirring results.”

Library Media Connection, November 2006: “ Through the poetic cadence of oral storytelling and a quiet, yet penetrating voice, Tingle brings this early American tale to print as a strong read- aloud for young or middle level students or for a great quick read for older readers. The language is vividly brought to life through rich earthen-toned illustrations by Jeanne Rorex Bridges.”

Publishers Weekly starred, March 2006

School Library Journal, July 2006: “Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition.”

E. CONNECTIONS

This beautiful picture book could be one of several that are used for “read alouds” any time of the year, and especially for Native American Heritage Month.  Other similar picture books are Powwow Day by Traci Sorell, Keepunumuk : Weeachumun's Thanksgiving story by Danielle Greendeer, and Fry Break: a Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard. 

Navajo: Visions and Voices Across the Mesa by Shonto Begay

 

-from Shonto Begay's Weebly

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Begay, Shonto. 1995. NAVAJO: VISIONS AND VOICES ACROSS THE MESA. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 978-0-590-46153-5.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
In the introduction, Begay says that he shares these paintings as “pieces of [himself].” He also states that the theme throughout the poems is a “struggle for balance–balance in living between the ‘New World’ and the ancient world of my people, the Navajo.” Degay’s poignant poems focus on the people of his community, while the illustrations beautifully depict the seen and unseen of the mesa, the physical world and the spirit world. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

The introduction of the collection, written by Shonto Begay, explicitly provides the authentic context of this book.  He is one of the many who suffered through government boarding schools that tried to erase his customs and Navajo way of  life.  He knows the importance of preserving it, through art and written word.    

The reproductions of his acrylic paintings are exquisite. In many, you can see the individual strokes. The colors are predominantly blues and browns, earth and sky colors. My favorite is the first one, of the Navajo man, with the outline of spirit animals all around him, the deer, the wolf, the bear and more. The accompanying poem, “Echoes,” speaks of ancient spirits that come from other worlds. It tells of the ancient prayers and songs that are sung and chanted, and how they are  still the same today. It is inspiring to read about how Navajo culture has been passed down for generations, through oral expressions like songs and stories and prayers.

“Many faces, many stories” is another poem. It is about a tribal fair, where time swirls and mixes.  Every aspect of culture is present- food, family, language, music, dance.  The smell of mutton stew mixes with cotton candy.  The sounds of prayer songs are jumbled with rap music.  The painting that accompanies it has dozens of different faces, most with modern hairstyles, jewelry, or hats. The facial expressions portray many emotions, happiness, worry, fear, suspicion, etc. I think a central theme throughout the book is that the Navajo people are a varied group, just like any other ethnicity, with different stories but one spirit. 

As the book progresses, the poems incorporate more and more of the modern world- there is even a poem titled, “Navajo Power Plant.”  But Begay intentionally juxtaposes the traditional and the contemporary, the “grind of a truck engine” with the beautiful voices from “hearts full of prayer.”  He shows that his culture can embrace both, and it doesn’t have to be one or the other.  

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALSC Notable Children’s Books, Commended 1996

Booklist, April 1995: “His work is not angry or sentimental; there is an honesty and straightforwardness that allows his readers/viewers insight into his world-view. The variety of images reflects the complexity of life that many contemporary Navajo face. An excellent addition to poetry and art collections.” 

Publishers Weekly, January 1995: “With these heartfelt paintings, poems and memoirs, the noted Navajo artist fulfills his stated goal of taking the reader ``into the corners of my world, the Navajo world.”

School Library Journal, March 1995: “Powerful and appealing in both word and image, this reflective book should find a wide audience of sympathetic readers.”

E. CONNECTIONS
For a children’s unit on the Navajo nation, other noteworthy books that could join this one are The Water Lady : how Darlene Arviso helps a thirsty Navajo Nation by Alice B. McGinty,  Chester Nez and the unbreakable code : a Navajo code talker's story by Joseph Bruchac, and Kinaalda : a Navajo girl grows up by Monty Roessel.

Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers, Edited by Pat Mora

 

-from Pat Mora's website

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mora, Pat. (Ed.). 2001. LOVE TO MAMA: A TRIBUTE TO MOTHERS. Ill. by Paula S. Barragan M. New York: LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc. ISBN 978-1-58430-019-9.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
This beautiful collection of poems honors mothers and grandmothers alike.  They are all unique in their gifts and talents, but the love they give creates a special kind of magic for their family.  These poems will make you want to call or hug your own mom. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

These thirteen poems all have unique qualities, but they share a common theme: mothers and grandmothers. Some of the poems recall the kindness and strength of a grandmother.  Some of them are about the closeness and care of a mother. 

Food is a strong cultural marker throughout several of the poems.  Mother and grandmothers make beloved dishes like arroz con pollo, special treats like cookies and empanadas, and even healing drinks like té de canela. Cooking for their families is as much about love as sustenance. 

In almost every poem, there is an unveiling of the magnificence of the mother figure. They are personal declarations that there is more to the woman “than meets the eye.” She may seem to be a mother or grandmother, but she is also a wonder, a hidden beauty, and even a caballera. 

Music is another theme that appears.  In one, it is a well-known song, “La cucaracha.”  In another, it is her laughter that is “a green song.” In “Las abuelitas” by Suarez, she talks about “the beat of salsa music” that is reminiscent of childhoods in Cuba. Music is a way for culture to be passed down from one generation to another. 

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist, May 2001: “Lots of food, hugs, kisses, and endearments, in Spanish and English, fill the 13 poems in this anthology that celebrates Latina mothers and grandmothers. The poets write about their Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, and Venezuelan backgrounds and about their families in the U.S. Some of the poems are sentimental and vague, but the best of them catch the specifics of character and feeling from the child's viewpoint. “ 

Kirkus Reviews starred, March 2001: “The warmth of family life, especially that of mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, pervades this delightful collection of poems by Latino writers from various national backgrounds.”

School Library Journal starred, April 2001: “In a beautiful tribute to mothers, grandmothers, and care-giving women, 13 poets write with joy, humor, and love about the maternal bond. Representing a wide spectrum of Latino voices, the poets range from award-winning authors (Francisco X. Alarc-n, Mora) to a 15-year-old newcomer (Cristina Mu-iz Mutchler).”

E. CONNECTIONS
Love to Mama is a wonderful collection of Hispanic poetry written for elementary to middle grade students. Similar books that could be added to a cultural unit with it are Neighborhood Odes by Gary Soto, Poems to Dream Together = Poemas para sonar juntos, by Francisco X Alarcon, and My Mexico= Mexico Mio by Tony Johnston.

The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist by Margarita Engle

 

-from Margarita Engle's website

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Engle, Margarita. 2013. THE LIGHTNING DREAMER: CUBA’S GREATEST ABOLITIONIST. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-54112-2.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Enslavement can come in many forms. Tula is heartbroken for the slavery in the sugar fields surrounding her, but she is also heartbroken from the bondage she feels in her own life as a young woman. These woeful verses recount the struggles of a young and rebellious advocate, as well as those in her immediate circle.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Tula sees the world through the lens of justice.  Whether it is slaves, or orphans, or herself, she wants fair and equal treatment for all.  This seems to be her goal- freedom for all.  However, this is not the goal for all of the speakers. Her mother wants wealth. Caridad wants freedom. Sab wants love. Most do not attain what they desire.  Struggle and want are cultural themes in this novel in verse. 

One of Tula’s main sources of discontent is the exclusion of women from education. In her nineteenth century Cuban world, women are seen as second-class citizens. They are expected to be wives and mothers. Not writers. The opening metaphor, “Books are door-shaped portals carrying me across oceans and centuries..” is so enchanting.  Engle uses many metaphors and similes to convey the intense power of emotions felt by the characters.  Tula compares herself to many things, a growling beast, an ox or mule to be sold, and a bird longing to be freed.   

Two other prevailing Latino literature themes within this work are the importance of story and oral tradition and fantasy. Tula’s stories are not just a lifeline for her, but they also bring hope and joy to the orphans. Her fantastical animal stories are what finally inspire Caridad to live free! For Tula, her writing is her freedom. It is the only way for her to feel completely free from the oppressive gender role expectations of her mother and others.  

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2014

Booklist starred, February 2013: “Engle’s richly evocative verses conjure up a time when women, like slaves, were regarded as property to be sold into loveless marriages. This is the context for a splendid novel that celebrates one brave woman who rejected a constrained existence with enduring words that continue to sing of freedom.”

