Middle School (9 - 14) Books

GROWING UP INDIAN, Evelyn Wolfson illustrated by William Sauts Bock, Walker and Company, New York; Canada: Thomas Allen and Son, Markham, Ont. 1986, 81 Paages, Index, Bibliography.$11.85, 0-8027-6644-7

This is a really dreadful book by the author of Abenaki to Zuni. This book is in the form of narrative, whose chapters are organized around a lot of questions, starting with "What is a cardleboard?" each answered with a page or two of text. This is a vwry objectionable book, loaded with errors, made-up facts, facts the author seems to have hit on perhaps from one reading source and has generalized, and wooden, condescending talk-down writing. Despite the fact that a mishmash of factsd from different tribes is given in answer to most of the questions around which the book is organized, the idea of a homogeenized Indian (or "papoose") is generalized. Although this book apparently intends to convey its mish-mash of facts and customs about a child's life before contact, facts about the use of cloth, metal, horses, are post-contact. There isn't anything about contact, diseases, conquest, land-taking, etc. Not recommended. Reviewed by Paula Giese