The Chichi Hoohoo Bogeyman

by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, Nadema Agard (Illustrator)

Strange events and an undercurrent of tension permeate The Chichi Hoohoo Bogeyman . While secretly exploring an old fort on the South Dakota prairie, three Indian girls encounter a stranger. One of the girls playfully names him the chichi hoohoo bogeyman, after the Sioux, Hopi, and white figures used to discipline children. On a forbidden outing the girls again encounter the stranger, who starts to chase them as they run away in fear. Swearing themselves to secrecy, they become further unsettled when they return home and hear the adults talk of recent unexplained occurrences at home, perhaps driven by spirits. The most rebellious of the girls disappears before the mystery of the chichi hoohoo bogeyman comes to light.

 

Booklist praised the “fresh, in-tune portrayal of the girls and their families” and recommended the book for readers in grades 3 to 5. This Bison Books edition includes a new introduction by the author.

Genres: Middle Grade

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve was born and raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. She was the daughter of an Episcopal priest and a Lakota Sioux mother. Sneve received her B.S. and M.Ed. in 1954 and 1969, respectively, from South Dakota State University. She has taught English in public school of South Dakota, and at the Flandreau Indian School in Flandreau. Her career also includes editor at the Brevet Press in Sioux Fall, S.D. Sneve is a member of the board of directors, Native American consortium, Corporation for Public Broadcasting ; member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe; member of board of directors of United Sioux Tribes Cultural Arts; and Historiographer of the Episcopal Church of South Dakota.

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[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

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