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The Talking Earth
"Billie Wind lives with her Seminole tribe. She follows their customs, but the dangers of pollution and nuclear war she's learned about in school seem much more real to her. How can she believe the Seminole legends about talking animals and earth spirits? She wants answers, not legends. "You are a doubter,"say the men of the Seminole Council and so Billie goes out into the Everglades alone, to stay until she can believe. In the wilderness, she discovers that she must listen to the land and animals in order to survive. With an otter, a panther cub, and a turtle as companions and guides, she begins to understand that the world of her people can give her the answers she seeks.
151 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
14 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
About the author
Jean Craighead George
204 books1,520 followersJean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward.
The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."
The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 17, 2018
If you loved "Hachet" by Gary Paulson then you will love this story.
It takes place in the Florida Everglades. Which we all know has been slammed with bad weather over the past few years. And George gives a very loving description of a habitat that is quickly changing and shrinking. And for a point of reference, this story was written before the Burmese Python population exploded and started to change the habitat.
It is a very enjoyable quick read.
It takes place in the Florida Everglades. Which we all know has been slammed with bad weather over the past few years. And George gives a very loving description of a habitat that is quickly changing and shrinking. And for a point of reference, this story was written before the Burmese Python population exploded and started to change the habitat.
It is a very enjoyable quick read.
June 17, 2021
Read as part of my ongoing shelf audit. Verdict: I am no longer the target audience.
Huh. I didn't realize until I pulled up the page that apparently I've now read this book twice, though that does make sense - parts of it felt oddly familiar, and not just because of similarities to A Girl Named Disaster.
It's an interesting book, though definitely one that shows its age and resonates with me less as an adult than it did as a kid. As a kid, I didn't spend much time wondering why Billie wasn't worried about getting home, or about whether or not her family thought she was dead; and I definitely wasn't as skeptical of the idea that a 12 year-old in Florida wouldn't have ever experienced a hurricane. In short, this book worked exactly as it was supposed to on younger me - it inspired a sense of wonder and appreciation for the idea of just being able to go out and live in nature, with very little fear.
That's still valuable, I think, even though it's not really realistic. George does do a good job of avoiding the myth of unspoiled nature, but even then Billie's journey is just a little more uncomplicated than is plausible. (You can't possibly convince me, for instance, that she wasn't covered in mosquito bites after three months in the Everglades!) Still, the point of adventure stories like this is sense of wonder, and that still works.
I hope the next reader really feels that wonder, too.
Huh. I didn't realize until I pulled up the page that apparently I've now read this book twice, though that does make sense - parts of it felt oddly familiar, and not just because of similarities to A Girl Named Disaster.
It's an interesting book, though definitely one that shows its age and resonates with me less as an adult than it did as a kid. As a kid, I didn't spend much time wondering why Billie wasn't worried about getting home, or about whether or not her family thought she was dead; and I definitely wasn't as skeptical of the idea that a 12 year-old in Florida wouldn't have ever experienced a hurricane. In short, this book worked exactly as it was supposed to on younger me - it inspired a sense of wonder and appreciation for the idea of just being able to go out and live in nature, with very little fear.
That's still valuable, I think, even though it's not really realistic. George does do a good job of avoiding the myth of unspoiled nature, but even then Billie's journey is just a little more uncomplicated than is plausible. (You can't possibly convince me, for instance, that she wasn't covered in mosquito bites after three months in the Everglades!) Still, the point of adventure stories like this is sense of wonder, and that still works.
I hope the next reader really feels that wonder, too.
March 12, 2012
The Talking Earth tells the story of Billie Wind, a Seminole Indian her adventures through the Florida Everglades. The book opens with Billie Wind during a conversation with her Grandfather expressing her doubt of some of the customs and beliefs of her cultural group. Her elders have told her the story of the importance of the earth. They have told her the truths of her tribe and their beliefs that there are people who live underground who play tricks on on their people. Billie Wind smirks at all of this. After a meeting of the council with the Medicine man in charge, the group asks Billie Wind what does she feel is an adequate punishment for her because of her doubts. In Native American culture, it is a punishable error to harbor unbelief of any of the stories of their people.
