The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle [Hardcover]

et al Gay Matthaei (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Inspired by the richly detailed picture stories of the Plains Indians--sometimes drawn on ruled ledgers--this book is a visual feast that introduces children to pictographic art. This fictional account, based on historical fact, tells of a young Sioux warrior's childhood adventures on the plains and his journey East to the white man's school. Full-color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even a cursory glance at this handsome debut volume lets readers know that it is no ordinary picture book. The blue cloth jacket, with its rounded corners and stamped border design, artfully suggests the eponymous ledger, as does the ruled inset that bears the title-written in script, as is all the text-and a distinctive, childlike illustration. Opening the book-not vertically but horizontally-reveals sumptuous marbled endpapers that enclose a journal kept by Thomas Blue Eagle, a (fictitious) Sioux lad who learned "the white man's language and his skills" at the Carlisle (Penna.) Indian School-an institution, as noted in the book's afterword, that existed from 1879 to 1918. The journal's entries, which are written across the pages' lines rather than on them, range from informative to poignant to humorous ("The first time I saw a white man I thought he was sick because he was so pale"); and all exude a child's guilelessness ("The white man broke the treaties. We went to war"). Inspired by the picture stories of 19th-century Plains Indians, Cvijanovic's vivid pictographic illustrations are outstanding, speaking volumes even as they, too, remain perfectly childlike. Uncommon artistry combined with thoughtful research have produced a work of rare quality and merit. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-This book looks convincingly like a drawn and written record made by a student at the historic Carlisle Indian School in the late 19th century, but it is in fact a work of fiction. Thomas describes aspects of his life on the plains with his beloved pony, Two Painted Horse. A Crow raid and his own successful coup against a white trapper provide narrative incident. Most of the story involves the boy's adjustment to the school, where he learns the white man's ways without rejecting his own. But for whom is he creating this account? Why does he describe his still-viable culture in the past tense? And, most important, why interpolate a fantastic incident from Lakota legend (better retold in Rosebud Yellow Robe's Tonweya and the Eagles [Dial, 1992]) into an otherwise realistic account? Such questions may hardly occur to readers taken with the look of this book-its copperplate, hand-written text and the "aged," colorful, pictograph-like art. Everything so suggests an authentic document (the authors' research and a Lakota advisor further vouch for the background veracity) that the inconspicuous fictional disclaimer at the back may be overlooked. If the volume's loose narrative cohesion is also verisimilar, the liveliness and interest of the art is a real counterweight.
Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565660633
• ISBN-13: 978-1565660632
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Multiculturalism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb, multilcultural, timeless, educational masterpiece, August 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle (Hardcover)

Of the many excellent reviews of this book - starred in PW, for example - why did you choose the Kirkus Review's? The Ledgerbook was supervised, vetted and blessed by Arthur Amiotte, a Sioux Elder, with more credentials than you can count. A leading advocate of the power of education, Mr. Amiotte 's approval of and great delight in the authenticity of this book has obviously been overlooked in the KR reviewer's research. Throughout the entire country, this book has been cited again and again by educators and parents alike as being the most powerful, interactive teaching tool they've come across in years, not to mention being an extraordinry feast for the eyes. Please research your reviews before choosing the one that will (incorrectly in this case) represent the book to your many readers. Subjecting an extraordinary book to bad PR out of ignorance should be beneath you

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1995 winner of the Christopher Award for best children's, February 16, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle (Hardcover)

Won the Christopher and International Readers Awards in 1995 because it is an authentic history, fictionalized, with stunning illustrations in the style of Plains Indians. We found it in the museum stores of the Southwest, where it was a favorite of the librarians. There is also a cd-rom called Journey of Thomas Blue Eagle, done by the illustrator.It is a favorite gift book of ours and hugely appreciated by the recipients

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Happy With Purchase, June 7, 2009

By 

Karen M. Wadsworth "Older Student" (Salt Lake City, UT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle (Hardcover)

I am very happy with this book. However, I was under the impression that it was a copy from an original journal kept by a Native American. The information on the back page indicates this is not so. The colors and pictures depict a contrast of cultures and it is still a worth while book.