Gr. 5^-8. After his mother died in 1850, young Thomas Mayfield lived with the Choinumne Indians in California, spending almost all of his time between 8 and 18 with them while his father ran livestock in the valley. Mayfield tells of a carefree and happy existence growing up at the
rancheria, describing the traditional ways of the tribe before the encroachment of the white settlers and people in search of gold. Although the folksy tone of the narrative may be lost on middle readers, the first-person descriptions of fishing and hunting, clothing, food, and everyday life are genial and appealing. The black-and-white drawings scattered through the book are at their best when they show wildlife, housing styles, and details of preparing food. Edited by Margolin, this account was adapted for children from Mayfield's book
Indian Summer: Traditional Life among the Choinumne Indians of California's San Joaquin Valley. Glossary appended.
Karen Hutt
From Kirkus Reviews
Margolin (Native Ways, 1996, etc.) adapts for children some of the material in Indian Summer (1993, not reviewed), but does not make it accessible to a younger audience. At the age of 82, Mayfield told his story to a school teacher and historian. His father fought in the War of 1812; Mayfield, born 30 years later, lost his mother at a young age and went to live with the Choinumne Indians, who doted upon him. Running parallel to the history of the Gold Rush and the settling of the San Joaquin Valley in California, the story describes how the Indians lived, their customs, the food, hunting, and the character of the people. These are the remembrances of an adult who does not often speak from the perspective of childhood. The details of clothing, food, etc., have not been woven into an interesting narrative, and Mayfield's personality rarely emerges. Amateurish and inadequate, the illustrations are badly drawn, whether showing equipment, people, or animals, and the compositions are clich‚d, with strategically placed items to cover women's breasts. (maps, glossary) (Nonfiction. 10-13) --
Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
