Candace+Smith


 * //__ NON-FICTION __//**


 * Rosinky, Natalie, 2005 (Non-Fiction) **
 * “The Navajo”. Compass Point Books. 48 pgs. Scottsdale Public Library. **

This book is about Native Americans and will give readers a thorough introduction to each people’s unique cultures, history, and modern day life. The book goes into detail about how Navajos were brought upon earth and how they entered into different worlds to get into the world they are in today. It provides information about what the Navajos had to face and the challenging times they faced.

This book would be of great use when introducing Navajo to students, it provides a lot of information about the history, culture, customs and life today for the Navajo tribe. Students would be able to read it and could provide a reflection on what they thought about the Navajo tribe.


 * Wood, Leigh, 1991 (Non-Fiction) **
 * “The Navajo Indians”. Chelsea House Publishers. 80 pgs. Scottsdale Public Library. **

This book explains the history of the Navajo and how they great people came about from the start of their creation to their present lives today. The non-Indians traveled to the southwest, the Navajos thrived in their beautiful homeland in present-day Arizona and New Mexico. Skilled as farmers and artisans at they developed a rich culture that emphasized hozho (harmony) in all things.

The related curriculum evident to this selection is the history of the Navajo. This book gives a great overview about the Native American and all they could do to protect their homelands from the southwest. It would be good for informing students about how important homelands are to different cultures.


 * Bruchac, Joseph, 2002. (Non-Fiction) **
 * “Navajo Longwalk”. National Geographic Society. 48 pgs. Scottsdale Public Library. **

This book talks about the Navajo Long walk, a story of tragedy, of the forced marched of thousands of Navajos from their homeland to Bosque Redondo. The general in charge believes it is his duty to kill the Indian and save the man. It is also a story of triumph and the proud return of the survivors to Dinetah and their determination to live in peace. The way I would make this book related to the curriculum is by informing students about the Navajo long walk. I would be able to let the students know about the way the Navajo harmony was restored and how they were able to prosper it.


 * Russel, Monty. 1993 (Non-Fiction) **
 * “Kinaalda”. Learner Publications Company. 48 pgs. Scottsdale Public Library. **

This book is about a Navajo girl who participates in her kinaaldá, which is a traditional coming of a age of her people. Her roots are deep and she returns to solemnize and celebrate her change from girl to women. In this book she blesses her relatives and is blessed by and mixes a huge cake, which is dedicated to the sun god, and shares it with all who attends the kinaaldá.

This book would be a good resource to young women who are at the age of changing into women. They would be able to understand how the Navajo culture celebrates their changing into a young woman. This book presents a view of the menstruation that can be difficult to convey the newly initiated and to those who are still waiting.

This book presents different perspectives while skillfully weaving together key facts and concepts relating to World War II history. Code talkers discuss the role of the native Americans both as soldiers and translators. This book would be a good resource when teaching students about the Navajo code talkers and how they impacted the world during one of Americans tough wars. Children will be able to understand the importance of language and how children who are bilingual should not be ashamed to speak their language because our language is very important to us because it makes us who we are as an individual.
 * Daily, Robert. 1995 (Non-Fiction) **
 * “The Code Talkers, American Indians in World War II” Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication. 63 pages. Tempe Public Library **

**//__ FICTION __//**

This story takes place in 1864 in the land of Canyon De Chelly a place where the Navajos lived and promised rich harvest. This was a time of expectation but was shattered when the Spanish slavers came and later when the white soldiers burned the crops, destroyed fruit trees, and forced the Navajos to join their Indian brothers on the devastating long march to fort Sumner. This story could be used in the curriculum when discussing Native American history. The book is story with tragic overtones and the story of breaking the human spirit. Teachers can use it to describe how some cultures had to face difficult times and fortunately then, as now, there were a few possessed of an inner strength based on hope.
 * O’Dell Scott. 1970 (Fiction) **
 * “Sing Down The Moon” Fourth Printing. 137 pages. Tempe Public Library **

This book is a children’s story about three little sheep that set out to begin life on their own, they never dream that a hungry coyote will follow them. Scared and nervous each brother heads in different directions to build their own homes. But the coyote has heard of their plans, and he is determined to catch one of them for dinner.
 * Yazzie, Seraphine. 2006 (Fiction) **
 * “The Three Little Sheep” Salina Bookshelf, Inc. 28 pages Tempe Public Library. **

Teacher would able to incorporate this book into their curriculum when they are teaching students about imagination and creativity. This story is filled with humor and children will engage in the story because it is just like the three little pigs but only this time it is told in a Navajo perspective.

