Customer Reviews

WATERLESS MOUNTAIN

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Younger Brother, an eight-year-old growing Navaho boy, and his uncle live in a rocky, hot, dry land called The Waterless Mountain, because there are no springs coming out of the mountain. Uncle taught Younger Brother about his family. Uncle was a very smart man, so he was thought to be a Medicine Man. Even the whites held Uncle in high regard. The white men, are called Big Men because of their smartness, power, and their size. Uncle also taught Younger Brother about the Special people known as the people of the sky, heavens, and Earth. This had inspired Younger Brother to go to the west, but since he was still only eight, he could not go. Three years later Younger Brother, now eleven, rides to the wide west by himself.

This was a great book about Navahos and their special powers they believe they hold inside of them. This is a great book for people who like adventure and mysteries. Even though my teacher made me read this, right from the beginning, I was fascinated by the way the author brought my attention to the difference between are lives today and the lives of the Indians in the year 1924. The ideal reader for this book would be a sixth to eighth student.

This novel won the 1932 Newbery Medal for best contribution to American children's literature. It is the story of a young Navajo boy in the 1920s who wishes to become a medicine man like his Uncle. The book is filled with the fables of the old Navajos and descriptions of some of their ceremonies. I agree with the 1998 reviewer from Washington, D.C., that the comments made by the Horn Book seem a little too harsh. Apparently, there was a great interest in Navajo culture at this time in the U.S. The 1930 winner of the Pulitzer Prize in fiction was "Laughing Boy" by Oliver La Farge. But, the Horn Book probably doesn't care for that book either!

I do not agree with the review given by Horn. This is a gentle story told with compassion and respect. It does not degrade the Dine nor their culture. Laura Armer respected the Dine and, in turn, was respected by them. They called her "the woman who wears turquiose" (she wore turquiose long before it was popular to do so) and "hard-working woman." This story can be appreciated by children who have secret places and are in awe of the beauty and wonder of nature. There is a magic quality to it that supports many children's belief in the mystical realms. I read it to my son when he was seven and we both loved it. I think it might even encourage some to find out more about the Dine people and their culture and beliefs. I suppose the reaction of the Dine characters when they are in the city could be taken as demeaning by those looking for that particular view. However, these people's lives were based on relating, daily, to important life issues, not the non-essential elements that abound in city living and the art/museum world culture - this could make them appear simple. Yet, if the situation were reversed, and the people from the urbanized world were put on the Dine reservation, especially in the 1930's, they would appear awkward, superficial, and "illiterate" in the ways of survival. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I read this for a college course on children's literature, so I'm not exactly a part of the book's target audience, but I find the snarky review above unjustified. God help the poor pitiful humans in the 1930s for not being politically correct enough to please the Horn Book's reviewing staff. And I guess religious values and a respect for nature is now to be dismissed pejoratively as "mysticism."

I thought the book was an interesting read, if, sure, a bit dated. It's all the more interesting because the life it depicts -- life on the Navajo Res before the coming of paved roads, is slipping away from living memory.

I exchanged about a hundred letters with Armer before her death. From her unpublished manuscripts I edited 10 chapters of her Navajoland adventures for Desert Magazine. These chapters were then published as "In Navajoland." She shared many mystical insights with me and a credo which I cherish: "I will walk with fate / And thus compel / The jade to go my way. / A jackal falling down a well said, / "Here I camp today." I have in my living room the large canvas Armer painted called "The Shepherdess," a scene described in one of her books. I welcome any comment on Armer.

This gentle story of Younger Brother, an Indian boy and his coming of age touched my heart. His thirst to uncover the mysteries of the earth and connect with his fore fathers ("the ancients") by learning all the ancient songs, customs and ceremonies in his quest to become a medicine man, made for a truly unforgetable story. I must say that initially I found the prose wearisome, however after I allowed myself to get into the rhythm of the book, I was able to appreciate it for the history it afforded. I applaud the author Laura Adams Armer who must have spent many hours researching the ancient Indian traditions and customs. Younger Brother grows up a bit as he leaves the familiarity of his home and strikes out on his own to find "the wide water". During his journey west, he encounters people unlike any he has ever known, those who would dare attempt to steal his pony, and those who would dare disturb an ancient burial ground, just to obtain a piece of pottery. The realization that all is not always beautiful is a revelation to him as he has always been able to find beauty everywhere he looks. I would recommend this book to any adult who enjoys history (Indian history or otherwise), or to a mature youth who would be able to appreciate it for its background on Indian culture. Those youth who typically enjoy a more fast paced read, would undoubtedly find this gentle tale not to their taste.

This is the coming-of-age novel of a young Navaho boy, Younger Brother, as he learns the world of his people and learns the secrets of his tribe's wiseman and learns the ways of the larger world. Younger Brother helps a friend, The Big Man, with car problems. He goes on a long quest and finds he can survive on his own. He saves his horse from thieves. All the tales are told with a background of magic and mystery, with the mountains and desert as a magnificent setting.

Newbery winner.

This 1932 Newbery Medal award winner was really a good story about a Navajo boy and his family. The title was misleading and it turned out to be something totalling different than I expected. The book is so rich in descriptions of the Navajo culture and the characters are so likeable. This is not a book that would be on anyone's radar because of it's age. I sought the book out because I am trying to read all the Newbery award winners for which I am glad - otherwise I would have missed this treasure.

I also read this book in fifth grade ( quite a few years ago!) and have never forgotten it. Truly this is a book to have for your child to read. Alas, it is almost impossible to find. I would love to have this book to give to my grandchildren.

This is the most boring book I have ever read. Its plot is so infinitely small that it is not worth mentioning. I have read all of the Newbery Medals up till 2002, and although some haven't been that good, this one takes the cake for the worst (Even compared to "M.C. Higgens the Great). Personally, I'm glad it is finally out of print, and I would never suggest it to anyone. Of course, it is an alternative to counting sheep...but never mind.