Adopted by Indians: A True Story (Paperback)

by Thomas Jefferson Mayfield (Author), Malcolm Margolin (Editor), Hilair Chism (Illustrator), Rick Jones (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Gr. 5^-8. After his mother died in 1850, young Thomas Mayfield lived with the Choinumne Indians in California, spending almost all of his time between 8 and 18 with them while his father ran livestock in the valley. Mayfield tells of a carefree and happy existence growing up at the rancheria, describing the traditional ways of the tribe before the encroachment of the white settlers and people in search of gold. Although the folksy tone of the narrative may be lost on middle readers, the first-person descriptions of fishing and hunting, clothing, food, and everyday life are genial and appealing. The black-and-white drawings scattered through the book are at their best when they show wildlife, housing styles, and details of preparing food. Edited by Margolin, this account was adapted for children from Mayfield's book Indian Summer: Traditional Life among the Choinumne Indians of California's San Joaquin Valley. Glossary appended. Karen Hutt

From Kirkus Reviews
Margolin (Native Ways, 1996, etc.) adapts for children some of the material in Indian Summer (1993, not reviewed), but does not make it accessible to a younger audience. At the age of 82, Mayfield told his story to a school teacher and historian. His father fought in the War of 1812; Mayfield, born 30 years later, lost his mother at a young age and went to live with the Choinumne Indians, who doted upon him. Running parallel to the history of the Gold Rush and the settling of the San Joaquin Valley in California, the story describes how the Indians lived, their customs, the food, hunting, and the character of the people. These are the remembrances of an adult who does not often speak from the perspective of childhood. The details of clothing, food, etc., have not been woven into an interesting narrative, and Mayfield's personality rarely emerges. Amateurish and inadequate, the illustrations are badly drawn, whether showing equipment, people, or animals, and the compositions are clich‚d, with strategically placed items to cover women's breasts. (maps, glossary) (Nonfiction. 10-13) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Heyday Books (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930588932
• ISBN-13: 978-0930588939
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,087,933 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for all California children & adults, December 23, 2006

By	G. Hughes "Book Worm" (Lake Co., CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book as gift for my great-nieces & found it an excellent read and hard to put down once started. (Have ordered the adult version for myself: Indian Summer) This book is written in such a lovely manner and takes you from one adventure to the next rapidly - much detail is given to daily life among the first land stewards and their ways - definitely a page turner that will leave you astounded and in awe. A great story for teaching what our public schools don't have time for. It is un-biased and written in a loving style - consider this book for your children to read to better understand an important part of California's past.