When asked this Billie Wind suggest that she be banished to the "pa-hay-okee, the Everglades where the spirits dwell and stay until I can hear the animals talk, see the serpenr and meet the little people who live underground". Billie Wind, because of her unbelief feels that she will only be away for a couple of days. She finds out that surviving in the Everglades is not as easy as she expected. She finds herself battling hurricanes, a forest fire and swamps. She finds shelter in a cave and becomes friends with animals (talking animals?). She finds that she has to listen and depend on the animals and the earth in order to survive. Then she begins to understand the importance of the earth and the people who live beneath it.
This book is full of historical fiction and would interests students who are inquisitive about Indians. The customs are explained colorfully......the dress attire, the land, the dance rituals and their meanings. However, some things were quite unbelievable to me, especially the talking animals. That does not take away from the way Jean George told this story and the way that Billie Wind finally came to understand and believe in the stories of her family.
When asked this Billie Wind suggest that she be banished to the "pa-hay-okee, the Everglades where the spirits dwell and stay until I can hear the animals talk, see the serpenr and meet the little people who live underground". Billie Wind, because of her unbelief feels that she will only be away for a couple of days. She finds out that surviving in the Everglades is not as easy as she expected. She finds herself battling hurricanes, a forest fire and swamps. She finds shelter in a cave and becomes friends with animals (talking animals?). She finds that she has to listen and depend on the animals and the earth in order to survive. Then she begins to understand the importance of the earth and the people who live beneath it.
This book is full of historical fiction and would interests students who are inquisitive about Indians. The customs are explained colorfully......the dress attire, the land, the dance rituals and their meanings. However, some things were quite unbelievable to me, especially the talking animals. That does not take away from the way Jean George told this story and the way that Billie Wind finally came to understand and believe in the stories of her family.
April 2, 2011
This book is a good way to examine Native American beliefs. The book could be a guide for looking at how mainstream American culture and Native American culture differ and how they can work together. The story is farfetched and unbelievable with Billie befriending a panther. Yet this is a way for the reader to get close and personal with an endangered species.
In a classroom I would use this book to jump into researching the everglades and that diverse ecosystem. This book could also be a read aloud to accompany study of energy or perspectives from diverse cultures.
I might follow up this book with some nature walks where we focus on listening. This could then be used for writing poems about our listening or other creative writing about what nature is saying to us.
In a classroom I would use this book to jump into researching the everglades and that diverse ecosystem. This book could also be a read aloud to accompany study of energy or perspectives from diverse cultures.
I might follow up this book with some nature walks where we focus on listening. This could then be used for writing poems about our listening or other creative writing about what nature is saying to us.
May 26, 2012
Jean Craighead George wrote many books about nature and protecting the environment. I recently reread The Talking Earth, which is about a young Seminole girl name Billie Wind who spends 3 months on her own in the Everglades. When Billie Wind says that she doesn’t believe the legends of her people, she’s sent to spend a night on an island to commune with nature. She’s trapped by a wildfire, discovers artifacts from her ancestors, and befriends a young otter. After those eventful first days, she decides that she will explore the Everglades until she can understand what the animals are saying to her.
For a full review (with spoilers!) see http://reads4tweens.com/the-talking-e...
For a full review (with spoilers!) see http://reads4tweens.com/the-talking-e...
June 24, 2013
Such a great read for the night of the super moon. :)
August 9, 2024
very cute book. it was a quick read and one i picked up from a local library book sale but i enjoyed it like i enjoyed julie of the wolves. jean craighead george writes from such unique perspectives and really weaves the man vs. nature (or man + nature) theme beautifully. this story was based in florida, so i felt very connected to it and it got me through a particularly trying week. just what i needed
November 8, 2025
Boring … i didn’t finish it. Also a lot of prejudiced rambling about how the “White Man” is bad and ruining everything. 👎
June 16, 2021
"I liked it because the girl thought for herself and also because she made friends with like a thousand animals."
May 8, 2013
I've reviewed this book once before, but I didn't like my other review, so I decided to rewrite it, and I think this one is going to be a lot better.
I'm going to get right to the point: I love this book. It is probably one of the best ones I've ever read. You'll see why I'm saying this below:
First of all, I really like the whole plot. This book is basically a survival story, since Billie Wind has to learn to speak to the animals (no, not literally) in order to find her way home after she get lost in the Everglades, when she was just supposed to stay there for a couple of days and then return home. Billie Wind has to learn how to find food, find a way to travel from one place to another, and find out exactly where to travel to. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but I love survival stories. I find them very entertaining. In a way, the survival part of the story reminded me of The Hunger Games (except in this book there aren't 23 other teens trying to kill you and all that other stuff).
Now, I guess I'll talk about the facts about the Everglades and Seminole culture in this book. I liked how the author added those in. Even though it might not have to do with the plot, they were still interesting. From this, I learned a lot of stuff that I never knew before. I also think that the author added just the right amount of facts in this book; not too much and not too little.
I'm wondering, what else should I say about this book? How about the length? Okay, so here it goes:
Usually, I like books that have a length of about 600 pages. In that amount of writing, the author should have been able to create a wonderful, juicy, and long (but not too long; that would be boring) story that the reader would love and adore (at least usually). Period. End of story. If I picked up a book that has about the same length as this book--let's say about 150 pages--there wouldn't be a lot of content and the story wouldn't be as wonderful, juicy, or long as a 600 page book. (At least, all of this is my own personal opinion.) But this book is different. In a way, the author wrote an amazing story and was able to fit it all in about 150 pages. Even though this book is quite short, it is still as good as a good 600 page book would be. Pretty much, to sum it all up, the length of this book is fine. Nothing needs to be changed about it.
There are a lot of other stuff that I like about this book, but I didn't mention them in my review because I'm tired of typing, and anyway, that's enough. Also, I'm sure you're wondering: Would I recommend this book to anybody? Well, the answer is: I think you're smart enough now to figure out the answer to that question, if I rated this book 5 stars and everything.
I'm going to get right to the point: I love this book. It is probably one of the best ones I've ever read. You'll see why I'm saying this below:
First of all, I really like the whole plot. This book is basically a survival story, since Billie Wind has to learn to speak to the animals (no, not literally) in order to find her way home after she get lost in the Everglades, when she was just supposed to stay there for a couple of days and then return home. Billie Wind has to learn how to find food, find a way to travel from one place to another, and find out exactly where to travel to. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but I love survival stories. I find them very entertaining. In a way, the survival part of the story reminded me of The Hunger Games (except in this book there aren't 23 other teens trying to kill you and all that other stuff).
Now, I guess I'll talk about the facts about the Everglades and Seminole culture in this book. I liked how the author added those in. Even though it might not have to do with the plot, they were still interesting. From this, I learned a lot of stuff that I never knew before. I also think that the author added just the right amount of facts in this book; not too much and not too little.
I'm wondering, what else should I say about this book? How about the length? Okay, so here it goes:
Usually, I like books that have a length of about 600 pages. In that amount of writing, the author should have been able to create a wonderful, juicy, and long (but not too long; that would be boring) story that the reader would love and adore (at least usually). Period. End of story. If I picked up a book that has about the same length as this book--let's say about 150 pages--there wouldn't be a lot of content and the story wouldn't be as wonderful, juicy, or long as a 600 page book. (At least, all of this is my own personal opinion.) But this book is different. In a way, the author wrote an amazing story and was able to fit it all in about 150 pages. Even though this book is quite short, it is still as good as a good 600 page book would be. Pretty much, to sum it all up, the length of this book is fine. Nothing needs to be changed about it.
There are a lot of other stuff that I like about this book, but I didn't mention them in my review because I'm tired of typing, and anyway, that's enough. Also, I'm sure you're wondering: Would I recommend this book to anybody? Well, the answer is: I think you're smart enough now to figure out the answer to that question, if I rated this book 5 stars and everything.
November 13, 2017
I stumbled upon it by chance as I was passing by the clearance section, not knowing that a little book could pack so much. George paints a vivid picture, and in the process she teaches you how to listen.
June 3, 2010
A little preachy, but fun nonetheless.
Read
February 23, 2009great book about connecting with earth
October 8, 2010
The Talking Earth by Jean Craighead George (1987)
January 26, 2011
Beautifully written with lots of Florida info.
September 24, 2011
I think this book is good because she first she didn't bielive in these little people and now she does now she can talk to the animals.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2022
Very bad very boring
February 21, 2017
This book would be best for young readers who would like to read about a young girl that uses her resources around her to solve problems and along the way meets animals. When I read this book I found that it uses the same start of a sentence many times and the text is vague. The overall book plot seemed a little bit odd and I wasn't able to understand it and in the middle of the book I lost interest in the book. One other thing that I noticed was that Jean Craighead George took too long to describe events in the book. While describing every tiny detail isn't bad, it seemed that you would read multiple sentences just reading about what something looks like. While these flaws in mind, young kids would probably enjoy this book so I would definitely recommend this book for kids.
September 6, 2020
I would not rate this book as a 4, but rather a 3.7 or 3.8. It draws the reader in, yet the message is a bit mixed.
The main character Billy Wind experiences the world through two different filters: (1) the world of the Kennedy Space Center; (2)the world of the Seminole reservation. She learns to respect the earth from one, but from the other she questions the the stories of her elders as myths. She is sent on a quest to "open her eyes" to her Amerind roots. Unfortunately, the journey comes across not as a passage for Billy to learn something of her culture, but, rather, as a punishment placed on her by hateful old men.
The main character Billy Wind experiences the world through two different filters: (1) the world of the Kennedy Space Center; (2)the world of the Seminole reservation. She learns to respect the earth from one, but from the other she questions the the stories of her elders as myths. She is sent on a quest to "open her eyes" to her Amerind roots. Unfortunately, the journey comes across not as a passage for Billy to learn something of her culture, but, rather, as a punishment placed on her by hateful old men.
February 25, 2021
I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK. I liked it because it contains Seminole Indian legends. This book is about a girl named Billie wind who is punished for not believing Seminole Legends. Billie gets sent to a island with her sister to wave feathers on her dugout, but something goes wrong...
My least favorite part was when Petang left Billie because he was in love.
I would recommend this book to anyone because it is very exciting and entertaining.
My least favorite part was when Petang left Billie because he was in love.
I would recommend this book to anyone because it is very exciting and entertaining.
February 27, 2025
We don’t read as much together 😢 took awhile, but we finally had time ti finish it during a flu.
Loved the message (love the earth, listen to nature). It ties in human-initiated disasters and the importance of listening. The main character is coming of age and challenged to take a mission and not come back until she hears what the animals have to say.
We need each other. We have forgotten this.
Loved the message (love the earth, listen to nature). It ties in human-initiated disasters and the importance of listening. The main character is coming of age and challenged to take a mission and not come back until she hears what the animals have to say.
We need each other. We have forgotten this.
July 26, 2019
This was a delightful book with marvelous insights into the natural spaces and native cultures in the Everglades. If you enjoy learning about animals or tribal cultural experiences you will like this book. Yes, it is a kids’ book, but like all of George’s works it has significant insights from an important naturalist.
January 10, 2024
This book is a wonderful depiction of a modern Seminole girl caught in the Everglades. She learns to listen to the animals around her in order to survive. She befriends an otter, a Florida panther and a turtle.
Some of it was a bit outlandish, such as bulldozers coming to her isolated island in the midst of the watery everglades.
Some of it was a bit outlandish, such as bulldozers coming to her isolated island in the midst of the watery everglades.
December 26, 2020
I was very into Jean Craighead George's books as a kid, and I remember this was one of my favorites, but this was the first time I'd read it in many years.
I still found it a good read, but don't see myself coming back to it over and over.
I still found it a good read, but don't see myself coming back to it over and over.
December 2, 2022
I read this as a kid and loved it, so I knew I wanted to read it to my son after we finished The Island of the Blue Dolphins. Still just as good as ever and a really great read to have going during Indigenous Peoples Day and leading into the Thanksgiving season.
May 10, 2025
a sweet, simply written, and nature-heavy little story. same author as Julie of the Wolves; many shared themes: native girl, extended time in nature leads to connections with animals, survival in the wild, appreciation for the earth. I enjoyed it!
August 29, 2017
Es un libro en donde aprendemos a través del viaje de una adolescente nativa americana la importancia de cuidar a la tierra y a oír a los sabios animales. Lindo pero un poco aburrido.
February 6, 2020
As an adult, was very irritated by her being so close to civilisation and yet refusing to find help to get her home.
April 16, 2020
I enjoyed this book more than Julie of the Wolves when I was growing up, and I enjoyed it quite as much as an adult. This remains relevant and is still worth reading.
May 25, 2020
Preachy in a good way. I love the way she survived on her own for so long.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews