What do you think?
Rate this book
Step into Reading, Step 5
Trail of Tears
In 1838, settlers moving west forced the great Cherokee Nation, and their chief John Ross, to leave their home land and travel 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. An epic story of friendship, war, hope, and betrayal.
48 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1999
36 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Bruchac
279 books599 followersJoseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished. He, his younger sister Margaret, and his two grown sons, James and Jesse, continue to work extensively in projects involving the preservation of Abenaki culture, language and traditional Native skills, including performing traditional and contemporary Abenaki music with the Dawnland Singers.
He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.
He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
January 3, 2018
This book is filled with problems that make it undesirable for our use. I'm not denying that North American Indians, as well as tribal people all over the world suffered under the advancement of colonialism. However, the clash of cultures and the injustices suffered are far from the unique victim hood claimed. This account doesn't get at the real issues inherent in culture clashes, nor does it make it more understandable for kids.
"What we know as Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, and North Caroline were all once Cherokee land." pg 9 This gives the impression that each state in it's entirety was included in Cherokee nation, whereas in fact, it was PARTS of Virginia, West Virginia, North & South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, not the entire states. This is especially glaring when there is a map below. It seems written to magnify the amount of land involved, nor is there any discussion of the significant challenges in labeling native american land boundaries prior to European intrusion.
"Then the American Revolution was fought between the British and the American colonists. When the war was over, American settlers wanted the land owned by Cherokees" page 12. No mention that the Cherokee sided with the British in the Revolutionary War, nor that losing land is common when nations/ cultures lose a war.
"The Cherokee Nation wanted to live at peace with the United States" page 13. Okay, so we are telling it from the Cherokee perspective. But, no mention is made of the French & Indian War or other conflicts in which Indians took an aggressive role against Americans. Again, I am not saying their was no dispute over the land, but this title is only presenting the Indian side in a way framed "Cherokee as victims."
Pages 13-15 detail the creation of the Cherokee alphabet. "No other person in human history had ever created a new alphabet all alone" page 15. At reading this, I laughed out loud. First of all, the fact that the Cherokee and other Indian tribes DID NOT have written language shows part of the cultural inequity that was being fought out between the Americans and the Indians. Secondly, if the illustrations are to be believed, the Cherokee alphabet uses all sorts of western characters, so it wasn't "created... all alone." Third, we just finished reading "Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille" about his challenges in creating an alphabet for the blind (an alphabet with characters entirely unique). Finally, Christian missionaries all over the world have written down alphabets for and translated literature of tribal people. Hawaii immediately comes to mind, and one can check Wycliffe Bible Translators or New Tribes Missions for more information.
Later sections of the book about struggles within the Cherokee community seem more concerned with accuracy, though still laden with victim language.
I'm disappointed in this book. What is accurate? What is not? My intuition is that in order to use this book, I would have to do a ton of my own research to balance out the perspective and I don't have time for that. I would love to see a work like Paul Robert Walker's "Remember the Alamo" that documents the numerous cultural tensions that lead to the Alamo battle and teases out legend from history by examining what we know and what we don't know about these significant events from our past. "Remember the Alamo" documents the lost battle and pays tribute to those lost in a far more satisfying presentation. In this vein, John Ross is presented in The Trail of Tears as a heroic person from the Cherokee Nation, and I would like to know more about him and how he interacted with the cultural pressures of his time.
While this work closes with a feeble rebuke about broken promises of the white people and an equally feeble tribute to the Cherokee, I came away thinking that literacy, education and technology would have made a crucial difference in the Cherokee ability to document their history, fight the US government, push back the settlers and resist the injustice to which they were subjected.
Remember the Alamo, Walker, 2007
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"What we know as Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, and North Caroline were all once Cherokee land." pg 9 This gives the impression that each state in it's entirety was included in Cherokee nation, whereas in fact, it was PARTS of Virginia, West Virginia, North & South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, not the entire states. This is especially glaring when there is a map below. It seems written to magnify the amount of land involved, nor is there any discussion of the significant challenges in labeling native american land boundaries prior to European intrusion.
"Then the American Revolution was fought between the British and the American colonists. When the war was over, American settlers wanted the land owned by Cherokees" page 12. No mention that the Cherokee sided with the British in the Revolutionary War, nor that losing land is common when nations/ cultures lose a war.
"The Cherokee Nation wanted to live at peace with the United States" page 13. Okay, so we are telling it from the Cherokee perspective. But, no mention is made of the French & Indian War or other conflicts in which Indians took an aggressive role against Americans. Again, I am not saying their was no dispute over the land, but this title is only presenting the Indian side in a way framed "Cherokee as victims."
