Southeast Indians (Native Americans) - Softcover

Gr 2-4-A group of Indian nations native to one region of North America is the subject of each of these titles. All three books are attractive, with full-color photographs and drawings depicting the tribes now and in the past, but the texts are disappointing. Each title has 14 two-page chapters that are half text and half illustrations. A page with three extremely brief biographical entries completes the work. The writing is choppy, consisting mostly of short sentences or sentence fragments. The content is oversimplified to the point of being confusing and misleading. Topic statements are extremely general and often are not supported by details. The scope is just too broad for such brief coverage. Jumps between subjects suggest connections that are frequently not stated clearly enough for students. Young readers may also fail to catch the change from past to present tense between chapters, thereby missing the differences between modern and historical events and activities. Photographs of modern-day tribe members adorn some of the historical passages and vice versa, adding to the confusion. Libraries will do better with books on individual tribes, such as those in the "New True" and "A True Book" series (both Children's).-Darcy Schild, Schwegler Elementary School, Lawrence, KS

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