The BirchBark House

How many readers out there like Native American stories. Quite awhile ago I did find out that I am a little bit Native American from way back. One of my ancestors must have fell in love with a member of the Iroquis nation of Western Pennsylvania. I know that I am one who likes to read Native American stories for I just finished reading one children's/young adult novel entitled 'The Birchbark House' a story about the Ojibwa Indians. This is a story for all seasons and will teach us about how diverse Native Americans were during the historical periods of the Americas.

'The Birchbark House'

Louise Erdrich (written and illustrated)

1999

ISBN: 0-7868-1454-3 (paperback)

Hyperion Books for Children

244 pages

There is nothing like reading a book about how the Native Americans lived and Louis Erdrich wrote such a story in 'The Birchbark House'. This is the story of a Native American named Omakayas a small child of the Ojibwa tribes. Omakayas is our leader throughout this story as well as through the seasons of the earth. She is a child that describes her family and all her surroundings to the minutest item, especially the two houses that she and her family live. There are may happy and sad moments interspersed throughout the story from the many chores that one must do from the most despicable to the ones that we like, but this just keeps the reader reading this well written story by Louise. 'The Birchbark House' is a children's/young adult novel that will in a way show us all what talents that we have to share with our families and even our communities just as Omakayas does with hers. This is a good book to read in a school classroom whether at the elementary or even a college class learning about Children's literature or one teaching about diversity in many ways.

The cover art is very well done and it does give the book an Native American feel especially along the border. I also liked the sketches throughout the book. The pencil sketches gave me the feeling of living during her time. This is also a book reminded me of other children's books especially the 'Little House' books and the way that Laura Ingalls Wilder/Garth Williams did for her childhood stories. My favorite part of 'The Birchbark House' were the little stories told by the mother and Nokomis and trying to teach a lesson through fun. Another place in the story that was a favorite was the chapter on 'Maple-sugaring time' and when the grandma would drizzle the syrup on a clean patch of snow and make a sweetness. I did this with ready made maple syrup and it is good. The glossary at the end of the book is a good idea and as a fun extra credit spelling/vocabulary test in the elementary or even middle school classrooms. Just picture students studying a Indian vocabulary that could lead to writing a story using these same Indian words that could also turn into a drama play for other classrooms. 'The Birchbark House' is a great read really for all ages. It is also a novel that shows the importance of family and what makes us the same and different from each other like Omakayas and little brother Pinch and how Omakayas looked up to Old Tallow as compared to her mother and father and her grandmother. It is a very good book to teach about family and other relationships that affect how we learn and live in our various communities and with nature in general. The society of the Native American tribes like the Objibwa Indians can teach us all in how to get along with each even if there are some kind of issues like sickness and the caring of no matter who or how old you may be as Omakayas finds out in one particular situation or two.