Pages 13-15 detail the creation of the Cherokee alphabet. "No other person in human history had ever created a new alphabet all alone" page 15. At reading this, I laughed out loud. First of all, the fact that the Cherokee and other Indian tribes DID NOT have written language shows part of the cultural inequity that was being fought out between the Americans and the Indians. Secondly, if the illustrations are to be believed, the Cherokee alphabet uses all sorts of western characters, so it wasn't "created... all alone." Third, we just finished reading "Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille" about his challenges in creating an alphabet for the blind (an alphabet with characters entirely unique). Finally, Christian missionaries all over the world have written down alphabets for and translated literature of tribal people. Hawaii immediately comes to mind, and one can check Wycliffe Bible Translators or New Tribes Missions for more information.
Later sections of the book about struggles within the Cherokee community seem more concerned with accuracy, though still laden with victim language.
I'm disappointed in this book. What is accurate? What is not? My intuition is that in order to use this book, I would have to do a ton of my own research to balance out the perspective and I don't have time for that. I would love to see a work like Paul Robert Walker's "Remember the Alamo" that documents the numerous cultural tensions that lead to the Alamo battle and teases out legend from history by examining what we know and what we don't know about these significant events from our past. "Remember the Alamo" documents the lost battle and pays tribute to those lost in a far more satisfying presentation. In this vein, John Ross is presented in The Trail of Tears as a heroic person from the Cherokee Nation, and I would like to know more about him and how he interacted with the cultural pressures of his time.
While this work closes with a feeble rebuke about broken promises of the white people and an equally feeble tribute to the Cherokee, I came away thinking that literacy, education and technology would have made a crucial difference in the Cherokee ability to document their history, fight the US government, push back the settlers and resist the injustice to which they were subjected.
Remember the Alamo, Walker, 2007
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
February 3, 2015
I followed along with my second grader as he read this chapter book. We finished it in only 2 readings, so it was easy for him to understand and keep interested.
We have spent the last few months teaching him about our family's Cherokee heritage, and he just completed a social studies fair project on John Ross and the Trail of Tears. This book had just the right amount of history mixed with story telling.
We visited the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum last week, and he was excited when the book mentioned Sequoyah and his daughter. He stopped reading and wanted to talk about them.
The most difficult part was convincing him that those things really happened. His innocent mind had a hard time understanding, even after spending so much time on his school project. I saw the moment it finally clicked about halfway through this book when he paused, and I could see sadness in his eyes.
Many of the resources we have been looking at, even those for children, had too much content to keep an interest. There are some very graphic animated clips on YouTube that I did not allow him to see at this age.
As soon as the book was over, he asked if we could download more of the Step Into Reading History Readers.
We have spent the last few months teaching him about our family's Cherokee heritage, and he just completed a social studies fair project on John Ross and the Trail of Tears. This book had just the right amount of history mixed with story telling.
We visited the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum last week, and he was excited when the book mentioned Sequoyah and his daughter. He stopped reading and wanted to talk about them.
The most difficult part was convincing him that those things really happened. His innocent mind had a hard time understanding, even after spending so much time on his school project. I saw the moment it finally clicked about halfway through this book when he paused, and I could see sadness in his eyes.
Many of the resources we have been looking at, even those for children, had too much content to keep an interest. There are some very graphic animated clips on YouTube that I did not allow him to see at this age.
As soon as the book was over, he asked if we could download more of the Step Into Reading History Readers.
October 18, 2016
The book is related to my text-set topic of Native Americans as it was re-telling the story of the Native Americans as they were forced to move west. We best know this story as the "Trail of Tears."
Genre: Historical non-fiction
This was a very good read for kids in elementary school. I think the ages it was recommended for will find it appropriate. From what I know the book seemed historically accurate! I really enjoyed how the author noted at the beginning of the book that Cherokee writers and storytellers helped with the book! That gives it a lot of credit. This book makes children question the teachings that we have grown to know. I'm glad this story was catered to 2nd-4th graders. It definitely was age-appropriated regarding language and interests. The story could be easily understood. This was a story that included a rich, thick plot, where we saw more problems than resolutions. The Native-Americans in this story found no real resolution as the White men forced them out of their homes. The characters in the book display real and convincing characters because the characters were real people.
I really enjoyed how each illustration matched seamlessly to the words on each page. I feel that is very important in a children's picture book. The description and the pictures were sequenced accordingly and were extremely accurate! I think the story would definitely hold a child's interest as not only was there plenty of conflict (which is most of the time interesting), but it was a true story. Each picture was detailed as they helped to tell the story.
