Turtle Island

I seriously loved this book. It was definitely written for a young set of readers, and it's a super general kind of overview of the history of North America before the arrival of european colonialists. I definitely learned some interesting facts, though, and am looking forward to sharing this book with my school-aged son.
I think it would be a good book for people, in general, to read, but especially north americans, because many people don't really understand the length and breadth of the history of the first nations peoples of this continent, or how many advances and innovations they had in their world before the settlers came. This book isn't preachy, but it doesn't flinch from truth. I think it would be a wonderful conversation starter for families interested in opening dialogue into deeper and more troubling, related subjects, and also for those who want to gently raise awareness.

This book was such an informative and interesting read. Combining oral history and stories, archaeological research, and historical records this book goes through the different groups of people living in the "New World" and how they lived before Europeans came and how their coming changed things. I loved reading this story and know that people can learn a lot from it.

Even though thousands of years have gone by, we have ways of stepping back into the past...

See this review with pictures on my blog here:
https://chrikarublog.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/book-review-turtle-island/

This is beautifully-illustrated and could fit easily into the 'faction' category where you have a factual book, presented with illustrations you might expect in a fiction picture book. I really enjoyed learning more about some of the bits of history I already knew about, as well as finding out more. I particularly liked how multiple perspectives are provided and it is recognized that there was no unified 'Native American' or indigenous culture, despite common traits being a respect for the environment and nature.
The tone of the book changes substantially with the arrival of the Europeans and the subsequent decimation of the indigenous population thanks to smallpox, influenza and other illnesses. This is followed by a sickening list of the relentless discrimination that indigenous people faced from the massacre at the Battle of Wounded Knee to tribes being separated from their ancestral land.
Overall, a fascinating, informative read which will lead many bookworms into further investigation of the rich heritage and history of Turtle Island.

What I liked: The way archaeology, mythology and imagination were tied together to really engage the reader in multiple possible perspectives e.g. presenting some Scientific evidence, followed by a traditional story that is linked to it, then a piece of creative writing inviting children to imagine themselves in the shoes of someone who lived at that time. I also liked how the author talked about the loss of linguistic diversity and what that means for an orally-transmitted culture.

Even better if: It is clearly designed as a book to dip into, or be used as a textbook alongside a course of study so I did not find it the easiest to read from cover to cover. I would have liked even more photographs and drawings of people to allow readers to make stronger connections to the people being discussed.

How you could use it in your classroom: Pick out chapters that are relevant to what you are learning in the classroom in order to provide another perspective or make links with mythology and imagination.