Night Bird: A Story of the Seminole Indians (Once Upon America)
Grade 3-5-- This dramatic short work of fiction introduces students to aspects of Seminole culture and presents an episode of American history from a unique perspective. Night Bird is a young Seminole girl who lives in the Florida Everglades in the mid-19th century. Her cousin and her family come to her village unexpectedly, fleeing white soldiers and inadvertently exposing the tribe's safe haven. Given the option of relocating to Oklahoma or being driven further into the swamp, the members of the camp must decide what to do. Night Bird, who is destined to head the Otter clan in this matriarchal society, faces a decidedly difficult choice. She ultimately opts to remain with her grandmother and learn the ways of the clan in their homeland even though the rest of her immediate family heads west. Full-page black-and-white paintings punctuate the narrative and reveal unique aspects of the Native American customs and dress. Kudlinski's afterword places the story in its historical context. --Yvonne Frey, Peoria Public Schools, ILCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.