Joseph BruchacAnmeldelser

Independent Reading Level: Grades K-3

IRL: Kindergarten - 3
Awards: NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book For Young People

this book is a historical fiction about the Navajo code talkers of world war two. This book was incredibly well written with themes of language, culture, and patriotism. This is an important story to talk about, especially in school as it shines a light on some of the more overlooked heroes of world war two, their challenges, and their inspiring story

Gr 3–8—While her parents are sheltering in place in Boston, Malian, an eighth grade Penacook girl, tries to keep
herself and her grandparents safe from COVID-19 on their reservation. In this novel in verse, Bruchac takes a look
at life in lockdown through the eyes of a girl coping with boredom, isolation, and the need to find her place. The text
addresses residential schools, relocation, and forced sterilization, as well as racial justice and the disproportionate
way that COVID-19 spread in marginalized communities.

Picture book about two twins attending a powwow with their family. At the powwow, a mysterious white dog steals food from a food cart and takes it away to this scary house. The twins along with their friends, follow the dog to the house where they find an old man who got hurt falling down the stairs. At the end, the man gets help because of the kids and they get to take care of the dog until he comes back.

I liked this book! I think the formatting was really cool and a good introduction to graphic novels for kids. I would use this book in 2nd-3rd grade classrooms.

I love that this book uses real, interesting, and fun stories to illustrate ideas about culture. I really like that within the story there are real life situations and interactions that show stereotypes and proper ways to respond to such matters but that is not the central theme of the book. It is a part of the book without being the isolated! I love it.

This book would be good for older elementary (grades 3-5) because of the length of the book.
This book follows a set of siblings who are visiting their grandparents and traveling to different powwows. While at a powwow, a mysterious dog keeps making an appearance so the siblings set out to figure out where this mysterious dog is coming from.
I would recommend this book be available for students to read as a fun mystery while also being exposed to American Indian culture and traditions in a positive way.

Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children

Stories from Native North America

This is a Cherokee Legend about how strawberries first came to be. In this story the man and the woman argue. WIth the help of the Sun, they learn lessons of kindess and respect. This book has beautiful illustrations that will draw young children in. The text is simple for even the youngest readers to enjoy this legend.

A lovely folktale from Abenaki story tellers. :) For all the kids that just can't wait until winter for snow.

Great story and moves at a nice pace to maintain interest. It is meant for middle readers / young adults, but written well enough for an adult.

I didn't finish this. Not because it was bad, but because I have a ton of other books I'd rather be reading. I didn't even make it to the dragon part!

This book broke my heart in a lot of ways, but I think it was one that has to be read, has to be told so people don't forget. It's shameful what happened to these people. This isn't my favorite book in the series, but it was good and had me tearing up at parts. I would recommend to anyone. 4 out of 5 stars.

How Chipmunk Got His Stripes is an okay but it seems a bit dated to me. The repetition of the story is great for young children but I somehow found the presentation to be not very engaging.

Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac is a wonderful story, told in open verse like an oral story, about a Penacook girl at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She gets stuck with her grandparents during the lockdown and learns more than she ever could imagine from her elders! And as she guards her grandparents, she is guarded by a dog who mysteriously arrived just when he knew he was needed. There are stories within the story: old stories of animals and ancestors, and newer stories about her life, and the lives of her parents and grandparents. Rez Dogs is a beautiful story about self-discovery, heritage and family, and friendship with man's best friend. A touching tale of resilience and history and love.

Independent Reading Level: Grade 4th
Awards: N/A

IRL: Kindergarten - 3
Awards: NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book For Young People

Ages: 3-6 Years Old

Read and enjoyed by my son.

It feels so strange to be reading a book set during the time of COVID already, but I am glad that authors are starting to explore this time and it’s effect on different people. This book in particular shows the important viewpoint of how Native Americans have been effected, and in particular on reservations. This is a novel in verse and is beautifully done.

I also loved the dog that shows up and stays with the main character as she must stay with her grandparents on their reservation during a COVID lockdown. He helps looking after them all, as Malian bravely watches over and protects her grandparents who would be particularly susceptible to COVID.

Rez Dogs is one of those books that seem like a quick read for a lazy day, and it is. However, this book is so much more. We meet a young girl named Malian who is visiting her Penacook grandparents on the reservation when all travel is shut down due to Covid-19. Her parents are in Boston. She continues her school lessons online, helps her grandparents use video chat all while learning more about her own heritage. She wakes one morning to find a dog sitting in the driveway, as if guarding her and her grandparents. She names him Malsum.

Through the stories her grandparents tell her, she learns about her Native American heritage as well as life lessons. She learns of the atrocities from the past as well as the good that has come out of them. This is a simple, quick read, so full of simple, and in my opinion, great life lessons all children and adults should hear. This is just another great book by an author I really admire.

This is a collection of poems by Joseph Bruchac about notable historical Native American People. The poems are potent mini biographies. Some were hopeful and some were sorrowful. The selection of individuals gives snapshots of Native American history through their personal histories written as poems. There is a section at the end with additional context on each individual. The art throughout the book is stunning work by Native American artists. Some of the art is funny; some pulls at the heart. I would recommend this for readers from middle school age through adult. Those wanting to know about Native American history would benefit from this collection. The combination of art and poetry bring a strong emotional component to the information presented.

The book opens with sibling camaraderie between the main characters as they get ready and head to the powwow. They help their grama and grampa set up their booth at the powwow and while they are at the booth alone a moment, a man comes up, identifies himself as a family friend, and gives them a treasure map. The kids track down the treasure and bring it back for Grama and Grampa to open- it's full of traditional wampum beads! They tell them who sent them on their treasure hunt and Grama and Grampa identify him as their great-great grandfather and offer to take them to visit his grave. This would be a fun story and series for a child who loves to hunt out treasures and secrets. There are some touches of modern Native American culture woven into the story and hints at elements of historic Native American culture. Though the specific tribal connections are not expressed. This could also be good for siblings as an example of close, cooperative siblings (who still mess with each other some).

Retelling: Each of these tales share a personal encounter with athletics of some kind. The players often need to overcome the expectations of others and sometimes even transform their own expectations of themselves.

Thoughts and feelings: I didn't know anything about this book when I picked it up so I half expected it to recount famous moments in professional games. I was delighted to find a more relatable theme. Reading these tales inspired personal connections. I realized that athletics, whether you love them, hate them, or somewhere in between are a shared experience. I used to care deeply about mastering physical feats, and sharing the moment with friends. I remember the shame and embarrassment of the shared locker room. The book left me wondering who else has a story.