Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear: Stories from Native North America [Paperback]

Joseph Bruchac (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Drawn from 16 Native North American cultures, this collection of authentic tribal tales focuses on a theme of universal appeal: the rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. Bruchac is the recipient of the American Book Award, the Parent's Choice Award and the Skipping Stones Award for multicultural literature.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Native American cultures the passage of a boy into manhood is a highly significant event marked by a variety of rituals. "One powerful way in which the meanings of this transition have been taught for thousands of years is through traditional stories," remarks storyteller/author Bruchac in the introduction to this selection of coming-of-age tales (see also Bruchac's Fox Song , reviewed above). Organized according to the region of North America from which they originate, these brief fables have the moral structure and pungent immediacy found in the more widely known European folktales. In the title story, from the Iroquois, Swift Runner--a small, underestimated boy--becomes a man when he hunts and kills a bear that has murdered members of his tribe. A Caddo story, "The Wild Boy," links the origin of thunder and lightning to two brothers' quest. Ignored by his father, the Pueblo hero of "The Bear Boy" is raised alongside a mother bear's cubs. Words and phrases from various Native American languages liberally stud the well-cadenced text, enhancing the already authentic atmosphere. Ages 10-13.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Bruchac introduces his collection of male rites-of-passage stories by explaining that Native American cultures used stories both to instruct and to entertain. Because of the significance of the number four in many tribes, he's arranged the stories, which he's drawn from tales he shared with his sons, into four geographically organized sections, each containing four stories. Some are tales of courage, some are pourquoi tales, and some show the impact of disobedience or disrespect. The tales are easy to follow and to envision, but they can be understood and interpreted on many levels. Striking black-and-white illustrations, with decorated borders, introduce each of the sections, which begin with information about the significance of the tales to their tribes. Unfortunately, Bruchac fails to provide source notes, though he does suggest a few additional resources for stories and information about storytelling in American Indian cultures. A useful collection for middle-school readers as well as classroom teachers. Karen Hutt --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Troll Communications (October 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081673027X
• ISBN-13: 978-0816730278
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,235,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > United States

More About the Author

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed Abenaki children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored more than 50 books for adults and children. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Garrett, a 5th grader at Boise-Eliot says:, March 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear: Stories from Native North America (Paperback)

This is a great book with Native American stories from all over America. It has many stories and about four sections with about five stories in each section. I have some Native American blood and this book has stories from my ancestors. You should really read this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars records the spoken legends of boy-to-manhood ceremonies, November 10, 2010

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear: Stories from Native North America (Paperback)

It's a great idea for a book -- bring together the traditional stories and legends Native people tell and retell as they shape their boys into men. The sections have short introductions, and the stories are arranged by geographic region. The stories are interesting and wise, but they lack the verbal richness I was expecting from spoken stories. The retellings are sparse and... a little drab.

Not all the legends have the endings you would expect -- some are cautionary tales. Good stories.