Celebrating Powwow, Reader Grade 4: Harcourt School Publishers Collections (Collections 00 Y006) - Softcover

Taken from Chapter 11: Dancing There are many kinds of dances at a powwow. Some dances are performed by men only, and others are danced by women only. Some are danced by men and women of the same Nation, and others are open to people of all Nations. When people from many different Nations dance together non-competitively, the dance is called an inter-tribal dance. The first and last dances performed at a powwow are always inter-tribal dances. The dancers move around the circle in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The direction depends on the tradition of the Nation in whose territory the powwow is being held.

Grade 2-4?This colorful title describes powwows and shows the various components that make up these celebrations. The book's strength lies in its ample number of good-quality, full-color photos. Those showing the regalia are particularly detailed and well labeled. The text is easy to read and well placed on the page. While the layout and format are strong, however, the book reads like a report written by an adult for a young audience. The information is presented in a clear, straightforward manner, but it is dry and covers no new ground. Also, no source notes are given. Robert Crum's Eagle Drum (S & S, 1994) covers much of the same material and personalizes the subject by following one powwow dancer. George Ancona's Powwow (Harcourt, 1993) transports readers to an actual celebration. Libraries owning these books or Marcie R. Rendon's Powwow Summer (Carolrhoda, 1996) can skip this lackluster entry.?Jane Claes, T. J. Lee Elementary School, Irving, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.