The story consisted of mostly White and Cherokee people. This story will help children understand the brutality that the Native-Americans endured. It will definitely make you think. Most of us only think of the watered down content that schools teach in elementary school. I believed the Cherokee Nation was represented well as the author Joseph Bruchac not only spent a lot of time with Native Americans, but he was one as well. This is an important aspect of this book. The characters were not over-simplified as they seemed very genuine. The story was narrated and we didn't get to see the language use of the Native-Americans. The characters came from a variety of backgrounds to include the differences between the Native-Americans themselves which helps to explain the diversity within the cultural group.
I'd recommend this book as I learned some things myself!
Genre: Historical non-fiction
This was a very good read for kids in elementary school. I think the ages it was recommended for will find it appropriate. From what I know the book seemed historically accurate! I really enjoyed how the author noted at the beginning of the book that Cherokee writers and storytellers helped with the book! That gives it a lot of credit. This book makes children question the teachings that we have grown to know. I'm glad this story was catered to 2nd-4th graders. It definitely was age-appropriated regarding language and interests. The story could be easily understood. This was a story that included a rich, thick plot, where we saw more problems than resolutions. The Native-Americans in this story found no real resolution as the White men forced them out of their homes. The characters in the book display real and convincing characters because the characters were real people.
I really enjoyed how each illustration matched seamlessly to the words on each page. I feel that is very important in a children's picture book. The description and the pictures were sequenced accordingly and were extremely accurate! I think the story would definitely hold a child's interest as not only was there plenty of conflict (which is most of the time interesting), but it was a true story. Each picture was detailed as they helped to tell the story.
The story consisted of mostly White and Cherokee people. This story will help children understand the brutality that the Native-Americans endured. It will definitely make you think. Most of us only think of the watered down content that schools teach in elementary school. I believed the Cherokee Nation was represented well as the author Joseph Bruchac not only spent a lot of time with Native Americans, but he was one as well. This is an important aspect of this book. The characters were not over-simplified as they seemed very genuine. The story was narrated and we didn't get to see the language use of the Native-Americans. The characters came from a variety of backgrounds to include the differences between the Native-Americans themselves which helps to explain the diversity within the cultural group.
I'd recommend this book as I learned some things myself!
December 5, 2016
Type of book- picture
literary genre- non- fiction
Awards- none
Summary- This is the story of the Cherokee Indians and how gold was discovered on their land and after failed attempts to work with the government to stay on their land, they were forced off it and forced to move to other states like Oklahoma in the middle of a winter with only $82 dollars worth and very little resources to make it through the winter. Many of these people died along the way from starvation, cold, and sicknesses.
Critiques- I liked this book because it did a very good job describing the events that led up to the trail of tears and the migration itself, however, it was very long and could have been condensed.
Prompts- Why were they forced to move? How would you have felt if you had to leave your homes? What would you buy with your money the government gave you if you had to march? Why did many people die?
Craft elements for a lesson plan- I used this book to talk about the Trail of Tears during my Cherokee and Creek Indian unit.
literary genre- non- fiction
Awards- none
Summary- This is the story of the Cherokee Indians and how gold was discovered on their land and after failed attempts to work with the government to stay on their land, they were forced off it and forced to move to other states like Oklahoma in the middle of a winter with only $82 dollars worth and very little resources to make it through the winter. Many of these people died along the way from starvation, cold, and sicknesses.
Critiques- I liked this book because it did a very good job describing the events that led up to the trail of tears and the migration itself, however, it was very long and could have been condensed.
Prompts- Why were they forced to move? How would you have felt if you had to leave your homes? What would you buy with your money the government gave you if you had to march? Why did many people die?
Craft elements for a lesson plan- I used this book to talk about the Trail of Tears during my Cherokee and Creek Indian unit.
June 1, 2011
This book is a detailed account of the Trail of Tears and the Cherokee tribe with illustrations and pictures that keep children interested. History of the European settlements, history and information about the Cherokee and Sequoyah's alphabet are included.
Names and dates are included: John Ross (Chief of Cherokee Nation- Kentucky, Virginia, N./S. Caronlina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee), Sequoyah, Thomas Jefferson, gold rush in GA, John Quincy Adams, the Treaty of New Echota, Civil War, Cherokee people today.
Names and dates are included: John Ross (Chief of Cherokee Nation- Kentucky, Virginia, N./S. Caronlina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee), Sequoyah, Thomas Jefferson, gold rush in GA, John Quincy Adams, the Treaty of New Echota, Civil War, Cherokee people today.
November 30, 2016
1) Book summary, in your own words (3 pts)
This book tells the story of the trail of tears in a way that is very clear and understandable. It gets you away from a lecture out of a textbook and makes learning social studies more enjoyable.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
5th grade
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
social studies
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
Struggling learners having a hard time understanding ehat the trail of tears was
5) Small group use (literaturecircles) (1 pt)
none
6) Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
read aloud during a lesson about the trail of tears
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
none
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available (1 pt)
none
This book tells the story of the trail of tears in a way that is very clear and understandable. It gets you away from a lecture out of a textbook and makes learning social studies more enjoyable.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
5th grade
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
social studies
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
Struggling learners having a hard time understanding ehat the trail of tears was
5) Small group use (literaturecircles) (1 pt)
none
6) Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
read aloud during a lesson about the trail of tears
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
none
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available (1 pt)
none
October 26, 2016
For my social studies book I chose The Trail of Tears, by Joseph Brunchac and Illustrated by Diana Magnuson. This book is best for 4th graders, I think it would be too long for children under this grade level. The curriculum connection in this book is social studies because it is talking about a time in history that happened. There may be a little content concern because the book talks about how the white settlers would invade the Native American's homes. This book tells about the true stories and tough times the Cherokee people went through. It gives real history about what the Native Americans went through and it tells about the treaties that were signed as well.
December 14, 2012
I OWN A SINGLE COPY.
BOUGHT AT AMAZON.COM.
Review/Rating:
3 out of 5
Through simple explanation, the author explains the history behind the Trail of Tears and the challenges that the Cherokee Nation faced during this time period. Chief of the Cherokee Nation, John Ross, and his people (17,000) must leave their homes and go west. During this trying time period and journey, a lot of deaths and hardships will befall them.
The information given is pretty much interesting, which one of the reasons why I like the book, and even some of it that I don't even remember. The hardships that they are faced and the history facts are not really watered down, but phrased in a way that won't have your kids ask questions you wouldn't really want to answer when they are still kind of young. If your kids doesn't understand that we have done bad things in the past, you might have some explaining to do. Now some of the interesting information they give are about Cherokee legends of how their people came to be, the legend of the Cherokee Rose, which is thought to come from the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee written language and the newspaper, and some other pieces of information. Basically, it is kind of like a miniature history book with fun and interesting information, but I wouldn't count on it for tests and things like that. Why? Because most schools depend on their history books for making tests. It's also great if you want to give a head start for your kids about the subject before they start on it in school. Another reason why I like this book is because of the illustrations inside the book. They are some pretty, and I liked looking at some of them. :D
The only thing I didn't like the book is the fact that it is non-fiction and why mostly boring in some of the parts, which is the main reason why I rated this book a 3 out of 5. I would have liked the book better if they had a little bit more non-fiction in it like the Dear America books (you know towards the end with all the images and explanations). However, it is a good little book that will tell your kids about the Trail of Tears before they learn it in school.
I would recommend this book for kids who are having difficult time learning about the Trail of Tears and need a little bit easy way of explaining the basics of what happened during that time. However, I wouldn't depend solely on it for their school projects. I would recommend this book for kids who are having difficult time learning about the Trail of Tears and need a little bit easy way of explaining the basics of what happened during that time. However, I wouldn't depend solely on it for their school projects. Also, make sure you read it with them because some of the words they will have trouble with like the Cherokee language, some state names, some of the names, and that's pretty much it. But, it is pretty much easy to understand.
BOUGHT AT AMAZON.COM.
Review/Rating:
3 out of 5
Through simple explanation, the author explains the history behind the Trail of Tears and the challenges that the Cherokee Nation faced during this time period. Chief of the Cherokee Nation, John Ross, and his people (17,000) must leave their homes and go west. During this trying time period and journey, a lot of deaths and hardships will befall them.
The information given is pretty much interesting, which one of the reasons why I like the book, and even some of it that I don't even remember. The hardships that they are faced and the history facts are not really watered down, but phrased in a way that won't have your kids ask questions you wouldn't really want to answer when they are still kind of young. If your kids doesn't understand that we have done bad things in the past, you might have some explaining to do. Now some of the interesting information they give are about Cherokee legends of how their people came to be, the legend of the Cherokee Rose, which is thought to come from the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee written language and the newspaper, and some other pieces of information. Basically, it is kind of like a miniature history book with fun and interesting information, but I wouldn't count on it for tests and things like that. Why? Because most schools depend on their history books for making tests. It's also great if you want to give a head start for your kids about the subject before they start on it in school. Another reason why I like this book is because of the illustrations inside the book. They are some pretty, and I liked looking at some of them. :D
The only thing I didn't like the book is the fact that it is non-fiction and why mostly boring in some of the parts, which is the main reason why I rated this book a 3 out of 5. I would have liked the book better if they had a little bit more non-fiction in it like the Dear America books (you know towards the end with all the images and explanations). However, it is a good little book that will tell your kids about the Trail of Tears before they learn it in school.
I would recommend this book for kids who are having difficult time learning about the Trail of Tears and need a little bit easy way of explaining the basics of what happened during that time. However, I wouldn't depend solely on it for their school projects. I would recommend this book for kids who are having difficult time learning about the Trail of Tears and need a little bit easy way of explaining the basics of what happened during that time. However, I wouldn't depend solely on it for their school projects. Also, make sure you read it with them because some of the words they will have trouble with like the Cherokee language, some state names, some of the names, and that's pretty much it. But, it is pretty much easy to understand.
December 3, 2017
Must read for everyone
Great details & age appropriate. It had things I didn't even know. Highly recommend. I will be giving these out the next Holiday.
Great details & age appropriate. It had things I didn't even know. Highly recommend. I will be giving these out the next Holiday.
July 18, 2025
I mean it was definitely a history reader. A throat closing, eyes watering kind of history reader.
Very well written.
---
These parts stood out to me:
p2 (dedication)
Gogisgi/Carroll Arnett - Cherokee poet and teacher
ktsi mliwini (great thanks, thank you so much)
Aniyunwiya (the principal people) friends
wado, wado. (“thank you” in the Cherokee language)
The principal People will survive.
p4-5
Oct 1, 1838
chief John Ross
17,000 people of the Cherokee Nation
p8
... how the earth was shaped by the flight of the Great Buzzard. He flew low over the new land to dry it with his wings, pushing down the valleys and lifting up the hills and peaks of the great Smoky Mountains. Then two people emerged from the earth. They were Kanati and Selu, the first man and woman. All Cherokees are their children.
p9
This was Cherokee land: GA, AL, TN, KY, SC, + NC
Each town had it's own leaders chosen by the people.
called themselves Ani'-Yun'wiya - "the Principal People".
The name "Cherokee" comes from jilagi - a Creek Indian word meaning "People of different speech".
p12
after American Revolution... 1,000 Cherokee towns were destroyed
p.14
1821 - Sequoyah -- created a Cherokee alphabet
p15 daughter Ahyokah
talking leaves = writing on paper
p16
1827 - Cherokee Nation founded its own newspaper ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ written in English and Cherokee 'Tsa-la-gi Tsu-le-hi-sah-nuh-hi' (translation "Cherokee will rise again" ---> called "Cherokee Phoenix" in English
p17
president Thomas Jefferson believed in a policy called Indian Removal. (moving all Indians to lands West of the Mississippi River.
p18
...to Arkansas for 10 years then pushed more west to Oklahoma.
p19
1828 - Cherokee territory 1/10 of original size, only 17,000 Cherokees remained
p21
1828 - president Andrew Jackson's 1st address to congress -- all Indians must now be removed.
During the War of 1812, when General Jackson was fighting the British, many Cherokee volunteers had fought by his side. Two of those loyal Cherokees were Sequoyah and John Ross. But Jackson didn't care that Cherokees had helped him in the past. He sponsored the Indian Removal Bill.
p22
gold discovered on Cherokee land (GA)
anti-Indian laws in GA and AL.
illegal for them to dig for gold on their own land
p23
GA divided Cherokee Republic into land lots and lottery to give them to white men -- they came home to find out everything they owned was taken
p24
1832 - fought for their rights in the Supreme Court -- won!
But President Jackson sided with the Southern states and allowed them to ignore the Supreme Court.
p25
John Ross's wife Quatie
p26
small group of Cherokees signed treaty (with no right to do so) for western removal of the entire Cherokee Nation
p27
treaty illegal
former president John Quincy Adams said treaty 'brings disgrace upon the country"
US Senate approved
President Andrew Jackson happy.
p28
20 men signed treaty
16,000 petition signatures of Cherokee people who opposed
ignored
p30
president Martin Van Buren sent General John Ellis Wool to take away their weapons (but he wound up protecting them from dishonest white men trying to cheat and steal from them).
p32
general Wool resigned in protest
replaced by general Winfield Scott who rounded up, and locked up the Cherokee people in stockade forts. They had to leave behind everything except for the clothes they wore and what little they could carry. white men took over their homes
p33
families were separated as people were herded into camps
children separated from parents
food and water scarce
sick
many died in captivity
they committed no crime
overcrowded boats going west - large flatboats guarded by troops -- crowded - sickness -- some fell in water and drowned
land - longer route but safer
p34
crowded camps -- no bedding, no cooking utensils, no protection from burning summer sun or rain -- people nearly naked -- dying in great numbers
p35
Ross asked Scott that Cherokees could travel West themselves instead of like criminals. Scott was upset by what had happened to the Cherokees so agreed.
ex-president Andrew Jackson enraged -- wrote angry letter to US attorney general in protest.
