Children of the Indian Boarding Schools (Picture the American Past) [Library Binding]

Holly Littlefield (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-In 1879, the United States government began to take Indian children from their reservations and place them in boarding schools where they would learn English and Christianity. In many cases, the parents of these children had no choice but to comply with the government officials. Littlefield's text is factual and spare. She lets the incredible photographs and other illustrative materials tell the story. Readers are sure to be moved or angered by some of the pictures, which clearly depict the stripping of a culture. One particularly poignant photo shows three young men in their native dress; on the same page, viewers see the same three with haircuts, attired in suits and ties, looking uncomfortable and unhappy. The author's research is evident in her resource list. However, one of the most valuable sections in the book is the chapter entitled "Understanding Historical Photographs." In it, Littlefield gives methods for studying photographs so that students can evaluate the realities shown. For teachers and librarians, this part of the book could be fodder for hours of discussion.
Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Reviewed with Holly Littlefields' Children of the Orphan Trains.

Gr. 3-6. Historical photographs are the focus in this very moving Picture the American Past series. There's a sepia print on every page, and Littlefield fills in the history and the personal stories with informative text and captions that will encourage readers to look closely at the photos to see what they show and what they leave out. The stories are heartrending. Many Indian children were torn from their homes and sent away to be taught European culture in boarding school; they sit stiffly for group portraits in European clothes, their hair cut short, their names changed. Children sent west on orphan trains line up for inspection, hoping they look strong enough for work so that a stranger will offer them a home. Both books make it clear that some children ran away, some died, and some did well. Littlefield ends with excellent suggestions for further reading and classroom projects. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 48 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575054671
• ISBN-13: 978-1575054674
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,007,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book for Older Children - a review of "Children of the Indian Boarding Schools", November 17, 2007

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Children of the Indian Boarding Schools (Picture the American Past) (Library Binding)

"The School Journal" and "Booklist" suggest this book for children as young as 2nd Grade. But given the subject matter, and given the reading level, I would think that 4th Grade-and-Up might be more appropriate.

The Accelerated Reading listing for "Children of the Indian Boarding Schools" is 5.4. This means that this book is generally suited for 5th Graders in the 4th month of school. That alone, of course, does not suggest that the book is inappropriate for younger children. However this book talks about the Government (ours... U.S.A.) coming and forcefully taking children from their parents. And, in fact, arresting fathers and sending them to prison when they objected to having their families torn apart.

To me, this is difficult material. And while it is handled quite well there are enough dark moments that come to light that I was not comfortable reading the book to my second grader. The author gives us, for example, excepts from letters, and quotes from adults, which speak of their sadness at being taken away from their families. We are also given some sad facts about how many children died in these institutions that were supposedly for their benefit.

Five Stars ::: A moving book about a dark time in U.S. history. Holly Littlefield does a fine job in describing what was involved in the forceful placement of Native American children into Boarding Schools. She discusses how the children were taught English and the Christian religion, and generally made to present themselves in a western fashion. The presentation is somewhat biased towards the negative, although the author does give a few examples of children that appeared to benefit.

The Accelerated Reading designation is given as 5.4.


Note on AR designation: The AR description is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.

Pam T.