This book is a fun tale of how Glenmae a weaver makes a rug as told through the eyes of the goat that provides the wool. Geraldine leads through the process from hair clipping, to yarn spinning, and dyeing, to finally making the loom and weaving pattern. The illustrations are humorous and authentic. This book would be a good resource when teaching students about rug making among the Navajo culture. This story is exceptional and an education in an obsolescent art as an entertainment. The teacher would be able to teach the students not only about the care and pride with which a Navajo rug is made, but also about cooperation between two friends.
 * Blood, Charles. 1976 (Fiction) **
 * “The Goat and the Rug” Collier Macmillan Canada Inc. 29 pages. Tempe Public Library **

This story is about a grandmother who believes that little prankster girl is mature enough to be taught how to weave. Mother thinks she plays too many tricks, younger sister says she is not smart enough, and baby is too young to give her support. She determined to learn anyway so Prankster girls borrows some of her mothers weaving supplies and practices weaving while she is out herding her family’s flock.
 * Blue, Martha. 2003 (Fiction) **
 * “Little Prankster Girl” Salina Bookshelf Inc. 26 pages. Tempe Public Library **

This is a good story to use in a curriculum when teaching about independence and feelings to children. Students will be able to identify with Pranksters girls struggle to win recognition from her family, and will gain courage to make their own bids for greater independence. ** Clinton, Verna. 2001. (Fiction) ** ** “Askii’s Journey” Salina Bookshelf Inc. 25 pages. Tempe Public Library ** This book is a story about a young Navajo boy journey to manhood in the years following the return of the Navajo people from their imprisonment at Fort Sumner. To survive the boy remembered the stories his grandfather had told him about the years of hardship at Fort Sumner. The memories were able to provide strength to the boy. The related curriculum to this book would be about the Navajo Long Walk and how knowing stories from a long time ago sometimes help people to understand how strong a person can be if they never give up. This story will help students learn the value of teachings and learn that they everyone has a voice and can speak up for themselves. ** Miles, Miska. 1985. (Fiction) ** ** “Annie and the Old One” Little Brown Books for Young Readers. 44 pages. ** ** Tempe Public Library. **  This book is about a Navajo girl who resorts to extremes in trying to prevent her dear grandmother from dying. The old one has said she will return earth when she is finished helping Annie and Annie’s mother to weaver their new rug, so the child does everything she can to delay this project. When the grandmother explains her beliefs Annie begins to understand and no longer attempts to hold back time. This book could be use when teaching children about the life cycle and understanding that everyone starts off young and grows old. It is a good book to explain death to a small child. It explains to children the reality and inevitability of death and that sometimes there are things beyond our control. ** Baylor, Byrd. 1977 (Fiction) ** ** “The Way to start a Day” Byrd Baylor Illustrations. 27 pages. Scottsdale Public Library. **  This book is about how people all the world have paid their respects to the wonder of each new sunrise. The book gives a wonderful insight about how people have and people still can stay in touch with what is fundamental. The book talks about Navajo mother and daughter and they wake up before the sun so they can say their prayers and give thanks for being able to wake up another day. Incorporating this book into a curriculum would be best used when teaching students about healthy living and how wonderful people around the world feel when they get up early. This book would be a perfect pick when teaching children about religion and how important some beliefs are to many cultures around the world. ** Begay, Shonto. 1995 (Fiction) ** ** “Navajo” Scholastic Inc. 48 pages. Scottsdale Public Library ** This is a book about poetry and art and how both are combined to present an intimate look at Navajo life today. The story reflects upon the life as a Navajo and evokes compelling moments in childhood and heartfelt, tender memories of family and community. This book is a collection of the constant struggle for balance and harmony between two cultures, that of the natural, ancient world of people and the contemporary white mans world that surrounds them. This book would be incorporated into to a lesson about poetry and how it ties into the Navajo culture. Exploring the different types of poetry will give students a broader outlook on how deep poetry is. Teaching students that poetry is not only words that rhyme but a story within itself. Teachers could use this book as a resource when teaching students about Navajo history rather then reading a book to the students they will be able to read poetry about Navajo history. ** Cohlene, Terri, 1996. (Fiction) ** ** “Turquoise Boy” Troll Communications. 48 pages. Tempe Public Library. **  This book is about a boy who tells the story of his people working hard in the fields and searching long in the desert for food and wanted to do something so he could make life easier. So to prove himself he went on a journey to find the answer with the talking gods. The story goes on about the boy who journeys around and ends up meeting changing women where she sends him across a rainbow bridge to the great Hogan of his father. This book could be use when teaching students about the Navajo peoples lives and how their stories are told and what are the significant behind the stories. This book includes a brief history of the Navajo and their customs, which would help children to understand the Navajo culture.


 * //__ TEACHER RESOURCE __//**


 * Porter, Janice, 1998 (Teacher Resource) (Non-Fiction) **
 * “Colors of the Navajo”. Carolrhoda Books Inc. 24 pgs. Scottsdale Public Library **.

The book talks about the colors of Navajo. It goes through the different colors of explaining what these colors are usually used for and provides a beautifully illustrated introduction to a culture rich in tradition.

This book would be a great teachers resource book because it talks about the colors in Navajo and gives details about what the importance of the color is and what that color is used for. Teachers would use this book when talking about colors in classroom and would give the students a chance to learn the colors in Navajo.


 * Flood, Nancy. 2006 (Non-Fiction) (Teachers Resource) **
 * “The Navajo Year, Walk through Many Seasons” Salina Bookshelf Inc. 29 pgs. Scottsdale Public Library. **

This book is about the Navajo people and how the New Year begins in October, when summer meets winter. It follows the Navajo calendar, and provides poetic descriptions of the many sights, sounds, and activities associated with each month. Follow coyote through the year, and explore how the Navajos observe the rites and passages of each month.

Using this book in the curriculum will be successful to describe the events that occur throughout the year on the Navajo reservation and are able to help students understand each month through the eyes of the Navajo. It contains a great deal of information and provides the story both in Navajo and English providing students to learn a different language.

This book would be a useful teacher resource because it describes the colors in Navajo and is an easy book for children who are barley learning to read. Teachers could use this in their classroom when teaching the students about colors. It goes through the colors asking what colors does baby see. Teachers could use this book in their curriculum when they are teaching early learners about colors. Teachers could look to this book to find out how to say the colors in Navajo. They could also read this book to the children so they are able to learn a new language and learn their colors at the same time.
 * Blacksheep, Beverly. 2003. (Teachers Resource) **
 * “Baby learns about Colors” Slaina Bookshelf Inc. 15 pages. Tempe Public Library **

This story is about a Navajo boy in love with horses. He takes the little black pony as his own and rides around the land. The boy begins spending more and more time with a new horse doing new tricks and forgets about the little pony. And when a ride on the new horse ends in a frightening accident the boy must rely on the little black pony to save him. Teachers could use this book useful in the classroom as a book to teach about how the Navajo boy and the little pony became great friends. Students would find this book interesting because they would learn not judge people on the appearance and that no matter how big little a person is that there is always something special about someone.
 * Farley, Walter. 2006 (Fiction) (Teacher Resource) **
 * “Little Black, A Pony” Salina Bookshelf Inc. 60 pages Tempe Public Library **

** Maher, Romona. 1977. (Fiction) (Teachers Resource) ** ** “Alice Yazzie’s Year” Coward, McCann & Geoghegan Inc. 33 pages. Tempe Public Library. **  This book is about an eleven-year girl and she believes beauty is all around her. This book is her story of the year and with its everyday joys, and occasional sorrows. As the months goes by Alice closes her eyes at night as she sleeps safely beneath her grandmothers rug. This book would be a good resource for teachers because it talks about the months in the year and how to say it in Navajo. Teachers could use this as a guide when teaching children about the months and what happens in that month around the reservation where Alice lives.