Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Learn the Yupik Alphabet Painlessly



Yupik isn't part of the Algonkian language family, but I couldn't resist embedding this charming video.

Thanks Jackie!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Kid Lit about Native Americans: Rethinking Columbus and Other Titles

The latest issue of School Library Journal features a list of books for kids about American Indians.

It is a good thing that these books come from a variety of genres. Nevertheless, this blog is about history, so I won't tell you about any Native science fiction or other genres that aren't specifically about history. We'll stick to history here.

That leaves just two books, both of which are aimed at high school youth. The first one, with its lesson plans and attention to the educational process, might be aimed at teachers as much as it is at students.

Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years, 2nd Edition
Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson, editors.
The first edtion of this book made a big splash in 1991.
Oddly, the second edition (published in 2003) is not available on Amazon, but you can purchase it from Rethinking Schools.


The other book is good for teens but also a good read for adults:
 

Code Talker Stories by Laura Toho
The author's father, Benson Toho was a code talker and the book is based on interviews with the surviving code talkers. Includes photos by Debra O'Grady.
Available at Treasure Chest Books