Native Americans (Nature Company Discoveries Libraries) [Hardcover]

Judith Simpson (Author), Lorann S. A. Pendleton (Editor), David Hurst Thomas (Editor), Helen Halliday (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995 | Age Level: 10 and up | Series: Nature Company Discoveries Libraries

People first came to the continent of North America during the Ice Age. Some settled in the bleak lands of the Arctic, while others walked south as far as California and Florida. They formed different tribes with their own languages, customs and ceremonies. Native Americans is the story of these people - from the hunters and warriors who speared woolly mammoths and long-horned bison, to the farmers and foragers who searched for food in the mountains and on the coast. They depended on the land for everything: for wild plants to use in healing rituals; and for materials to make and decorate clothes, masks and costumes, and to build dwellings and boats. Many Native Americans believed that the sky, earth, plants, animals and rivers had powerful spirits. Some told stories of mythical creatures that formed the world and brought good harvests. They danced, sang and prayed to the spirits and had solemn pipe-smoking rituals and powwows to ask the spirits for a successful hunt or to bring peace to warring tribes. When Columbus came to the New World, life changed for the Native Americans. The new settlers often took land by force, and herded the people o

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8--Like the successful "Eyewitness" books, this series has a large format, captionlike texts, and an extravagant museum of illustrations. Large fold-out pages illustrate big ideas[...] Each book tackles a broad subject, but glossaries, indexes, time lines, and maps help unify the information. Small boxes scattered throughout are obviously meant to capture readers' attention, but they sometimes backfire, as when the facts they provide are too mundane or obscure for the intended audience. [...] Native Americans lumps Indian cultures together and, by doing so, is able to make comparisons of many cultures. It shows, for example, various modes of native transportation, and compares different lifestyles (farming, fishing, foraging, etc.). This approach works well when examining artifacts, but less well as an examination of ongoing, living cultures. Marlene Smith-Baranzini and Howard Egger-Bovet's Book of American Indians (Little, 1994) lacks the vivid full-color illustrations of this book, but gives readers a more complete picture. [...]Attractive but somewhat dry overviews. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Time Life Education (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0783547595
• ISBN-13: 978-0783547596
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,595,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Illustrated Book!, February 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Native Americans (Nature Company Discoveries Libraries) (Hardcover)

I am a third grade teacher and the study of Native Americans is part of our History/Social Studies curriculum. Every third grade teacher at my school has purchased this book with their own money to use when teaching this topic. It is beautifully illustrated and contains lots of colorful photographs. It contains interesting facts and information about different Native American tribes and their customs, from totem poles and tipis to wedding ceremonies and canoe-building. My students really enjoy reading it and looking at the pictures. I highly recommend it for those of you who have an interest in Native American culture, artwork and customs.