Smiler's Bones

by Peter Lerangis

A striking, fascinatingly told novel based on the harrowing true story of Minik, an Eskimo boy seized in the name of exploration and brought to New York at the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1897, famed explorer Robert Peary took six Eskimos from their homes in Greenland to be "presented" to the American Museum of Natural History. Among the six were a father and a son. Soon, four were dead, including the father (whose bones, unbeknownst to the son, were put on display). One returned to Greenland. And the other -- the young boy -- remained, the only Eskimo in New York for twelve years.
His name was Minik. This is his story. A story of lies and deceptions. A story about the price of exploration. A story about discovering the truth of a culture.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2005

About the author

Lerangis's work includes The Viper's Nest and The Sword Thief, two titles in the children's-book series The 39 Clues, the historical novel Smiler's Bones, the YA dark comedy-adventure novel wtf, the Drama Club series, the Spy X series, the Watchers series, the Abracadabra series, and the Antarctica two-book adventure, as well ghostwriting for series such as the Three Investigators, the Hardy Boys Casefiles, Sweet Valley Twins, and more than forty books in the series The Baby-sitters Club and its various spin-offs.[1] He has also written novels based on film screenplays, including The Sixth Sense, Sleepy Hollow, and Beauty and the Beast, and five video game novelizations in the Worlds of Power series created by Seth Godin.[2] As a ghostwriter he has been published under the name A. L. Singer.[3]
Lerangis is the son of a retired New York Telephone Company employee and a retired public-elementary-school secretary, who raised him in Freeport, New York on Long Island. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biochemistry, while acting in musicals[4] and singing with and musically directing the a cappella group the Harvard Krokodiloes,[5][6] before moving to New York. He worked there as an actor[7] and freelance copy editor for eight years before becoming an author.[8]
In 2003, Lerangis was chosen by First Lady Laura Bush to accompany her to the first Russian Book Festival, hosted by Russian First Lady Lyudmila Putina in Moscow.[9][10]Authors R. L. Stine (Goosebumps) and Marc Brown (the Arthur the Aardvark series) also made the trip with Bush.[9]
Also in 2003, Lerangis was commissioned by the United Kingdom branch of Scholastic to write X-Isle, one of four books that would relaunch the Point Horror series there.[11] A sequel, Return to X-Isle, was published in 2004.
In 2007, Scholastic announced the launch of a new historical mystery series called The 39 Clues, intended to become a franchise.[12] Lerangis wrote the third book in the series, The Sword Thief, published in March 2009.[13][14][15] On March 3, 2009, Scholastic announced that Lerangis would write the seventh book in the series, The Viper's Nest.[14][16]
Lerangis lives in New York City with his wife, musician Tina deVaron, and their sons Nick and Joe.[17]

Reviews

[Quandon Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 1897 and famed explorer Robert Peary has made an amazing discovery. He has found a tribe of Eskimo’s in Greenland. Intrigued by their “primitive” ways, Peary begins taking artifacts back to the Museum of Natural History in New York. It isn’t long before he decides that a live exhibit at the museum is needed; he recruits six Eskimos to take the journey with him.

Young Minik accompanies his father on the journey. Living his childhood as a museum display is confining. He misses his old way of life. Members of the Eskimo group become ill and some are dying. What will happen to Minik if the others die? Will the Eskimo traditions of death and burial be respected in New York? Will little Minik ever see his homeland and feel at peace within him again?

The story is moving and tragic – this story would be a great supplement to the Native American unit and would provide for a great discussion and greater understanding of humanity in general. What does it mean to be primitive – and why have others races of humanity felt it necessary to impose their beliefs and practices on another?

The Eskimo language sometimes inhibits the fluency of the story. I would recommend this book as a classroom read.


This book was an great book.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1897 an Eskimo boy from Greenland is taken to Canada, and must adjust to a new culture.

[Uyên Nguyễn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to choose this book because I see the timeline in the book , and that make me like because I like to read something same as history . But when I try to read it , it make me some confused about the word and the idea of the story . I don't understand a lot of thing in the book and that make me so boring when I read this. I think it will perfect if the author make it more clearly for me. I read almost done with that book and I just sate for this book ⅗ start because I like how the author’s setting for the book and the cover of the book.

[Susan Reyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enlightening fictionalized account of a true sad story. An important read, as it prompts us to think deeply about things we may just take for granted.

[Nasi edgos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was depressing

[Aidan B · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was a really good book with a lot of things I didn't expect to make my reading experience phenomenal.

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening story of Robert Peary's expedition to the North Pole and the plight of the Inuit people brought back to the United States. Unfortunately, the part of the story that is missing is how Matthew Henson, the African-American explorer that accompanied Peary as one of only six people on this team, could have been a part of the treatment of these Eskimo people who were literally put on display for amusement at the a New York museum and the unforgivable way the remains of the Eskimos were handled. I wonder if Henson, a descendant of slaves, saw the parallel in the treatment of these people with his own people. This story take place in 1887-- only a few years after slavery was abolished. This is a book that makes me wonder... Isn't that what good books should do? Make us think?

[freaking crazy ninja man83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Smiler’s Bones” was written by Peter lerangis. The story takes place in Greenland and in New York City. The main characters are Minik his father and friends. Minik is taken away from his home and has to live in New York for the rest of his life. He has to deal with devastating things in his childhood like the death of his father and friends. Minik will never be the same from this trip.
“Smiler’s bones” was an amazing story. What made it an amazing story was that it shows how your life can change in an instant. It was also full of hardships that Minik had to face. The only bad thing about the story was the ending.

[Alma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Peary and his assistants spent time in Greenland, associating with the Polar Eskimos who were fascinated by their guns, small gifts, and iron tools. Peary and the Museum of Natural History were interested in studying authentic specimens, so shipped 6 Eskimos to live permanently in N.Y.C. Among them was 8 year old Minik, who came with his father. Unfortunately, within months, five of them had died from consumption – a sickness brought by the explorers to their homeland that had also killed Minik’s mother. The Museum buried his father, and sent Minik to live with one of their workers.

Read more at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel based on true events recounts the sad life of an eskimo boy. Mene was taken from his home along with his father and brought to New York City by Admiral Peary as a sort of science experiment. All the eskimos in the group soon died except for Mene. Mene thinks that he sees his father's body buried, but later learns that his father's body was macerated and his bones kept in a drawer in a museum. Mene fights for the right to return to Greenland but then realizes that he no longer belongs there. He is a person without a home.

[Ijanaya Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exceptional novel based on the true life story of an Eskimo boy and his father. It's sad and heart wrenching, but at the same time an excellent read!!! In the time when people got away with horrific atrocities in the name of science. This story, and the story that it is based on, will open your eyes making you aware of the complete carelessness of "civilized" society when curiosity and the quest for scientific explanations outweighs humanity and basic ethics.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fictional account of Minik, an Inuit brought from Greenland to New York City was a thought provoking story. There is lots of background information that can be found regarding the real facts but Lerangis did a good job of letting us get an idea of what life might have been like for this young boy.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Famed explorer, Robert Peary, takes six Inuit Indians from their home in Greenland to live in a museum in New York City. Written from the viewpoint of young Minik, this is the story of a young man caught between two worlds and the dark underbelly of exploration in the early nineteenth century. Well written and intensely interesting, although sad--a good read!

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine living at the Natural History Mueseum in New York as a living display. They are people who have feelings, emotions and sickness. Do the mueseum goers notice? It actually happened to a small group of once eager eskimos.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding book that brings non-fiction to life. An eskimo community is found by explorers that take them to America to be put on display in a museum. A little boy is the lone survivor and is left to live life torn between to cultures. I loved the historical aspect of it!

[Mr. Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book sounded great, but I could not get through it. Lots of Eskimo-language words are used throughout the story confused me and meddled the plot, I thought.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I wanted to like this book I just could not get into it at all.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on true events, Minik becomes part of a living exhibit in New York's American Museum of Natural History.

[Jake Davis]

I loved this book because it is a short read but has a great adventure for Minik and his Dad. Their trip to New York to them on an inspiring journey that makes you want to never put the book down. It has a great non fictional story that explains the situation well when the Eskimos come to New York some parts are sad, but it is still a great read.