Is anyone familiar with this series? I have not seen any of the books. I
suppose it is time we turned our attention once more to bias in books on a
more regular basis. The topic has been on the back burner for a while.
marylin a hulme
hulme@email.rci.rutgers.edu
Thought you'd be interested in this troubling report on a book in
Scholastic's Dear America series. This book is undoubtedly going to be widely
marketed and read -- the Dear America series (which has pretenses of
>multiculturalism) seems to be extremetly popular among preteen girls.
>
>Additional messages on this subject have suggested commenting to Scholastic at
their feedback page at http://www.scholastic.com/custsvce/
>and submitting comments about the book to amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com
>
>Paul
>
>In a message dated 4/7/99 8:55:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>lguerra@mindspring.com writes:
>Thought this might be of interest to you ----
> "There I found the Indian burial ground, with dozens of white headstones
> bearing the names of the Native American children from all tribes who had
> died while at the school. The names, with the tribes inscribed underneath,
were so lyrical that they leapt out at me and took on instant
> personalities. Although many of these children attended Carlisle at dates
> later than that of my story, I used some of their names for classmates of
> Nannie Little Rose." (page 195)
>
> "Like Lucy Pretty Eagle, not all the children in the book were at Carlisle
that first year. But like Lucy Pretty Eagle, their personalities came through to
me with such force and inspiration, I had to use them. I am sure that in
whatever Happy Hunting Ground they now reside, they will forgive this artistic
license, and even smile upon it." (page 196)
>
The above is from the author's note from a book published by Scholastic, a
> major publisher of children's literature. The book is titled _My Heart Is
> on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, A Sioux Girl_. It is part
> of a series Scholastic does, called "Dear America." It currently has ten or so
books in the series, all historical fiction, but this is the first
> "Native" title in the series.
>
> The "diary" itself says that once at the school, children did not want to
> return home. In one entry, Spotted Tail wants to take his children back
> home, but has to drag one of them to the wagon. Those who returned to
> Carlisle after summer vacation were glad to be back, saying they missed
> their beds and that their friends back home were strange. There are issues
with authenticity also - her protagonist, a 12 year old, says upon the death of
the first child, that she is sure the children gathered at the
> funeral want to "tear their garments, cut their hair, cover themselves with
mud, and slash at their arms" but instead stood quietly. "No fearful wails, but
songs of praise to him who giv-eth and him who tak-eth life."
>
> I could go on and on about the many insensitive and inaccurate events
> described throughout the book, but rather than that, I'd like to point out the
appropriation of children's names to suit this woman's end. It is the utter lack
of concern or realization that those children were people who suffered and died
there, away from their families, that bothers me most
> about the story.
>
> The book will sell well. This series is being snapped up by schools across the
country as teachers move toward supplementing historical material with fiction
to enhance understanding of the period. This book will be read by many children,
Native and others alike. It will NOT contribute to understanding of Carlisle or
what that was all about, and factual errors in the book will likely go unnoticed
(one glaring error is that, according to the book, Sitting Bull is Cheyenne).
>
> I am going to a conference in Madison Thursday, April 8th. The focus is
> historical fiction, and I plan to discuss this book at length in a
> break-out session set up to discuss this book series.
>
> As I read the book, I compiled a list of questions, notes, comments. I also
noted the names of children Rinaldi "used" to tell her story, as well as a list
of names of visitors to the school and staff. Rather than post my notes on the
list, I am willing to share them with individuals who are
> interested.
>
> Too often, there is a tendency to dismiss children's literature because it is
for children. Children's books about Native Americans are my focus
> because books are accorded a measure of authenticity that cartoons and
> television is not. Children's books that contain stereotypical,
> insensitive, inaccurate information about Native Americans puts all of us
> at a disadvantage because those children grow up to be adults who believe
> what they read in those books.
>
> Please consider this particular book, and don't dismiss it because it is a
children's book. It needs our serious, collective attention.
>
> Debbie Reese
> Department of Curriculum and Instruction
> College of Education
> University of Illinois
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