Adaline Falling Star [Paperback]

Mary Pope Osborne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2002 | Age Level: 9 and up

Award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne's first middle-grade novel is a gripping girl survival story reminiscent of such classics as *Island of the Blue Dolphins* and *Julie of the Wolves*.

LOVE AND LOYALTY PUT TO THE TEST
Adaline is a fiery child--an irrepressible combination of her white explorer father Kit Carson and her Arapaho mother. When Ma dies and Pa sets off on an expedition out West, Adaline finds herself living in St. Louis with racist white relatives who call her a savage and work her like a slave.

When Adaline realizes she may have been abandoned, she decides to find her own way back to her mother's people, where she is sure her father will find her. With the company of a stray dog, Adaline sets out on a journey that will either save her life--or end it...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Legendary scout Kit Carson's sassy daughter Adaline, or Falling Star, as her Arapaho mother called her before succumbing to cholera, is mute with grief. Her widowed father has left her with his racist, cruel relatives until he returns from his Rocky Mountain expedition. But her cousins' treatment of her is more than she can bear. Instead of allowing her to go to school, they force her to work as a servant in the schoolhouse. Due to her "half-breed" status, she is barely considered human. Her mixed heritage causes her plenty of internal confusion, as well.

"I'm a mix, I reckon, of white and red blood, and also a jumbled love for free roaming and the Fruits of Civilization, which is what Doc Hempstead calls reading, writing, and geography."

Adaline's intelligence and sensitivity keep her alive when her impulsiveness provokes her to run away to find her father. Her bravery and gritty frontier resourcefulness rival her father's, but her compassion is all her own.

In this lively and touching account, Mary Pope Osborne has fictionalized the life of Kit Carson's real but little-known daughter. Osborne is the renowned author of the very popular Magic Tree House series, as well as many other books for children and young adults, including a collection of yarns about American folk heroes called American Tall Tales. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

In this novel based on a real 11-year-old who lost her mother to fever and was deposited with relatives in St. Louis, "vivid historical detail and descriptive prose fuel the narrative," wrote PW. "Adaline possesses a wisdom marked by an often heartbreaking sense of humor." Ages 9-12. (June)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Blue Sky Press (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439059488
• ISBN-13: 978-0439059480
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #756,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"I'm one of those very lucky people who absolutely loves what they do for a living. There is no career better suited to my eccentricities, strengths, and passions than that of a children's book author."--Mary Pope Osborne

Mary Pope Osborne is the author of the popular Magic Tree House series. She works with her husband Will and her sister Natalie on the nonfiction companion series, Magic Tree House Research Guides. Many of her books have been named to best-books lists.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED IT!!!, February 24, 2001

By 

Donna Lalas (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adaline Falling Star (Hardcover)

Um...Like I said, I really loved this book. This is the first time I've read a book on the journey of a young Arapaho girl and a dog she met on the way. I believe Falling Star is a hero. This book is meant to be about the real life and views of the real Adaline/Falling Star. She is the daughter of an Arapaho mother and a White Man called Kit Carson. Since her mother died, Falling Star is forced to live with her cruel ignorant cousin while her father goes on an expedition. Before Falling Star's father leaves, they exchange promises that he'll come back and that Falling Star will stay and wait for him. As soon as he leaves, Falling Star is treated badly by her cousin's family, forcing Falling Star to act mute so that she will not speak to them. She is treated as a slave and not a student, like her father wished. Falling Star obediently waits for her father to come back, and then one day, she is told that he is in New Mexico and mentioned nothing of his daughter to anyone during his expedition. Falling Star feels betrayed. Was her father ashamed of his half red daughter? This news causes Falling Star to run away from her cousins and down the Mississipi River to find her Arapaho people. Just when she was just about to give up, Falling Star is saved by an ugly mongrel. At first, she tries to leave the dog, but finds already that the mongrel has already slipped into her heart. Together, Falling Star and her dog start their journey to find her people and her father who left her. The theme of this story is about promises, wether they are said or not. The promise in this story is to never leave your loved one, whatever the consequences. I really enjoyed this book and the journey that Falling Star and her dog go through together flying through tough times with the spirit of the Holy Spirit and the Great Spirit of the Arapaho and the Catholic Religion. I loved this book and I admire the heroic spirit of Adaline Falling Star.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched historical fiction, February 10, 2001

By 

Bibliotekaria (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adaline Falling Star (Hardcover)

Eleven-year-old Adaline is considered a savage by her white relatives with whom she has been left by her father, Kit Carson, while he is on an expedition with John C. Fremont. Though she is intelligent and has received some education, she dares not allow these people to know that she is able to speak. Still grieving over the loss of her Arapaho mother, she is left alone in this hostile and unfamiliar environment in Saint Louis, taking comfort only in her "Ma doll," who seems to communicate with her in her silent world, a few other remnants of her former life, and a mutually-understanding relationship which she develops with the family's slave, Caddie. When Adaline finally breaks away from this unbearable life, her courage and strength are tested even further. The author's careful research has provided an accurate historical backdrop for this fictionalized account. Told from Adaline's point of view, the author skillfully creates a voice for this character with whom the reader can both sympathize and admire. The ending comes together perhaps a little bit too neatly to be believable, but it does not detract from the overall appeal of the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a little reality . . ., July 15, 2000

By 

Carlin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adaline Falling Star (Hardcover)

I am glad Ms. Osborne has not spared the terrible truth in how Native Americans were viewed. Her writing is poetic, fast-paced, very touching, and provides a heck of a history lesson. I have always enjoyed stories of people finding courage and clarity in themselves. This will be one of my very favorites!