Race to the Truth
Written by Linda Coombs
I really like how this book is written. There is a story about a girl in the Wampanoag tribe (before the settlers arrived) and the facts about what happened to the Wampanoag people as well as the settlers. Little Bird is a young girl in her tribe, and everyone is moving to their summer grounds for gardening, fishing, hunting. During this time, the tribe spends the spring and summer processing food, medicine, and necessities for their tribe in the coming year. With her family: Smiling Dove, Grandma Yellow Sky, Grandpa Singing Wolf, Strawberry, and Strong Willow move to the summer grounds to plant their winter supplies. The story continues from Spring, to summer, fall and winter. It tells of every move they make for their tribe and every mistake they make learning the skills needed to survive. Their elders are patient and kind, learning becomes easy. Tall Pine, Strong Bear and Walks in the Moonlight are the males who do the hunting, fishing, and drying for the coming year. When her grandfather, Grandpa Singing Wolf moves with them to the winter grounds he becomes extremely ill, and Little Bird runs to the get the traditional healer to heal him. I like how this book moves from a particularly delightful story about Little Bird to the non-fiction side of things for information. This book will an effective way for students to understand the lives of the Wampanoag people before the settlers arrived.
Reviewed by Christie Haslam, Librarian, Gearld Wright Elementary
Review shared in October 2023
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 4-Adult
Colonization and the Wampanoag Story
Written by Linda Coombs
Crown Books for Young Readers
260 pages
Release Date: September 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593480434
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
