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Birchbark House #5
Makoons
In the sequel to Chickadee, acclaimed author Louise Erdrich continues her award-winning Birchbark House series with the story of an Ojibwe family in nineteenth-century America.
Named for the Ojibwe word for little bear, Makoons and his twin, Chickadee, have traveled with their family to the Great Plains of Dakota Territory. There they must learn to become buffalo hunters and once again help their people make a home in a new land. But Makoons has had a vision that foretells great challenges—challenges that his family may not be able to overcome.
Based on Louise Erdrich’s own family history, this fifth book in the series features black-and-white interior illustrations, a note from the author about her research, as well as a map and glossary of Ojibwe terms.
Named for the Ojibwe word for little bear, Makoons and his twin, Chickadee, have traveled with their family to the Great Plains of Dakota Territory. There they must learn to become buffalo hunters and once again help their people make a home in a new land. But Makoons has had a vision that foretells great challenges—challenges that his family may not be able to overcome.
Based on Louise Erdrich’s own family history, this fifth book in the series features black-and-white interior illustrations, a note from the author about her research, as well as a map and glossary of Ojibwe terms.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2016
89 people are currently reading
2230 people want to read
About the author
Louise Erdrich
130 books12.7k followersKaren Louise Erdrich is a American author of novels, poetry, and children's books. Her father is German American and mother is half Ojibwe and half French American. She is an enrolled member of the Anishinaabe nation (also known as Chippewa). She is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant Native writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/louise-e...
From a book description:
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/louise-e...
From a book description:
Author Biography:
Louise Erdrich is one of the most gifted, prolific, and challenging of contemporary Native American novelists. Born in 1954 in Little Falls, Minnesota, she grew up mostly in Wahpeton, North Dakota, where her parents taught at Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. Her fiction reflects aspects of her mixed heritage: German through her father, and French and Ojibwa through her mother. She worked at various jobs, such as hoeing sugar beets, farm work, waitressing, short order cooking, lifeguarding, and construction work, before becoming a writer. She attended the Johns Hopkins creative writing program and received fellowships at the McDowell Colony and the Yaddo Colony. After she was named writer-in-residence at Dartmouth, she married professor Michael Dorris and raised several children, some of them adopted. She and Michael became a picture-book husband-and-wife writing team, though they wrote only one truly collaborative novel, The Crown of Columbus (1991).
The Antelope Wife was published in 1998, not long after her separation from Michael and his subsequent suicide. Some reviewers believed they saw in The Antelope Wife the anguish Erdrich must have felt as her marriage crumbled, but she has stated that she is unconscious of having mirrored any real-life events.
She is the author of four previous bestselling andaward-winning novels, including Love Medicine; The Beet Queen; Tracks; and The Bingo Palace. She also has written two collections of poetry, Jacklight, and Baptism of Desire. Her fiction has been honored by the National Book Critics Circle (1984) and The Los Angeles Times (1985), and has been translated into fourteen languages.
Several of her short stories have been selected for O. Henry awards and for inclusion in the annual Best American Short Story anthologies. The Blue Jay's Dance, a memoir of motherhood, was her first nonfiction work, and her children's book, Grandmother's Pigeon, has been published by Hyperion Press. She lives in Minnesota with her children, who help her run a small independent bookstore called The Birchbark.
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September 5, 2016
They say these days you can’t sell a novel for kids anymore without the book having some kind of “sequel potential”. That’s not really true, but there are a heck of a lot of series titles out there for the 7 to 12-year-old set, that's for sure. New series books for children are by their very definition sort of odd for kids, though. If you’re an adult and you discover a new series, waiting a year or two for the next book to come out is a drop in the bucket. Years fly by for grown-ups. The wait may be mildly painful but it’s not going to crush you. But series for kids? That’s another matter entirely. Two years go by and the child has suddenly become an entirely different person. They may have switched their loyalties from realistic historical fiction to fantasy or science fiction or (heaven help us) romance even! It almost makes more sense just to hand them series that have already completed their runs, so that they can speed through them without breaking the spell. Almost makes more sense . . . but not quite. Not so long as there are series like “The Birchbark House Series” by Louise Erdrich. It is quite possibly the only historical fiction series currently underway for kids that has lasted as long as fourteen years and showing no sign of slowing down until it reaches its conclusion four books from now, Erdrich proves time and time again that she’s capable of ensnaring new readers and engaging older ones without relying on magic, mysteries, or post-apocalyptic mayhem. And if she manages to grind under her heel a couple stereotypes about what a book about American Indians in the past is “supposed” to be (boring/serious/depressing) so much the better.
Chickadee is back, and not a second too soon. Had he been returned to his twin brother from his kidnapping any later, it’s possible that Makoons would have died of the fever that has taken hold of his body. As it is, Chickadee nurses his brother back to health, but not before Makoons acquires terrifying visions of what is to come. Still, there’s no time to dwell on that. The buffalo are on the move and his family and tribe are dedicated to sustaining themselves for the winter ahead. There are surprises along the way as well. A boasting braggart by the name of Gichi Noodin has joined the hunt, and his posturing and preening are as amusing to watch as his mistakes are vast. The tough as nails Two Strike has acquired a baby lamb and for reasons of her own is intent on raising it. And the twin brothers adopt a baby buffalo of their own, though they must protect it against continual harm. All the while the world is changing for Makoons and his family. Soon the buffalo will leave, more settlers will displace them, and three members of the family will leave, never to return. Fortunately, family sustains, and while the future may be bleak, the present has a lot of laughter and satisfaction waiting at the end of the day.
While I have read every single book in this series since it began (and I don’t tend to follow any other series out there, except possibly Lockwood & Co.) I don’t reread previous books when a new one comes out. I don’t have to. Neither, I would argue, would your kids. Each entry in this series stands on its own two feet. Erdrich doesn’t spend inordinate amounts of time catching the reader up, but you still understand what’s going on. And you just love these characters. The books are about family, but with Makoons I really felt the storyline was more about making your own family than the family you’re born into. At the beginning of this book Makoons offers the dire prediction that he and his brother will be able to save their family members, but not all of them. Yet by the story’s end, no matter what’s happened, the family has technically only decreased by two people, because of the addition of another.
Erdrich has never been afraid of filling her books with a goodly smattering of death, dismemberment, and blood. I say that, but these do not feel like bloody books in the least. They have a gentleness about them that is remarkable. Because we are dealing with a tribe of American Indians (Ojibwe, specifically) in 1866, you expect this book to be like all the other ones out there. Is there a way to tell this story without lingering on the harm caused by the American government to Makoons, his brother, and his people? Makoons and his family always seem to be outrunning the worst of the American government’s forces, but they can’t run forever. Still, I think it’s important that the books concentrate far more on their daily lives and loves and sorrows, only mentioning the bloodthirsty white settlers on occasion and when appropriate. It’s almost as if the reader is being treated in the same way as Makoons and his brother. We’re getting some of the picture but we’re being spared its full bloody horror. That is not to say that this is a whitewashed narrative. It isn’t at all. But it’s nice that every book about American Indians of the past isn’t exactly the same. They’re allowed to be silly and to have jokes and fun moments too.