Ross's plan was still allowed.
p36
each Cherokee got $65.88 allowance to cover cost of wagons, horses, oxen bedding, food, soap and clothing. Also to pay the use of turnpikes (private roads whose owners demanded money for their use)
p37
plan - 15 miles/day = 1,200 mile trip in 80 days
b/c of heat, delayed
1st group left Oct 1 1838 ---- last group left Nov 7.
p38
white men followed to try to steal from them
they were charged more for using roads and ferries
many still sick from the camps, wagons broke down, horses and oxen died, winter came early
p39
Quatie very ill -- died
It is said that each drop of blood that fell from the Cherokees turned into a stone rose. (red stone crystal -- can still be found along the Arkansas River)
1968 - Cherokee rose = state stone of Oklahoma
p40
est. 4,000 people died
terrible experience still called nuna dat shun'yi (lit. 'the place where they cried", the trail of tears)
Last Cherokee party arrived March 25, 1839
139 day journey
p41
smallpox
US promised supplies didn't arrive
p42
June 22, 1839 - some of the men who signed the treaty were blamed for the suffering and killed
p43
Cherokee Advocate newspaper founded
1856 - 21 Cherokee elementary and secondary schools for men and women teaching mandatory Latin, algebra, botany, grammar, and geography
p44 - 47
now - 2 Cherokee Nations (OK -80,000 ) (NC - 1,000 stayed and hid in mountains ---> now 10,000)
in Cherokee, NC pageant every year called 'Unto These Hills" based on trail of tears and the story of Tsali.
p45
one of the Cherokees, an old man named Tsali (ᏣᎵ means "fox"), was sentenced to death after he and 2 of his sons killed a soldier trying to capture them. He was killed by a firing squad of his own people. They knew that they would be shot if they didn't obey. Tsali showed such bravery that he became a folk hero.
------------------------
I like general Wool for resigning.
Andrew Jackson sounds like he was the biggest d***. Why do we have money with him on it? Ugh!
I like the choice of watercolor for the illustrations
Very well written.
---
These parts stood out to me:
p2 (dedication)
Gogisgi/Carroll Arnett - Cherokee poet and teacher
ktsi mliwini (great thanks, thank you so much)
Aniyunwiya (the principal people) friends
wado, wado. (“thank you” in the Cherokee language)
The principal People will survive.
p4-5
Oct 1, 1838
chief John Ross
17,000 people of the Cherokee Nation
p8
... how the earth was shaped by the flight of the Great Buzzard. He flew low over the new land to dry it with his wings, pushing down the valleys and lifting up the hills and peaks of the great Smoky Mountains. Then two people emerged from the earth. They were Kanati and Selu, the first man and woman. All Cherokees are their children.
p9
This was Cherokee land: GA, AL, TN, KY, SC, + NC
Each town had it's own leaders chosen by the people.
called themselves Ani'-Yun'wiya - "the Principal People".
The name "Cherokee" comes from jilagi - a Creek Indian word meaning "People of different speech".
p12
after American Revolution... 1,000 Cherokee towns were destroyed
p.14
1821 - Sequoyah -- created a Cherokee alphabet
p15 daughter Ahyokah
talking leaves = writing on paper
p16
1827 - Cherokee Nation founded its own newspaper ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ written in English and Cherokee 'Tsa-la-gi Tsu-le-hi-sah-nuh-hi' (translation "Cherokee will rise again" ---> called "Cherokee Phoenix" in English
p17
president Thomas Jefferson believed in a policy called Indian Removal. (moving all Indians to lands West of the Mississippi River.
p18
...to Arkansas for 10 years then pushed more west to Oklahoma.
p19
1828 - Cherokee territory 1/10 of original size, only 17,000 Cherokees remained
p21
1828 - president Andrew Jackson's 1st address to congress -- all Indians must now be removed.
During the War of 1812, when General Jackson was fighting the British, many Cherokee volunteers had fought by his side. Two of those loyal Cherokees were Sequoyah and John Ross. But Jackson didn't care that Cherokees had helped him in the past. He sponsored the Indian Removal Bill.
p22
gold discovered on Cherokee land (GA)
anti-Indian laws in GA and AL.
illegal for them to dig for gold on their own land
p23
GA divided Cherokee Republic into land lots and lottery to give them to white men -- they came home to find out everything they owned was taken
p24
1832 - fought for their rights in the Supreme Court -- won!
But President Jackson sided with the Southern states and allowed them to ignore the Supreme Court.
p25
John Ross's wife Quatie
p26
small group of Cherokees signed treaty (with no right to do so) for western removal of the entire Cherokee Nation
p27
treaty illegal
former president John Quincy Adams said treaty 'brings disgrace upon the country"
US Senate approved
President Andrew Jackson happy.
p28
20 men signed treaty
16,000 petition signatures of Cherokee people who opposed
ignored
p30
president Martin Van Buren sent General John Ellis Wool to take away their weapons (but he wound up protecting them from dishonest white men trying to cheat and steal from them).
p32
general Wool resigned in protest
replaced by general Winfield Scott who rounded up, and locked up the Cherokee people in stockade forts. They had to leave behind everything except for the clothes they wore and what little they could carry. white men took over their homes
p33
families were separated as people were herded into camps
children separated from parents
food and water scarce
sick
many died in captivity
they committed no crime
overcrowded boats going west - large flatboats guarded by troops -- crowded - sickness -- some fell in water and drowned
land - longer route but safer
p34
crowded camps -- no bedding, no cooking utensils, no protection from burning summer sun or rain -- people nearly naked -- dying in great numbers
p35
Ross asked Scott that Cherokees could travel West themselves instead of like criminals. Scott was upset by what had happened to the Cherokees so agreed.
ex-president Andrew Jackson enraged -- wrote angry letter to US attorney general in protest.
Ross's plan was still allowed.
p36
each Cherokee got $65.88 allowance to cover cost of wagons, horses, oxen bedding, food, soap and clothing. Also to pay the use of turnpikes (private roads whose owners demanded money for their use)
p37
plan - 15 miles/day = 1,200 mile trip in 80 days
b/c of heat, delayed
1st group left Oct 1 1838 ---- last group left Nov 7.
p38
white men followed to try to steal from them
they were charged more for using roads and ferries
many still sick from the camps, wagons broke down, horses and oxen died, winter came early
p39
Quatie very ill -- died
It is said that each drop of blood that fell from the Cherokees turned into a stone rose. (red stone crystal -- can still be found along the Arkansas River)
1968 - Cherokee rose = state stone of Oklahoma
p40
est. 4,000 people died
terrible experience still called nuna dat shun'yi (lit. 'the place where they cried", the trail of tears)
Last Cherokee party arrived March 25, 1839
139 day journey
p41
smallpox
US promised supplies didn't arrive
p42
June 22, 1839 - some of the men who signed the treaty were blamed for the suffering and killed
p43
Cherokee Advocate newspaper founded
1856 - 21 Cherokee elementary and secondary schools for men and women teaching mandatory Latin, algebra, botany, grammar, and geography
p44 - 47
now - 2 Cherokee Nations (OK -80,000 ) (NC - 1,000 stayed and hid in mountains ---> now 10,000)
in Cherokee, NC pageant every year called 'Unto These Hills" based on trail of tears and the story of Tsali.
p45
one of the Cherokees, an old man named Tsali (ᏣᎵ means "fox"), was sentenced to death after he and 2 of his sons killed a soldier trying to capture them. He was killed by a firing squad of his own people. They knew that they would be shot if they didn't obey. Tsali showed such bravery that he became a folk hero.
------------------------
I like general Wool for resigning.
Andrew Jackson sounds like he was the biggest d***. Why do we have money with him on it? Ugh!
I like the choice of watercolor for the illustrations
September 27, 2013
The Trail of Tears tell the historical account of Indian removal in America. The book focuses on John Ross and his work in fighting against Indian removal. This book is good because it is accurate and tell the story without bias. This book is able to take a hard issue and make is digestible for children. I would have students between grades two and four read this book. This book reveals some of the darker history of America but also tells the a story of hope and how the Cherokees flourished against opposition.
May 23, 2014
This book was the book I selected for the Historical Fiction book selection. It is on a reading level for children in second grade through forth grade. I selected this book because it talks about the Cherokee Nation back in 1838 and how they were the first settlers in this country and they had to leave their territory. Also, I find it easy to read, the story matches the illustrations, but it gives a narrow history story.
April 25, 2016
This is a nonfiction step into reading book about the history of Native American Indians. It talks about why the Indians were forced to move, who made the decisions, and what the Indians felt about it. I really liked this book. It is for grades two to four as it was a pretty lengthy picture book. It sums up the entire history of native americans. I could use this book as an independent reader or in a unit on native americans.
August 12, 2017
Read this before going on our road trip. This brought out the "caring" about history in my kids. We had so many thought provoking discussions over the several days that we spread out reading this book. I would definitely recommend to spread out the readings even though you can read it in one sitting. The impact of hearing the story of the Cherokees will always be felt...krb 8/12/17
February 15, 2016
OK but it really bothers me that America treated an entire indigenous people so badly. Imagine what they could have accomplished if we could have lived with them and learned from them instead of exiling them to reservations.
Read
January 29, 2010Cameron (my In2Books Penpal) has chosen this as our Social Studies book. It's next up on my In2Books queue!
January 17, 2010
A good, simple book for early independent readers about the historical Trail of Tears. Bright illustrations help expand an early reader's understanding.
Read
November 8, 2010Great historical book for introducng the Cherokee Indians.
June 1, 2016
this book make tears crawl down your face. when the Indians have to face death its sad. the have to face weather, death, etc;. read the book to find out more
June 6, 2016
A history reader series. Fun to read and easy for young readers.
November 1, 2021
Bruchac always goes above and beyond as a writer, researcher, and teacher. With this level five reader, readers learn that the Cherokee lived in Tennessee and out to Georgia. Readers will learn that Jackson used Indigenous warriors to fight in his war, and then turned on those same Cherokees. Jackson signed the "Indian Removal Act", kicking Cherokee off their land.
John Ross, a leader who developed a language and developed schools, created a literate community able to argue their case to the supreme court.
The eventual removal from their land to Oklahoma is heartbreaking, but Bruchac shows the reader that the Cherokee community are organizers. They may have lost their land, but they adapted and rebuilt their fractured community.
John Ross, a leader who developed a language and developed schools, created a literate community able to argue their case to the supreme court.
The eventual removal from their land to Oklahoma is heartbreaking, but Bruchac shows the reader that the Cherokee community are organizers. They may have lost their land, but they adapted and rebuilt their fractured community.
September 11, 2024
Why did any “Christian” think it was ok to destroy someone else’s life and just take for themselves whatever they wanted? Clearly just viewed them less than human. It’s a sad hard truth that our American history has this in it. If we are to raise truly patriotic adults they must learn about the good the bad and the ugly together or they will learn only the bad later and hate our country. We must see how we have grown as a people and this is definitely one of them. There still maybe some hate towards natives, but it is rare and far between. Most of us are appalled by this history and strive for a better and kinder country today. We must not say that was ever ok but we must know that is not who we are today.
March 14, 2020
Is this book the perfect telling of the story of the Trail of Tears? No. But it is a good introduction to the tragedy (and no matter what side of the fence you are as far as if the policy that created the Trail of Tears was good or not, I hope you consider what actually happened as a tragedy). I live in North Carolina and I have Cherokee blood in my veins (not enough to get a scholarship and I don't belong to the tribe, but I do have a couple of Cherokee ancestors) so how the story is told is important to me. Are there finer points I would discuss with my children, particularly as they get older? Of course. But this book does a good job of providing an overview to young children.
May 30, 2020
This was amazing. In this small, early chapter book, I learned more about Native American history and dealings with the U.S. government than in all of my years of schooling. A lot of books are like, "and then the U.S. broke its promises" or "there were some treaties." This book is specific. It names names of treaties and people who were important on both sides and their reactions. This is a book I will be reading to my 3rd-5th graders during November next year. For sure.
January 8, 2018
Interesting book about the history and events leading up to the Cherokee Indians walking the Trail of Tears. Easy to read and to understand book for third graders. Colorful illustrations with Step Leveled reading for students although I used it as a read aloud for my class so we could discuss the book as we read it.
December 23, 2018
Once again finishing my annual reading challenges by reading children's books. Bruchac's #ownvoices approach is to pull absolutely no punches, without traumatizing 8 year olds. I wouldn't give this as a gift - it's a difficult topic and parents need to be ready to explain just how awful people can be.
November 27, 2020
A Step into Reading, Step 4 Book for Grades 2-4: Nice large print, color drawing illustrations. The book tells the story of the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral lands in North Carolina to Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma. There is no mention of the other tribes that were also forced amid extreme hardship, illness and death to travel the "Trail of Tears."
February 11, 2022
So far this is the best book about the Trail of Tears I have read that’s geared toward younger kids! This was informative without being boring, but so sad. It’s sad what the president did to the native Americans and it’s so sad how greedy the white people were at that time. I’m sure there’s more to the history then we get today.
December 10, 2018
This is a great retelling of the strong and courageous Cherokees. This story is about a very sad and terrible journey for these native folks. This book is great for young readers as it has great illustrations and the words are large and easy to read.
March 21, 2020
Excellent book for early elementary. Easy to read and understand, and entirely from the perspective of the people being forcibly moved, without long explanations of US white government and politics. The pictures are very impactful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews