When Omakayas, an Ojibwe girl, is twelve years old, her family is forced by white settlers to find a new home. Along the way, her brother has a run-in with a porcupine which he decides to keep as his medicine animal. For awhile the porcupine seems to bring them good luck, but then two of their men are kidnapped and later their supplies are stolen. Omakayas is also worried about Old Tallow, the woman who rescued Omakayas as a child and whom Omakayas loves like a mother. The journey is long and the winter is harsh but Omakayas' family finally reaches the lake where her extended family has settled. This beautiful story weaves in Ojibwe culture and family life. The sequel to The Birchbark House and The Game of Silence.

Reviewed by: hap

Date read: 3/24/2010

ISBN-10: 0060297883

ISBN-13: 9780060297886

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Everyone is a little nervous and has questions on the first day of school. 'Will they give us a pencil?' 'Will I learn to read?' But when Thomas arrives on his very first day, there is no school, just a teacher. 'We will build our school. This is the first lesson,' she says. You see, Thomas's school is in Chad, Africa and the first assignment of the year is to build the school building using mud bricks. Nine months later, the school year is over. What they learn is theirs to keep, but Mother Nature takes back the school. The rains and winds come and slowly destroy the mud school. Come September, the teacher and students will be back to build and learn more.

Reviewed by: mec

Date read: 6/1/2011

ISBN-13: 9780547243078

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Katie is very excited. For most of the year, she lives in a city and goes by the name 'Katie.' In September, however, her family travels to the Nanticoke powwow, where she reunites with many of her relatives and is called Red Bird. The Nanticoke people gather each year to celebrate their Native American heritage with get-together including singing, dancing and eating of traditional foods. At the powwow, Red Bird wears the traditional clothing of the Nanticoke people, and she even has a part in the dancing celebrations as a shawl dancer. Before she leaves, she buys a beaded Nanticoke headband to remind her of the powwow and her heritage.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/28/2009

ISBN-10: 0688108598

ISBN-13: 9780688108595

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Join 7-year-old magician Ruby Lu as she makes trouble, friends, and magic! Watch her perform magic tricks, meet a new friend (also named Ruby) at Chinese School, deal with the mean new girl in the neighborhood, drive her mother's car, and make herself famous. If you like Ruby Lu, her adventures continue in Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything and Ruby Lu, Star of the Show.

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 6/29/2011

ISBN-10: 0689849079

ISBN-13: 9780689849077

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Ruby Lu's deaf cousin, Flying Duck, and her parents come from China to live with Ruby Lu. Ruby Lu does not know sign language or Chinese, but she does her best to help Flying Duck adjust to America. Ruby Lu works so hard helping her cousin that she doesn't do her own school work or keep up with her own friends. This summer, Ruby Lu faces several challenges: summer school (could be fun), swimming lessons (extremely dangerous), making up with her friend, Ellen (difficult), and keeping a stray dog (needs a miracle.) This is the sequel to Ruby Lu, Brave and True.

Reviewed by: hap

Date read: 5/19/2009

ISBN-10: 1416950036

ISBN-13: 9781416950035

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