That humor begs a question of course. Question: When is it okay to laugh at a character in a middle grade novel these days? It’s not a simple question. With a high concentration on books that promote kindness rather than bullying, laughing at any character, even a bad guy, is a tricky proposition. And that goes double if the person you’re laughing at is technically on your side. Thank goodness for self-delusion. As long as a character refuses to be honest with him or herself, the reader is invited to ridicule them alongside the other characters. It may not be nice, but in the world of children’s literature it’s allowed. So meet Gichi Noodin, a pompous jackass of a man. This is the kind of guy who could give Narcissus lessons in self-esteem. He’s utterly in love with his own good looks, skills, you name it. For this reason he’s the Falstaff of the book (without the melancholy). He serves a very specific purpose in the book as the reader watches his rise, his fall, and his redemption. It’s not very often that the butt of a book’s jokes is given a chance to redeem himself, but Gichi Noodin does precisely that. That storyline is a small part of the book, smaller even than the tale of Two Strike’s lamb, but I loved the larger repercussions. Even the butt of the joke can save the day, given the chance.
As with all her other books Erdrich does a E.L. Konigsburg and illustrates her own books (and she can even do horses – HORSES!). Her style is, as ever, reminiscent of Garth Williams’ with soft graphite pencil renderings of characters and scenes. These are spotted throughout the chapters regularly, and combined with the simplicity of the writing they make the book completely appropriate bedtime reading for younger ages. The map at the beginning is particularly keen since it not only highlights the locations in each part of the story but also hints at future storylines to come. Of these pictures the sole flaw is the book jacket. You see the cover of this book is a touch on the misleading side since at no point in this story does Makoons ever attempt to feed any baby bears (a terrible idea, namesake or no). Best to warn literal minded kids from the start that that scene is not happening.
It is interesting that the name of this book is Makoons since Chickadee shares as much of the spotlight, if not a little more so, than his sickly brother. That said, it is Makoons who has the vision of the future, Makoons who offers the haunting prediction at the story’s start, and Makoons who stares darkly into an unknown void at the end, alone in the misery he knows is certain to come. Makoons is the Cassandra of this story, his predictions never believed until they are too late. And yet, this isn’t a sad or depressing book. The hope that emanates off the pages survives the buffalos’ sad departure, the sickness that takes two beloved characters, and the knowledge that the only thing this family can count on in the future is change. But they have each other and they are bound together tightly. Even Pinch, that trickster of previous books, is acquiring an odd wisdom and knowledge of his own that may serve the family well into the future. Folks often recommend these books as progressive alternatives to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, but that’s doing them a disservice. Each one of these titles stands entirely on its own, in a world of its own making. This isn’t some sad copy of Wilder’s style but a wholly original series of its own making. The kid who starts down the road with this family is going to want to go with them until the end. Even if it takes another fourteen years. Even if they end up reading the last few books to their own children. Whatever it takes, we’re all in this together, readers, characters, and author. Godspeed, Louise Erdrich.
For ages 7-12.
Chickadee is back, and not a second too soon. Had he been returned to his twin brother from his kidnapping any later, it’s possible that Makoons would have died of the fever that has taken hold of his body. As it is, Chickadee nurses his brother back to health, but not before Makoons acquires terrifying visions of what is to come. Still, there’s no time to dwell on that. The buffalo are on the move and his family and tribe are dedicated to sustaining themselves for the winter ahead. There are surprises along the way as well. A boasting braggart by the name of Gichi Noodin has joined the hunt, and his posturing and preening are as amusing to watch as his mistakes are vast. The tough as nails Two Strike has acquired a baby lamb and for reasons of her own is intent on raising it. And the twin brothers adopt a baby buffalo of their own, though they must protect it against continual harm. All the while the world is changing for Makoons and his family. Soon the buffalo will leave, more settlers will displace them, and three members of the family will leave, never to return. Fortunately, family sustains, and while the future may be bleak, the present has a lot of laughter and satisfaction waiting at the end of the day.
While I have read every single book in this series since it began (and I don’t tend to follow any other series out there, except possibly Lockwood & Co.) I don’t reread previous books when a new one comes out. I don’t have to. Neither, I would argue, would your kids. Each entry in this series stands on its own two feet. Erdrich doesn’t spend inordinate amounts of time catching the reader up, but you still understand what’s going on. And you just love these characters. The books are about family, but with Makoons I really felt the storyline was more about making your own family than the family you’re born into. At the beginning of this book Makoons offers the dire prediction that he and his brother will be able to save their family members, but not all of them. Yet by the story’s end, no matter what’s happened, the family has technically only decreased by two people, because of the addition of another.
Erdrich has never been afraid of filling her books with a goodly smattering of death, dismemberment, and blood. I say that, but these do not feel like bloody books in the least. They have a gentleness about them that is remarkable. Because we are dealing with a tribe of American Indians (Ojibwe, specifically) in 1866, you expect this book to be like all the other ones out there. Is there a way to tell this story without lingering on the harm caused by the American government to Makoons, his brother, and his people? Makoons and his family always seem to be outrunning the worst of the American government’s forces, but they can’t run forever. Still, I think it’s important that the books concentrate far more on their daily lives and loves and sorrows, only mentioning the bloodthirsty white settlers on occasion and when appropriate. It’s almost as if the reader is being treated in the same way as Makoons and his brother. We’re getting some of the picture but we’re being spared its full bloody horror. That is not to say that this is a whitewashed narrative. It isn’t at all. But it’s nice that every book about American Indians of the past isn’t exactly the same. They’re allowed to be silly and to have jokes and fun moments too.
That humor begs a question of course. Question: When is it okay to laugh at a character in a middle grade novel these days? It’s not a simple question. With a high concentration on books that promote kindness rather than bullying, laughing at any character, even a bad guy, is a tricky proposition. And that goes double if the person you’re laughing at is technically on your side. Thank goodness for self-delusion. As long as a character refuses to be honest with him or herself, the reader is invited to ridicule them alongside the other characters. It may not be nice, but in the world of children’s literature it’s allowed. So meet Gichi Noodin, a pompous jackass of a man. This is the kind of guy who could give Narcissus lessons in self-esteem. He’s utterly in love with his own good looks, skills, you name it. For this reason he’s the Falstaff of the book (without the melancholy). He serves a very specific purpose in the book as the reader watches his rise, his fall, and his redemption. It’s not very often that the butt of a book’s jokes is given a chance to redeem himself, but Gichi Noodin does precisely that. That storyline is a small part of the book, smaller even than the tale of Two Strike’s lamb, but I loved the larger repercussions. Even the butt of the joke can save the day, given the chance.
As with all her other books Erdrich does a E.L. Konigsburg and illustrates her own books (and she can even do horses – HORSES!). Her style is, as ever, reminiscent of Garth Williams’ with soft graphite pencil renderings of characters and scenes. These are spotted throughout the chapters regularly, and combined with the simplicity of the writing they make the book completely appropriate bedtime reading for younger ages. The map at the beginning is particularly keen since it not only highlights the locations in each part of the story but also hints at future storylines to come. Of these pictures the sole flaw is the book jacket. You see the cover of this book is a touch on the misleading side since at no point in this story does Makoons ever attempt to feed any baby bears (a terrible idea, namesake or no). Best to warn literal minded kids from the start that that scene is not happening.
It is interesting that the name of this book is Makoons since Chickadee shares as much of the spotlight, if not a little more so, than his sickly brother. That said, it is Makoons who has the vision of the future, Makoons who offers the haunting prediction at the story’s start, and Makoons who stares darkly into an unknown void at the end, alone in the misery he knows is certain to come. Makoons is the Cassandra of this story, his predictions never believed until they are too late. And yet, this isn’t a sad or depressing book. The hope that emanates off the pages survives the buffalos’ sad departure, the sickness that takes two beloved characters, and the knowledge that the only thing this family can count on in the future is change. But they have each other and they are bound together tightly. Even Pinch, that trickster of previous books, is acquiring an odd wisdom and knowledge of his own that may serve the family well into the future. Folks often recommend these books as progressive alternatives to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, but that’s doing them a disservice. Each one of these titles stands entirely on its own, in a world of its own making. This isn’t some sad copy of Wilder’s style but a wholly original series of its own making. The kid who starts down the road with this family is going to want to go with them until the end. Even if it takes another fourteen years. Even if they end up reading the last few books to their own children. Whatever it takes, we’re all in this together, readers, characters, and author. Godspeed, Louise Erdrich.
For ages 7-12.
December 6, 2020
The focus of Makoons is on how Omakayas' extended family adjusts to life on the plains of the Dakotas, a very different way of life than they had in the wooded land near the Great Lakes. Chickadee and Makoons are eager to demonstrate to the adults that they are ready to accept more responsibilities. We read about how the family hunts buffalo to supplement their diet and to ensure their survival through the upcoming winter. Makoons details how everyone takes part in the hunt, each with their own assigned responsibilities, from children to the elderly. They make use of the entire buffalo, from the bones (for utensils), the skin (for clothing, blankets, and housing), the meat, the horns, the sinews (for their bows and to tie down their housing), and more. No part of the animal is wasted. The parts that they don't personally use, they bring to nearby trading posts to barter for food and supplies that they need. The book ends with the family traveling to the Turtle Mountains to settle there.
The author's note at the end identifies herself as a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and explains how these stories were inspired by research into her own family's history. Her plan is to continue Omakayas' family's story in upcoming novels.
The author's note at the end identifies herself as a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and explains how these stories were inspired by research into her own family's history. Her plan is to continue Omakayas' family's story in upcoming novels.
August 17, 2016
I don't usually read a first book in a series and then jump the fifth book, but I'm afraid that is exactly what I've done with The Birchbark House series. But actually, it really didn't matter. Louise Erdrich is such a skillful writer that I found all the background information I needed to understand Makoons without having read Books 2, 3 and 4, while still making me want to read those three books.
Continuing the story of Omakayas, now married, and her Ojibwe family, it is 1866 and the family has moved west, living on the Great Plains of the Dakota Territory. As one of her 8-year-old twin sons, Makoons, recovers from an illness, he has a vision of what is to come - a vision that is filled with joy but also with sadness.
Away from their beloved river in Western Minnesota, there is no longer a need for canoes, and horses have become the passion of Makoons and twin brother Chickadee. Together, and they do everything together, they practice riding and hunting in anticipation of the day they can join the men in a real buffalo hunt.
After helping to prepare for and then witnessing their first hunt, the two boys find and adopt a young buffalo calf left behind as the adults buffalos fled their hunters. The young calf attaches itself to the twins and follows them wherever they go, even enjoying some of the peppermint candy they trade rabbit skins for. Gradually, the two boys began to pay attention and imitate the "language" of their "little brother" as they care for him.
So when the buffalo herds seem to simple vanish from the plains in thin air, and the Ojibwe begin to feel desperate and despairing, their father, Animikiins, convinces Makoons and Chickadee to try to call the animals back using the "language" they have "learned" from their calf. If it doesn't work, their small clan of Ojibwe will be faced with starvation and forced to move on. And though the buffalo return this time, it is clear they are moving west as the land becomes more and more populated by white settlers.
Once again, Omakayas and her family decide to move further west as well, to a place called Turtle Mountain, leaving behind her beloved sister Angeline and her husband Fishtail and their adopted young daughter Opichi.
As the joys and sorrows of Makoons vision play out, the family that readers have come to know and love face each challenge with strength, sorrow and some laughs. Makoons and Chickadee are two delightful characters, full of 8 year-old mischief, but kind and already sensitive to the world around them. Nokomis, the boy's great-grandmother, now quite old, plants a garden to help the family and spends her last days trying to keep the always hungry buffalo calf from eating it all; Yellow Kettel, their grandmother, is just a grouchy as ever; Deydey, their grandfather, is getting up in years and spends time with Nokomis but still makes the best bows and arrows for his grandsons, and continues play an important part in the daily life of the Ojibwe, though to a lesser extent.
All of this makes Makoons feels like a transition book, focusing on a younger generation, with Omakayas the bridge between the older and younger, and reflecting the changes coming in the times they are living in.
The life of the Ojibwe is described in detail, as they hunt, skin, and prepare food for the winter, when it becomes scare to find. Nothing is done without acknowledging the buffalo, called the "generous ones" for providing what is needed and nothing goes to waste. To waste what the buffalo give would be a sacrilege. But while Louise Erdrich depicts the very deep connection to the natural world that the Ojibwe clearly feel, she also shows how it is eroding as the modern world impinges more and more on their daily lives.
Makoons (meaning little bear in Ojibwe) is written in Erdrich's same lyrical prose that is so familiar now. She has also done the black and white spot illustrations that appear throughout the book. It amazes me how Erdrich can get some much into a story using such simple, straightforward language. There are Ojibwe words used throughout, but there is a glossary and pronunciation guide in the back matter to help readers.
Erdrich really knows how to craft her novels so that there is, like Makoons vision, a nice balance between joy and sorrow. There are, of course, the hard times and survival of this Ojibwe clan, there is the sadness as loved ones pass away, but there are also the endearing antics of Makoons and Chickadee. And for real comic relief, there are the lovesick antics of the overly vain Gichi Noodin, who is so smitten with Omakayas's adopted daughter, Zozie that he seems to do nothing but make a fool of himself whenever he tries to impress her.
Whether you have followed the lives of Omakayas and her clan from the beginning or whether Makoons is your first introduction to these wonderful multigenerational characters, I can't recommend them highly enough.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline
This review was originally posted on Makoons
Continuing the story of Omakayas, now married, and her Ojibwe family, it is 1866 and the family has moved west, living on the Great Plains of the Dakota Territory. As one of her 8-year-old twin sons, Makoons, recovers from an illness, he has a vision of what is to come - a vision that is filled with joy but also with sadness.
Away from their beloved river in Western Minnesota, there is no longer a need for canoes, and horses have become the passion of Makoons and twin brother Chickadee. Together, and they do everything together, they practice riding and hunting in anticipation of the day they can join the men in a real buffalo hunt.
After helping to prepare for and then witnessing their first hunt, the two boys find and adopt a young buffalo calf left behind as the adults buffalos fled their hunters. The young calf attaches itself to the twins and follows them wherever they go, even enjoying some of the peppermint candy they trade rabbit skins for. Gradually, the two boys began to pay attention and imitate the "language" of their "little brother" as they care for him.
So when the buffalo herds seem to simple vanish from the plains in thin air, and the Ojibwe begin to feel desperate and despairing, their father, Animikiins, convinces Makoons and Chickadee to try to call the animals back using the "language" they have "learned" from their calf. If it doesn't work, their small clan of Ojibwe will be faced with starvation and forced to move on. And though the buffalo return this time, it is clear they are moving west as the land becomes more and more populated by white settlers.
Once again, Omakayas and her family decide to move further west as well, to a place called Turtle Mountain, leaving behind her beloved sister Angeline and her husband Fishtail and their adopted young daughter Opichi.
As the joys and sorrows of Makoons vision play out, the family that readers have come to know and love face each challenge with strength, sorrow and some laughs. Makoons and Chickadee are two delightful characters, full of 8 year-old mischief, but kind and already sensitive to the world around them. Nokomis, the boy's great-grandmother, now quite old, plants a garden to help the family and spends her last days trying to keep the always hungry buffalo calf from eating it all; Yellow Kettel, their grandmother, is just a grouchy as ever; Deydey, their grandfather, is getting up in years and spends time with Nokomis but still makes the best bows and arrows for his grandsons, and continues play an important part in the daily life of the Ojibwe, though to a lesser extent.
All of this makes Makoons feels like a transition book, focusing on a younger generation, with Omakayas the bridge between the older and younger, and reflecting the changes coming in the times they are living in.
The life of the Ojibwe is described in detail, as they hunt, skin, and prepare food for the winter, when it becomes scare to find. Nothing is done without acknowledging the buffalo, called the "generous ones" for providing what is needed and nothing goes to waste. To waste what the buffalo give would be a sacrilege. But while Louise Erdrich depicts the very deep connection to the natural world that the Ojibwe clearly feel, she also shows how it is eroding as the modern world impinges more and more on their daily lives.
Makoons (meaning little bear in Ojibwe) is written in Erdrich's same lyrical prose that is so familiar now. She has also done the black and white spot illustrations that appear throughout the book. It amazes me how Erdrich can get some much into a story using such simple, straightforward language. There are Ojibwe words used throughout, but there is a glossary and pronunciation guide in the back matter to help readers.
Erdrich really knows how to craft her novels so that there is, like Makoons vision, a nice balance between joy and sorrow. There are, of course, the hard times and survival of this Ojibwe clan, there is the sadness as loved ones pass away, but there are also the endearing antics of Makoons and Chickadee. And for real comic relief, there are the lovesick antics of the overly vain Gichi Noodin, who is so smitten with Omakayas's adopted daughter, Zozie that he seems to do nothing but make a fool of himself whenever he tries to impress her.
Whether you have followed the lives of Omakayas and her clan from the beginning or whether Makoons is your first introduction to these wonderful multigenerational characters, I can't recommend them highly enough.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was an EARC received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline
This review was originally posted on Makoons
January 19, 2017
Native American Little House
Little House on the Prairie is, of course, a masterpiece. But it's not difficult for an author to make white pioneers come alive for their white ancestors.
This book makes a totally foreign culture come alive for this 21st century white guy in a compelling and enjoyable way.
Little House on the Prairie is, of course, a masterpiece. But it's not difficult for an author to make white pioneers come alive for their white ancestors.
This book makes a totally foreign culture come alive for this 21st century white guy in a compelling and enjoyable way.
March 2, 2020
Readable, Funny, and Moving, but the Least Satisfying Birchbark House Book So Far
The fifth entry in Louise Erdrich’s The Birchbark House series about the mid-19th-century Ojibwa girl/woman Omakayas and her family, Makoons (2016), begins not long after the ending of the fourth, Chickadee (2012), with one of Omakayas’ eight-year-old twin sons, Makoons (Little Bear), still recovering from his illness caused by missing his beloved twin Chickadee when that boy was kidnapped and taken to the prairie far away from their Minnesota woods, lakes, and islands home. Though now the twins have been reunited on the prairie where the family relocated to recover Chickadee, Erdrich inserts ominous foreshadowing early on, as Makoons has a vision revealing that their family will never return to Minnesota and that the twins won’t be able to save everyone from some trouble.
Most of the boys’ loving family is still present: mother Omakayas, father Animikiins, grandmother Yellow Kettle, grandfather Deydey, beautiful aunt Angeline and her husband Fishtail, happy go lucky uncle Quill, wise great-grandmother Nokomis, and tomboy with a vengeance second-cousin Two Strike. Bizheens, Omakayas’ beloved adopted baby brother from the second and third books in the series who should now be the teenage uncle of the twins, is still absent without any mention by the characters or explanation from the author.
The novel depicts the boys learning to ride horses for buffalo hunting, which is how the family must support themselves on the prairie. For Makoons horseback riding is easy and natural, guiding his pony Whirlwind with his legs and teaching it to run at a buffalo skin without shying, while Chickadee repeatedly falls off his horse, until Uncle Quill gives him a better pony, which turns out to be vicious and willful, so the twins name it Sweetheart. Makoons and Chickadee observe the adults in their big family and small community hunting and rendering the buffalo (“the Generous Ones”) into useful meat and hides and other commodities. (One wonders how the adults could so quickly become such accomplished buffalo hunters and processors after having lived all their lives in the forests and islands back east.) The boys also watch the absurd antics of a muscular, handsome, and vain young man called Gichi Noodin, who likes to preen, pose, show off, brag, assume that every girl and woman admires him, and—to his cost—ignore buffalo hunting protocol.
Erdrich must have decided that her children’s series should have child protagonists, and because the end of the third novel ended Omakayas’ girlhood, the series moved forward twelve years to focus on her twin sons. OK. But in the process of outgrowing her protagonist’s role, Omakayas lost her appealing and vivid personality as well as her gifts (affinity for bears, spirits, dreams, and visions). Now only her sons have such gifts, and her only distinctive personality trait is to ensure that her husband and twins are presentable by braiding their hair every morning. Erdrich, then, valorizes childhood as a special, more imaginative, sensitive, and interesting time in a person’s life.
At the same time, Erdrich contrived to move Omakayas and her family from the forests and lakes of Wisconsin and Minnesota onto the great plains, gaining thereby a new field of historical Native American life oriented around buffalo to write about (paralleling the move west of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family in The Little House on the Prairie books). She thrillingly depicts a Native American buffalo hunt and vividly describes what comes after, not hiding the butchery, blood, rendering, and flies.
The fourth novel compellingly focuses on Chickadee being separated from his family and having to survive apart from them as he comes to appreciate his name, but here in the fifth book Makoons does not have such an interesting experience on which to center a story. Makoons, like Chickadee, feels like a real boy, desiring to participate in a buffalo hunt before he’s old enough and playing funny tricks on the clueless Gichi Noodin, but his role as protagonist is a strangely minor one, without much development or even a substantial portion of the point of view scenes relative to other characters like Chickadee and even an adopted buffalo calf. And Gichi Noodin’s story arc is much more compelling than Makoons’, as the egotistical buffoon learns to see other people instead of only himself. “Before, he’d seen only his own reflection in his mind, or the eyes of other people. Now he was truly looking at people.”
Erdrich is great at writing scenes kids would enjoy, like one in which Gichi Noodin loses his pants during a buffalo hunt, and at poignant scenes, like one featuring the twins’ great-grandmother Nokomis. She writes a neat story within her story, when Omakayas tells one about a man who marries a bear woman and joins her people.
But the novel feels less substantial, realized, and finished than the earlier books in the series, and I even started noticing some of Erdrich’s neat illustrations from earlier books being recycled into this one, like the drawing ostensibly showing a buffalo hide being scraped that originally illustrated little Omakayas scraping a moose hide, and even the central picture on the cover is not a new one showing Makoons as a boy but an old interior illustration from the first book in the series showing Omakayas as a girl greeting two bear cubs.
Finally, Makoons ends on something of a cliffhanger involving the twins, a vision, and darkness, but I am running out of steam for reading the series and am not anxiously waiting for Erdrich to finish the sixth entry. I do highly recommend the first three books about Omakayas as a girl, starting with the wonderful The Birchbark House (1999).
The fifth entry in Louise Erdrich’s The Birchbark House series about the mid-19th-century Ojibwa girl/woman Omakayas and her family, Makoons (2016), begins not long after the ending of the fourth, Chickadee (2012), with one of Omakayas’ eight-year-old twin sons, Makoons (Little Bear), still recovering from his illness caused by missing his beloved twin Chickadee when that boy was kidnapped and taken to the prairie far away from their Minnesota woods, lakes, and islands home. Though now the twins have been reunited on the prairie where the family relocated to recover Chickadee, Erdrich inserts ominous foreshadowing early on, as Makoons has a vision revealing that their family will never return to Minnesota and that the twins won’t be able to save everyone from some trouble.
Most of the boys’ loving family is still present: mother Omakayas, father Animikiins, grandmother Yellow Kettle, grandfather Deydey, beautiful aunt Angeline and her husband Fishtail, happy go lucky uncle Quill, wise great-grandmother Nokomis, and tomboy with a vengeance second-cousin Two Strike. Bizheens, Omakayas’ beloved adopted baby brother from the second and third books in the series who should now be the teenage uncle of the twins, is still absent without any mention by the characters or explanation from the author.
The novel depicts the boys learning to ride horses for buffalo hunting, which is how the family must support themselves on the prairie. For Makoons horseback riding is easy and natural, guiding his pony Whirlwind with his legs and teaching it to run at a buffalo skin without shying, while Chickadee repeatedly falls off his horse, until Uncle Quill gives him a better pony, which turns out to be vicious and willful, so the twins name it Sweetheart. Makoons and Chickadee observe the adults in their big family and small community hunting and rendering the buffalo (“the Generous Ones”) into useful meat and hides and other commodities. (One wonders how the adults could so quickly become such accomplished buffalo hunters and processors after having lived all their lives in the forests and islands back east.) The boys also watch the absurd antics of a muscular, handsome, and vain young man called Gichi Noodin, who likes to preen, pose, show off, brag, assume that every girl and woman admires him, and—to his cost—ignore buffalo hunting protocol.
Erdrich must have decided that her children’s series should have child protagonists, and because the end of the third novel ended Omakayas’ girlhood, the series moved forward twelve years to focus on her twin sons. OK. But in the process of outgrowing her protagonist’s role, Omakayas lost her appealing and vivid personality as well as her gifts (affinity for bears, spirits, dreams, and visions). Now only her sons have such gifts, and her only distinctive personality trait is to ensure that her husband and twins are presentable by braiding their hair every morning. Erdrich, then, valorizes childhood as a special, more imaginative, sensitive, and interesting time in a person’s life.
At the same time, Erdrich contrived to move Omakayas and her family from the forests and lakes of Wisconsin and Minnesota onto the great plains, gaining thereby a new field of historical Native American life oriented around buffalo to write about (paralleling the move west of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family in The Little House on the Prairie books). She thrillingly depicts a Native American buffalo hunt and vividly describes what comes after, not hiding the butchery, blood, rendering, and flies.
The fourth novel compellingly focuses on Chickadee being separated from his family and having to survive apart from them as he comes to appreciate his name, but here in the fifth book Makoons does not have such an interesting experience on which to center a story. Makoons, like Chickadee, feels like a real boy, desiring to participate in a buffalo hunt before he’s old enough and playing funny tricks on the clueless Gichi Noodin, but his role as protagonist is a strangely minor one, without much development or even a substantial portion of the point of view scenes relative to other characters like Chickadee and even an adopted buffalo calf. And Gichi Noodin’s story arc is much more compelling than Makoons’, as the egotistical buffoon learns to see other people instead of only himself. “Before, he’d seen only his own reflection in his mind, or the eyes of other people. Now he was truly looking at people.”
Erdrich is great at writing scenes kids would enjoy, like one in which Gichi Noodin loses his pants during a buffalo hunt, and at poignant scenes, like one featuring the twins’ great-grandmother Nokomis. She writes a neat story within her story, when Omakayas tells one about a man who marries a bear woman and joins her people.
But the novel feels less substantial, realized, and finished than the earlier books in the series, and I even started noticing some of Erdrich’s neat illustrations from earlier books being recycled into this one, like the drawing ostensibly showing a buffalo hide being scraped that originally illustrated little Omakayas scraping a moose hide, and even the central picture on the cover is not a new one showing Makoons as a boy but an old interior illustration from the first book in the series showing Omakayas as a girl greeting two bear cubs.
Finally, Makoons ends on something of a cliffhanger involving the twins, a vision, and darkness, but I am running out of steam for reading the series and am not anxiously waiting for Erdrich to finish the sixth entry. I do highly recommend the first three books about Omakayas as a girl, starting with the wonderful The Birchbark House (1999).
August 20, 2016
Although part of the Birchbark House series, this powerful narrative about two brothers and their multigenerational family stands alone. Erdrich is a hypnotic storyteller. She brings the 19th century Obijwe people living on the Great Plains of the Dakota Territory to life. Her narrative is authentic and compelling. This is a beautiful story with plenty of action, humor, and heartwarming relationships.
March 20, 2019
Makoons is a story about a Native American Indian boy (named “Makoons”) and his twin brother traveling West with their family to settle in a new territory. The twins need to learn to become buffalo hunters all while helping their family not only settle in a new land, but also to merely survive, as numerous challenges are faced through this trek to the Great Plains. “Makoons” had a vision of the challenges and trials that they would face. Does this help them to survive on their trek?
This book was definitely unique and informative, however, for me it was tedious and a bit dull to read. While reading, I kept thinking back to what historical fiction is. Our book stated that historical fiction is not meant to teach about a time period, but rather portray “ordinary” peoples’ lives during this time period. In this book, I often felt like I was learning more about the history and how the Native people lived during this time period. I do not think this was the fault of the author; rather I think it has a lot to do with when this story took place and what the conditions were like for the Native people of this time while they were forced to move to a new land. It took place in the 1860’s, and I think what was going on during this time is so different from anything I can relate to in this day and age, that it felt more like history, even though it was through the characters’ eyes and portrayed their everyday experiences during this travel.
This is a sequel within a series of books, so I think I would give the other books a chance, and that maybe if I re-read at some point with a different lense, I would enjoy the book more. I would say that overall, the book was very much focused on the details of the “adventure” and what the boys were learning, including in depth descriptions of the hunting and preparing of food. Therefore, I think it all depends on personal preference and what type of story you prefer to read. I really liked the idea and wanted to enjoy the story, but it fell short for me and was just different than what I expected. Having said that, I think it would be wonderful to use with students in Social Studies, within a unit on Native American history. This for sure would make the content learning more engaging and interesting, especially if the teacher really took time to analyze different parts of the book and pick apart the different events and circumstances. In this way, it could be a meaningful learning opportunity for students and provide more context within their Social Studies content learning. The age recommendation listed is 4th-6th grade, and I think it could be appropriate for these grades through middle school.
This book was definitely unique and informative, however, for me it was tedious and a bit dull to read. While reading, I kept thinking back to what historical fiction is. Our book stated that historical fiction is not meant to teach about a time period, but rather portray “ordinary” peoples’ lives during this time period. In this book, I often felt like I was learning more about the history and how the Native people lived during this time period. I do not think this was the fault of the author; rather I think it has a lot to do with when this story took place and what the conditions were like for the Native people of this time while they were forced to move to a new land. It took place in the 1860’s, and I think what was going on during this time is so different from anything I can relate to in this day and age, that it felt more like history, even though it was through the characters’ eyes and portrayed their everyday experiences during this travel.
This is a sequel within a series of books, so I think I would give the other books a chance, and that maybe if I re-read at some point with a different lense, I would enjoy the book more. I would say that overall, the book was very much focused on the details of the “adventure” and what the boys were learning, including in depth descriptions of the hunting and preparing of food. Therefore, I think it all depends on personal preference and what type of story you prefer to read. I really liked the idea and wanted to enjoy the story, but it fell short for me and was just different than what I expected. Having said that, I think it would be wonderful to use with students in Social Studies, within a unit on Native American history. This for sure would make the content learning more engaging and interesting, especially if the teacher really took time to analyze different parts of the book and pick apart the different events and circumstances. In this way, it could be a meaningful learning opportunity for students and provide more context within their Social Studies content learning. The age recommendation listed is 4th-6th grade, and I think it could be appropriate for these grades through middle school.
June 28, 2020
As an educator in pursuit of a liberatory education and decolonized curriculum, I came across the first book in this series and read straight through with love all the way! Reversing the Manifest Destiny narrative so ever-present in young historical fiction, this series centers the indigenous experience of the Ojibwa tribe through 100 years of colonization and land theft. It is a POWERFUL series and must read!
May 31, 2020
I didn't know this was a YA title before I borrowed it. I just try to suck up all the Erdrich I can find. She has a once in a generation talent for story-telling. And even though it's short and simple the story resonates and stirs the imagination. It doesn't idolize the life of native americans or trivialize their suffering in Mne Sota and beyond, but one longs for a time of peace and being one with nature..
June 26, 2017
I loved this series.
November 11, 2020
This is a great children's series. Engaging, educational as it relates to Ojibwe culture, also addresses life events like birth, death, change, family.
December 2, 2017
My family has loved reading these books together. Erdrich is able to paint such compelling portraits of family life together—through all its trials, tribulations, and successes. We anxiously await any additional books she writes for this series.
February 5, 2025
What a beautiful and sad ending for the series.
May 19, 2025
Book 5 (and the last?) of the Birchbark House series. I’m sad it’s over.
January 23, 2017
This is a novel of quiet strength. It tells beautifully of family life, of the cultural customs, of a buffalo hunt. It stands alone, but it is also intricately entwined with the books that have come before it in the series, and with the books that will follow. As this is the first I have read, I look forward to going back and reading the rest of the series.
December 1, 2017
Read with Little Frog Workshop. All three of us continuing to love, love this series with its melancholy and humor and everyday details.
March 8, 2017
For some reason, the Birchbark House series never appealed to me, so I hadn't read it. Well that has changed! This 5th volume in the series is so delightful that I'm headed back to vol. 1! The family was so warm and wonderful and I never expected the humor that brought great big smiles from me.
quotes:
When Two Strike tries to get a horse (Fly) who lost her foal to nurse an orphaned sheep:
"The sad mare bent around to put her soft nose to the lamb. She knew something was not right. She pulled away suspicious. But the lamb trotted forward, nuzzled her, insisted on nursing. Fly stared in consternation. She looked at the humans, at Two Strike, who stood by anxiously, wringing her hands. Fly's expression was almost comical. What is happening she seemed to say with her shocked eyes, startled ears and flaring velvet nostrils. She took a final look down, at the sinister baby. Oh well, she seemed to shrug. Then she put her head down to crop grass as the lamb drank and drank." pp. 31-32.
Then, as if poor Fly weren't confused enough, an orphaned buffalo calf befriends the boys and the calf is brought to Fly to mother as well:
"Staked in the grass, Fly was grazing, closely followed by Two Strike's lamb. The hungry calf trotted up to Fly and knew exactly what to do. Fly snorted, threw her head around and stared in shocked disgust at her new baby. First that curly thing! Now this square-headed thing! My, she seemed to think, my babies are ugly! The calf was just old enough to chew grass, but needed to be with a mother. Right there, it adopted Fly by affectionately banging its head against her. What is happening now? her eyes seemed to say. Then she shrugged and settled back into eating, as if to say, Well, I love them anyway. From now on it would be a battle for Fly's attention between the buffalo calf and the lamb. They weren't very good at taking turns." p. 63
"Zozie was riding Whirlwind because Makoons was riding Angeline's horse, Fly. He walked Fly slowly, behind the rest of the trailing camp. She was followed by the lamb and baby buffalo. Both trotted along, trusting and confident, on strong-boned legs. They seemed extremely fond of their mother." pp 74-75
Gichi Noodin also provides some comic relief! (p. 76 among others)
When speaking about her death some day, Old "Nokomis had said:
'I do not need a marker of my passage, for my creator knows where I am. I do not want anyone to cry. I lived a good life, my hair turned to snow, I saw my great-grandchildren, I grew my garden. That is all." p. 127
quotes:
When Two Strike tries to get a horse (Fly) who lost her foal to nurse an orphaned sheep:
"The sad mare bent around to put her soft nose to the lamb. She knew something was not right. She pulled away suspicious. But the lamb trotted forward, nuzzled her, insisted on nursing. Fly stared in consternation. She looked at the humans, at Two Strike, who stood by anxiously, wringing her hands. Fly's expression was almost comical. What is happening she seemed to say with her shocked eyes, startled ears and flaring velvet nostrils. She took a final look down, at the sinister baby. Oh well, she seemed to shrug. Then she put her head down to crop grass as the lamb drank and drank." pp. 31-32.
Then, as if poor Fly weren't confused enough, an orphaned buffalo calf befriends the boys and the calf is brought to Fly to mother as well:
"Staked in the grass, Fly was grazing, closely followed by Two Strike's lamb. The hungry calf trotted up to Fly and knew exactly what to do. Fly snorted, threw her head around and stared in shocked disgust at her new baby. First that curly thing! Now this square-headed thing! My, she seemed to think, my babies are ugly! The calf was just old enough to chew grass, but needed to be with a mother. Right there, it adopted Fly by affectionately banging its head against her. What is happening now? her eyes seemed to say. Then she shrugged and settled back into eating, as if to say, Well, I love them anyway. From now on it would be a battle for Fly's attention between the buffalo calf and the lamb. They weren't very good at taking turns." p. 63
"Zozie was riding Whirlwind because Makoons was riding Angeline's horse, Fly. He walked Fly slowly, behind the rest of the trailing camp. She was followed by the lamb and baby buffalo. Both trotted along, trusting and confident, on strong-boned legs. They seemed extremely fond of their mother." pp 74-75
Gichi Noodin also provides some comic relief! (p. 76 among others)
When speaking about her death some day, Old "Nokomis had said:
'I do not need a marker of my passage, for my creator knows where I am. I do not want anyone to cry. I lived a good life, my hair turned to snow, I saw my great-grandchildren, I grew my garden. That is all." p. 127
June 7, 2025
Makooms is the last book, written in 2016, of Louise Erdrich's Birchbark Books Series. I will miss having them to go to when I just need something thoughtful, historical, entertaining and an undemanding book to read. However, don't decide that the Birchbark Series is written just for children. It was written as an attempt to retrace Erdrich's family's history. Much research and listening to stories from decendants of her family as well as others that lived the life of the Anishinabe, the original name for the Ojibwa or Chippewa people that lived mainly in the the northern North American woodlands. The series began along Lake Superior, in Wisconsin, on Madeline Island and follows the main character, a seven year old girl, Omakayas, or Little Frog.
Omakayas' family move Westward at least three times throughout the 5 books. But these places that they decide to remain become home. The family has adventures, good and bad times, fun or boring everyday living, and exciting times when survival and necessity call them to honor traditions or determine the future. Makoons is Omakayas' son and Chickadee is his twin. They mainly lived on the great Plains of Dokota Territory, leaving beahind the reservations or the "leftover land" that the US government tried to give them. When the twins reach the age (about 9?) where they have learned to hunt they first stay with the women, elders and children that follow the Buffalo Hunt. The following year they are ready to follow the Buffalo Hunters. The buffalo are harder to find and their survival depends on a successful hunt. Makoons has a dream that tells him his family will never return east to the lake and woods. His family will face great challenges and, like all families. they may not be able to overcome some challenges.
Louise Erdrich wrote in her introduction about finding the name, Omakayas, in the 1829 Turtle Mountain census: "Dear reader, when you speak this name out loud you will be honoring the life of an Ojibwa girl who lived long ago." I will keep Omakayas in my memory and rest, knowing that for a time, I can reach for a book on my shelf to be part of Omakayas' family again.
Omakayas' family move Westward at least three times throughout the 5 books. But these places that they decide to remain become home. The family has adventures, good and bad times, fun or boring everyday living, and exciting times when survival and necessity call them to honor traditions or determine the future. Makoons is Omakayas' son and Chickadee is his twin. They mainly lived on the great Plains of Dokota Territory, leaving beahind the reservations or the "leftover land" that the US government tried to give them. When the twins reach the age (about 9?) where they have learned to hunt they first stay with the women, elders and children that follow the Buffalo Hunt. The following year they are ready to follow the Buffalo Hunters. The buffalo are harder to find and their survival depends on a successful hunt. Makoons has a dream that tells him his family will never return east to the lake and woods. His family will face great challenges and, like all families. they may not be able to overcome some challenges.
Louise Erdrich wrote in her introduction about finding the name, Omakayas, in the 1829 Turtle Mountain census: "Dear reader, when you speak this name out loud you will be honoring the life of an Ojibwa girl who lived long ago." I will keep Omakayas in my memory and rest, knowing that for a time, I can reach for a book on my shelf to be part of Omakayas' family again.
December 1, 2024
This is my least favorite book of this series. It almost seems like an obligatory entry, a book about the second twin, Makoons, since we had the book about his brother, Chickadee; a book to depict the family’s transition to the Turtle Mountains. But very little happens really, which is doubly disappointing after the action-packed plot of Chickadee. Makoons isn’t a particularly vividly drawn character, and unlike with Chickadee, whose name is integral to the story, Makoons’s name, which means “Little Bear” is essentially irrelevant, as there are no bears in the upper Midwest. The most distinctive character is a man named Gichi Noodin, who is full of himself in ways that seem weirdly contemporary and western: egocentrically focused on his hair, muscles, and clothes. The critique also seemed very 21st century feminist, though it's implicitly 19th-century Ojibwe, from the perspective of boys.
I enjoyed the plot about the lamb and the baby buffalo that are adopted by a horse; adoption is a bit of a motif in the story, but for the humans only peripherally significant—yet another way the novel seems rather unfocused.
I mean, I always enjoy reading about the world of nineteenth-century indigenous people depicted in this series, but a novel needs to work as plot, too, especially for a young audience.
I enjoyed the plot about the lamb and the baby buffalo that are adopted by a horse; adoption is a bit of a motif in the story, but for the humans only peripherally significant—yet another way the novel seems rather unfocused.
I mean, I always enjoy reading about the world of nineteenth-century indigenous people depicted in this series, but a novel needs to work as plot, too, especially for a young audience.
March 7, 2024
“Makoons is the word for “little bear,” or bear cub.”
It is now early in the summer of 1866 of this family’s history. The twins are growing up and learning how to hunt. Which is good, as a large chunk of this book is dedicated to the hunting of the buffalo! It is very detailed, especially how the family uses ALL of the buffalo, and in all the different ways that they do so! And also, how they celebrate the hunt and give thanks to the buffalo, and never kill more than they need!
There is love and loss in this story, some loss natural, and some unexcepted. I suffered my own loss, knowing that this is the last book in the series, and also knowing that I will miss this family and their stories. It was a really good bunch of books to read!
Interesting to watch how Two Strike sort of becomes Tallow, and Omakayas sort of become Nokomis. And how Fly, a horse that lost her calf, ends up giving milk to a lamb and a buffalo calf! Life being Life!
I really loved the following quote, from Nokomis:
“I do not need a marker of my passage, for my creator knows where I am. I do not want anyone to cry. I lived a good life, my hair turned to snow, I saw my great-grandchildren, I grew my garden. That is all.”
I hope that I can say the same when my time comes!
Miigwech Louise Erdrich for a wonderful five books! Much appreciated!
It is now early in the summer of 1866 of this family’s history. The twins are growing up and learning how to hunt. Which is good, as a large chunk of this book is dedicated to the hunting of the buffalo! It is very detailed, especially how the family uses ALL of the buffalo, and in all the different ways that they do so! And also, how they celebrate the hunt and give thanks to the buffalo, and never kill more than they need!
There is love and loss in this story, some loss natural, and some unexcepted. I suffered my own loss, knowing that this is the last book in the series, and also knowing that I will miss this family and their stories. It was a really good bunch of books to read!
Interesting to watch how Two Strike sort of becomes Tallow, and Omakayas sort of become Nokomis. And how Fly, a horse that lost her calf, ends up giving milk to a lamb and a buffalo calf! Life being Life!
I really loved the following quote, from Nokomis:
“I do not need a marker of my passage, for my creator knows where I am. I do not want anyone to cry. I lived a good life, my hair turned to snow, I saw my great-grandchildren, I grew my garden. That is all.”
I hope that I can say the same when my time comes!
Miigwech Louise Erdrich for a wonderful five books! Much appreciated!
August 31, 2017
Even though this is the least of my favorite "Birchbark" books, I still give this four stars and count it as a must read.
This books suffers because the inevitable comparison to "Chickadee", which is the story of the first of Omakayas' twins. Where Chickadee dives deeply into Chickadee's story and his own personal development, this book does not go as deep into what makes Makoons who he is. And a small thing - it felt like many of the Ojibwe words were left out of the glossary, which made me a little sad, because I had used the glossary frequently in the other books to look up meanings.
The beautiful elements that made the other books so lovely were still there though. The close-knit human family. A makeshift animal family consisting of a nursing horse a lamb and a buffalo calf. The intricate stories of survival (mostly based on the hunting and tracking of buffalo in this book.)
This is the most recent book in the "Birchbark" series, meaning I have to wait in anticipation for more. ::sigh::
I just love this world. It is beautiful and scary and totally captivating. Such a wonderful discovery.
This books suffers because the inevitable comparison to "Chickadee", which is the story of the first of Omakayas' twins. Where Chickadee dives deeply into Chickadee's story and his own personal development, this book does not go as deep into what makes Makoons who he is. And a small thing - it felt like many of the Ojibwe words were left out of the glossary, which made me a little sad, because I had used the glossary frequently in the other books to look up meanings.
The beautiful elements that made the other books so lovely were still there though. The close-knit human family. A makeshift animal family consisting of a nursing horse a lamb and a buffalo calf. The intricate stories of survival (mostly based on the hunting and tracking of buffalo in this book.)
This is the most recent book in the "Birchbark" series, meaning I have to wait in anticipation for more. ::sigh::
I just love this world. It is beautiful and scary and totally captivating. Such a wonderful discovery.
December 28, 2020
This 5th book in the Birchbark House series tells the story of Makoons (little bear) who was stolen from his family as they traveled to Pembina in Dakota territory. He must learn to survive as a servant to the two evil men who took him. Although he is only 10 years old, he must haul heavy loads and cook them "food" without adequate provisions. He becomes unwell, but eventually escapes and lives in the woods while following the river.
Eventually, he comes across his Uncle Quill who is traveling by oxcart to sell furs in St. Paul. After this trip, the whole family is reunited and moves on to the Turtle Mountains, although they leave a small part of the group in Pembina. Makoons is haunted by a terrible dream/vision he has and doesn't tell the family about it. He only shares a small part with his twin. In the Dakotas tthe boys learn to ride well in order to join the buffalo hunt. It is an exciting and terribly sad time.
This book completes the journey of the family from the great lake/woods to the northern plains.
Eventually, he comes across his Uncle Quill who is traveling by oxcart to sell furs in St. Paul. After this trip, the whole family is reunited and moves on to the Turtle Mountains, although they leave a small part of the group in Pembina. Makoons is haunted by a terrible dream/vision he has and doesn't tell the family about it. He only shares a small part with his twin. In the Dakotas tthe boys learn to ride well in order to join the buffalo hunt. It is an exciting and terribly sad time.
This book completes the journey of the family from the great lake/woods to the northern plains.
January 18, 2023
Least favorite of the 5 in the series, but perhaps because of the lack of hope for the future. The twin boys, Makoons & Chickadee, are the main characters. They grow up on the plains of the Dakota's, learning to ride horses and hunt buffalo. Some of the family have guns now and they kill more than they can process and consume on their last hunt. Buffalo are moving west away from human "civilization" and have become less and less available.
The Turtle Mountains is their home in the end. Omakayas likes the trees. She has her grandmother, Nokomas' garden seeds, which had been sold by the thief, LaPuerte, to a woman who shared. Angelina & Fishtail stayed behind to send their adopted daughter to school, but both parents died of a white man's disease and the daughter was brought to Omakayas, where they family embraced her as their own.
The Turtle Mountains is their home in the end. Omakayas likes the trees. She has her grandmother, Nokomas' garden seeds, which had been sold by the thief, LaPuerte, to a woman who shared. Angelina & Fishtail stayed behind to send their adopted daughter to school, but both parents died of a white man's disease and the daughter was brought to Omakayas, where they family embraced her as their own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2025
Makoons by Louise Erdrich is the fifth volume in the Birchbark House series that follows an Ojibwa family over the course of one hundred years. The last volume told the story of young Chickadee and the latest focuses on his twin brother Makoons who is gifted at riding horses.
Since the family now lives on the Great Plains of the Dakotas, this book focuses on buffalo hunts and how essential the buffalo was to native people.
This book is the shortest of the five published so far, but quite a bit happens: family members die, and we learn of Gichi Noodin, a comically vain man who has a tragic downfall but achieves redemption.
I’m looking forward to the sixth volume (it’s been nine years and counting!) which promises to be dark if Makoon’s visions come true.
An excellent series for readers of any age.
Since the family now lives on the Great Plains of the Dakotas, this book focuses on buffalo hunts and how essential the buffalo was to native people.
This book is the shortest of the five published so far, but quite a bit happens: family members die, and we learn of Gichi Noodin, a comically vain man who has a tragic downfall but achieves redemption.
I’m looking forward to the sixth volume (it’s been nine years and counting!) which promises to be dark if Makoon’s visions come true.
An excellent series for readers of any age.
December 9, 2018
Cute little book about twin Native American boys living in the plains in the 19th century. The twins are funny and endearing. The descriptions of everyday life was FASCINATING and illuminating. I began wishing all history books for adults were written like this. Sure, the history textbooks I teach out of show the bigger picture of how Mongol rule ended up killing 1/3 of Europe (black plague spread through trade routes), but I'd also be super crazy interested in a book that just lays out how they lived their every day lives as neatly as this book does. It goes into intricate detail about how you preserve buffalo meat, tan hides, make pemmican, grow crops, etc. I'm gonna be real, those were my favorite parts. All of it was good, though. Definitely would recommend!
December 23, 2019
I am going to miss this series and am sad it’s over. What a beautiful read-aloud it’s been for my daughter and me. Such gentle, lovely, sad, and humorous storytelling.
This last book I am left wishing a few loose ends had been tied up. Molly and I wondered the past couple books whatever happened to baby Bizheens???? He just disappeared out of the story! We also would have loved if the family had come across “Zahn” and “Zozan” at some point so we could have had closure with that storyline - what happened to them after they were accidentally kidnapped by La Pauture and his guys a few books back? We immediately loved them, just as Omakayas’s family did.
Omakayas and her family made an indelible impression on our hearts this year and I am so grateful to the author for giving us this story.
This last book I am left wishing a few loose ends had been tied up. Molly and I wondered the past couple books whatever happened to baby Bizheens???? He just disappeared out of the story! We also would have loved if the family had come across “Zahn” and “Zozan” at some point so we could have had closure with that storyline - what happened to them after they were accidentally kidnapped by La Pauture and his guys a few books back? We immediately loved them, just as Omakayas’s family did.
Omakayas and her family made an indelible impression on our hearts this year and I am so grateful to the author for giving us this story.
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February 2, 2023Going to leave this as a 'sample-it' read and probably won't complete. Grabbing this at random, I landed at number 5 in the series but it feels like it could be a stand alone (although some context from the beginning would be better). Historical fiction for kids, centered around an Ojibwe family migrating West from their home in Minnesota to the Great Plains of the Dakota Territory. There's a lot of focus in this one on the buffalo hunt, and no detail is spared of how they use the animals. There are also themes of family - the extended family lives together, sharing chores and resources in the way of Native American families of those times. There's a simplicity to the author's prose, telling the story just as it is with warmth and quiet humor.
May 1, 2019
Great book, but needs the context of the rest of the series -- it's a continuation, not a stand alone and it reads like that. That said, I really love this series -- both for the sheer amount of country and time that it covers and for the beauty of the characters and the storytelling. I want to know, always, what happens next. I am fascinated, always, with how the indigenous family adapts as they are forced across the country, away from the beautiful lakes of their home, onto the plains, and continuing into the turtle mountains. It a sharp story, with much sorrow and with many joys.
November 6, 2022
Makoons is book 5 in Louise Erdrich's Birchbark House series. This series tells the story of an Anishinaabe family and their forced migration due to American government policy. The story begins at their traditional home on Madeline Island which is in Lake Superior in Wisconsin.
In this 5th volume Erdirch tells the story of their last migration from Pembina, North Dakota to the Turtle Mountains which became their home in the late 1800s. As she tells the story, she tells her family's story. It is a fascinating, informative and fun read.
I hope she adds a 6th book to her series.
In this 5th volume Erdirch tells the story of their last migration from Pembina, North Dakota to the Turtle Mountains which became their home in the late 1800s. As she tells the story, she tells her family's story. It is a fascinating, informative and fun read.
I hope she adds a 6th book to her series.
May 31, 2020
This book was a bit of a disappointment, and I feel a bit bad for Makoons because his twin Chickadee got a better book! This book is set in a similar point in time but is focused on Makoons, who is still recovering from his sickness in book 4. The majority of this book revolves around the buffalo hunt -- training horses, the customs, etc. -- but has a bit of a twist at the end that felt a bit out of nowhere. Perhaps Erdrich is setting up Book 6 and had to do it this way.
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