Horn Book Magazine, May 2013: “Brief, lyrical observations from others -- Mamá, a beloved brother, the nuns who nurture Tula's creative gift -- add dimension to Tula's own voice and the nineteenth-century Cuban setting. "Words / can be as human / as people, / alive / with the breath / of compassion," says the eloquent former slave Caridad. In Engle's able hands, they are just that.”

Kirkus Reviews, February 2013 “Engle's clear, declarative verse animates the impassioned voice of Tula as well as other major figures in her life-- Fiery and engaging, a powerful portrait of the liberating power of art.”

Pura Belpre Author Honor, 2014

E. CONNECTIONS

This Young Adult novel in verse could be included in several different units of study. To integrate it with other books about Cuban life, Engle’s books The Surrender Tree, The Poet Slave of Cuba, and Rima’s Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny. Other notable contributions to a Cuban study would be a quality Cuban American story, Cuba 15: a novel by Nancy Osa.

Mice and Beans by Pam Munoz Ryan

-from Pam Munoz Ryan's website

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2001. MICE AND BEANS. Ill. by Joe Cepeda. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 978-0-439-18303-1.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Rosa María is the loving abuela that every kid wishes he/she had. All week, she prepares for the birthday celebration of her youngest grandchild.  As she plans, cooks, and cleans, she forgets little things here and there, including whether she has set out the mouse trap. Thank goodness she finds it in her heart to share her festive home with her little mice friends.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
This heartwarming picture book is somewhat of a “cultural parade.”  It showcases so many facets of culture within a short time- language, traditions, celebrations, and food. The strong sense and value of family is the foundation of the story. Even though the grandmother has a “tiny house,” she squeezes her “whole family” into it for the celebration. She commits her time and effort, to cleaning, planning, and preparing because she loves her family. 

The story is enriched by the interspersed Spanish. Many of the Spanish words that are used in the story are not directly translated, and the reader must use context clues to understand the term.  For example, when Rosa María “filled her big bolsa with tortillas…”, the reader must look at the illustrations to figure out that bolsa means bag. Ryan uses several other Spanish words throughout, like casita, piñata, ratones, frijoles, and fiesta. Short phrases like “No importa,” “Feliz cumpleaños,” and “¡Fíjate!” also add to the cultural relevance of the story. 

Fair warning: this book will make you hungry!  Rosa María cooks a very special and delicious meal for the birthday- red enchiladas, beans, rice, birthday cake and lemonade.  Even the details of how these foods are prepared are included in the story, like “squeez[ing] the juiciest lemons” for the lemonade, or “add[ing] water all day long until the beans were plump and soft.” These details convey the love, care, time, and effort that is put into cooking for the family. This is a cultural marker of the Latino community. 

The illustrations of this story are wonderful.  The details on each page communicate details of the story. Depth and context is added to the story through the great drawings and colors.  It is entertaining to watch the subplot of the mice, as they work in cooperation and in contrast to Rosa María. Apparently, there is a grandmother mouse that also needs to set up a party for her mija, which is the reason why some of Abuelita’s items go missing. 

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2002

Booklist, September 2001: “The story is charming, but what makes it special is the quiet authenticity of the Hispanic characterizations. Cepeda's pictures are as good as the story, with bright, funny scenes depicted from human (looking down) and mouse (looking up) points of view. A delightful birthday or anytime book.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, October 2001

Kirkus Reviews, August 2001

Publishers Weekly, September 2001:  “The dialogue is rich in Spanish phrases ("éQué boba soy! Silly me"), descriptions of Mexican food and images of a boisterous extended family ‘Where there's room in the heart, there's room in the house even for a mouse,’ Rosa Maria concludes.”

School Library Journal, October 2001

E. CONNECTIONS

This happy, celebrative book would pair well with another similar book, Chato and the party animals by Gary Soto, which is another birthday tale written within a Hispanic cultural context. It would also be fun to do a unit on grandparent books with elementary students.  In that case, books like Abuela, by Arthur Dorros, Soul Food Sunday, by Winsome Bingham, Spicy Spicy Hot by Lenny Wen, and Dumplings for Lili by Melissa Iwai would be great additions.