Choctaw

Gr 4–8—General but well-written entries on various tribes. Each title begins with an account of an important event, such as birth (Zuni), preparation for a ritual (Seminole), or protest against land grabs (Creek). Following these riveting introductions are narratives about tribal life (house styles, gender roles, religion) before the arrival of European explorers and settlers and later the establishment of the U.S. government. The books also discuss the tribes' current status, including interviews with notable tribal members such as Everett Osceola, cultural ambassador of the Seminole tribe of Florida. The full-color illustrations are plentiful, though of mixed quality: dated artist renderings clash with contemporary photos of protestors at Standing Rock in Creek or President Obama sitting down with teens in Choctaw. Furthermore, only Creek cites a consultant on the CIP page; Seminole lists several individuals in the bibliography; Zuni, Choctaw, and Blackfeet do not note any.