Sacagawea: American Pathfinder

by Flora Warren Seymour, Robert Doremus (Illustrator)

Describes how Sacagawea found adventure guiding Lewis and Clark to the Oregon coast.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, Native American, American History, Historical

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1945

About the author

Flora Warren Seymour (1888 - 1948) was a Chicago attorney. She was appointed as the first woman member of the Board of Indian Commissioners. Flora Warren was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but spent her school days in Washington, D.C. She was working for the United States government at the time of her marriage to George Steele Seymour in 1915, who was also a writer. With her husband, she helped found the Order of Bookfellows, and also published and edited the monthly magazine The Step-Ladder. Seymour received A.B , LL.B., and LL.M. degrees and was admitted to the bar of Illinois in 1915 and of the United States Supreme Court in 1919.

Reviews

[Chrys Fey · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much of this was written to favorably portray the colonists, the white men (tabba bone), and American soldiers, and the author kept repeating how much the Native peoples loved and were friendly to the United States. It rubbed me the wrong way. I also expected to read more of her struggles and adventures, but there’s a five year gap and the expedition is glossed over.

Not recommended.

[Kelly Hohenstern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book with my daughter for her 5th grade Faces of History project. We enjoyed learning more about Sacagewea’s life and all the events that happened to lead up to her meeting and working with Lewis and Clark.

[Aleigha (LeighLee) Marie✞❀❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars

Describes how Sacagawea found adventure guiding Lewis and Clark to the Oregon coast.

[Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I was a kid I would rate this 5 stars. This is totally the type of book I would have LOVED. As an adult I'm giving it 3. It's a gentle telling of Sacagawea's life (mostly about her childhood - which is likely totally made up, but good for introducing another culture and way of life to kids).
It totally glosses over her kidnapping and subsequent "marriage" to Charbonneau, but that's to be expected for the intended age group. I don't think young kids need to read about rape, etc.
As for questionable content, there is a chapter that describes the sun dance which is a little gory. Quote: "It was not very pleasant to watch them making gashes in their skin so that the leather thongs might slip through, but they must show how brave they could be." If you are doing this as a read aloud to a really young or sensitive child, you could always just skip over a few small sections and not lose anything of the story.
Overall, it's a good intro to Sacagawea with the last part of the book describing a bit of her exploration with Lewis and Clark. :-)

[Maya Geissinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade Level: 4th- 6th Genre: Historical Fiction
Reading this after another biography of Sacagawea was interesting to compare the two. They are total different in the style of writing, but both are vey good. This describes more of her childhood and her life before exploring. It is interesting to read since is comes from a very different culture.

[Arwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacagawea was one of my childhood heros. This Childhood of Early American series is interesting, but obviously for a young reader, not a young adult. I really love to read fiction about pioneers and explorers and how life was lived back then.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

We liked it, but it hasn't been one of our favorite read alouds.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, not a heavy read but an engaging introduction for elementary school audience. Attitudes are a little dated but inoffensive.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the simplicity and beauty of nature portrayed through a child’s eyes. I was confused though, as to why Grandmother was basically left to die- couldn’t she at least rode horseback?

[Nato · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked that she put others before herself.

[Dakota Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazing lady

[Leah Schifferer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was inspired by Sacagawea's bravery when she saved her brother from a river.

[Kristine Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read for children, and appropriate for even 4 or 5 year olds as a read aloud while likely still very interesting to children in all elementary school grades. I loved this book as a child, and revisiting it was the same lovely experience again. (Spoilers ahead). The book is mostly about Sacagawea's childhood - caring for other children, talking with her friend, working with her mother and grandmother to make a basket, dress, and so on. In the book, her beloved grandmother is not able to travel with them at one point, and so asks to be left behind in a little hut. This is a little sad, as she clearly doesn't expect to see them again, but not written in such a way to overwhelm a child. The experience of being captured by an enemy tribe is written very mildly also, and later when she returns to her tribe as a married woman with the Lewis and Clark expedition, there is not the sense that she has been miserable but just that she's happy to see her brother again and yet still very willing to leave again on the expedition west. As an adult I realized how difficult her life must have really been (and I wondered if her husband actually had two wives based on some of the information in the text) but a child would not have the same sense of the challenges and instead will likely be captivated by all the adventure, made all the more wonderful because the tale is true.

[529_Quincy Owens · Rating 1 out of 5]

Revisiting this book in my adulthood was a mistake. I fondly remember Sacagawea as a model of strength and perseverance. I true hero whose effort saved the Louis and Clark expedition. Taking a second look at this novel I noticed some glaring oversights, like the fact that Sacagawea was kidnapped and 'married' off to someone they called her husband. I know I am being a bit judgmental, since I'm looking at this story from my own cultural perspective. This is why I wish I would have never seen this book again. As a child in the 4th grade there was just a lot of 'things' about the world I did not know that completely change the relationships of the characters in this book. I was forced to wander off into the wonderful world of cyberland in search of concrete facts concerning Sacagawea's life. The only concrete historical evidence I have found so far have been from Lois and Clarks' journal of their adventure. What do we really know about this young girl? In Louis and Clarks' journal she is referred to as a slave, pregnant mother, and young girl (probably around the age of 16). She gave birth to her child got up and continued carrying on all the responsibilities placed upon her during the expedition. I am truly disturbed by the fact that this was taught to me as a child.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well. I either hated the saccharine portrayal of Sacagawea's abduction and "marriage" to a French trader or I hated Sacagewea's personality as portrayed by this historical fiction book. Since the author left out the discussion of Indians and politics and statutory rape I decided that I actually hated the book. Children shouldn't believe that abduction and marriage to your captor is okay under any circumstances. The trapper should have been shot for buying women. I would have given it no stars but then it would not have looked like I read it. I'm glad the author isn't a Goodreads author.

[Elsa Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book it was about Sacagawea growing up and the hard times in her life and the sacrafices she does to serve and help everyone. It was really meaningful and had lots of emotional times and happy that is what I think makes a book good.I would give it 5 stars if it was a little more challenging to read.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book Sacagawea was very exciting. I learned a lot of interesting facts about Sacagawea and and her adventure. The only thing I disliked about the book was that it was a Biography and I prefer to read fiction books.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

soo many things and first of all she was captured then sold!!!

[D.j. · Rating 5 out of 5]

i thought this book was very well written about sacagawea came to be and why she is quite famous now

[Deanna Sutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favorite in the series, but it was still good. It exposes you to life as a Native American. Living books are great for teaching.

[Ryann Woollims · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did NOT have ANY good facts about Sacagawea. It was probably mostly made up. Did not help at all with night of the notables.

[Gretchen Darby]

Gotta' read this!

"Sacagawea! Is it really you!? I haven't seen you since the Lewis and Clark expedition!"

[Summer Rhiann Theis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was sad! : (

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Read it over and over.

[Huda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for anyone who hates those boring biographies and wants more of a narrative type of biography.

[Tara]

9/7/12 - Got this today at a sale up by mom $0.30.

[Lindsey Rojem · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great classic.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borrowed. It was very interesting. I was surprised that she saved her little brother's life when she was seven.

[WSL Library]

X2

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

hmmmmm . . . historically correct ?? or american bias ??