Evelyn Sibley Lampman (1907–1980)

I picked this up today at a church sale, primarily because there was a chorus of Burton voices in my head, all of them hissing "Lampman! And you haven't read this one!"

I thought it was a delightful book. Probably the best Oregon Trail book for kids I've ever read. There was botanizing and hardship, disobedience and repentance. There were famous walk-ons and helpful natives. The deaths conveniently befell non-primary characters. And the people were entirely believable and indeed lovable. The show more main character's flights of egotistical fancy were so recognizable to the twelve-year-old who lives in my head that she perked right up after lo, these many years of quietude.

It strikes me that this review does talk a lot about the voices in my head. Their hissing and giggling aside, it's a lovely book. show less

In a nutshell, a young girl named Judy takes a refurbished boat out on Crazy Creek without knowing the river or how to control the boat. After she crashes the boat, two boys rescue her. Strangely enough, they have her last name. Stranger still, she recognizes one of them as her grandfather.
Confessional: when I realized how the ending was shaping up I couldn't help but be reminded of the Wizard of Oz. I hope that wasn't too much of a spoiler alert, but the conclusions are very similar. It show more also explained why Judy was never overtly homesick while away from her modern day family. She is away from her true family for a year and yet the only time she gets weepy is at Christmas, remembering their traditions. show less

I've written dozens of book reviews, but this is one of those times where it has taken me a good, long while to be ready to write about one. This is one of my favorite books of all time, and as with many of my favorite books, I have a hard time expressing why I love them so much. But, for whatever reason, today I was inspired, so here go.

When I was in my early teens, my mom came home with a hardcover copy of this book that she bought when a local library had a sidewalk sale. My mom saw it show more and knew immediately that I would enjoy it because dinosaurs and history were of interest to me. Also, I have recently discovered that Lampman had written a book called Rock Hounds that my mom had enjoyed during her childhood and remembered even decades later, so I think that may have also played into why she got it for me.

I read it over and over. I still have the copy my mom had bought me and revisit it every couple of years. Lampman is a wonderful, clean writer. She writes with empathy even though there is a certain matter-of-fact detachment to it as well. It is a combination that I have not encountered often, but it works so well and creates very readable material. The simple drawings always complement the story and bring more life to it, she creates believable characters (especially children) who aren't overcomplicated but still manage to experience personal growth, and extends that care into her plots, which are straightforward and purposeful. Her books are also educational in subjects that children may not always have easy access to. I read Rock Hounds recently after finding a copy on eBay to see why my mom liked it so much, and found it to be just as enjoyable (particularly since that one was even more educational and talked a lot about geology, which is not a subject I know a lot about), well-written, and thoughtfully executed.

But, aside from all that, this book just spoke to me. There are books that whittle their way inside you and find a home. Even when you aren't reading them, they are your constant companion, forming your world view and influencing your life, imagination, and perspective. The idea that somehow one dinosaur survived and befriended two kids fascinated and intrigued me—and still does. I so wished I would find my very own George! I also adored the setting, as growing up in a big city, I had never had any experience with the West or small towns. It also was written during a time when things were different, which made it intriguing for me. In the 1990s when my mom got me the book, 1955 would have seemed so long ago! (It was written when my mom and dad were kids, and so maybe even if I wasn't aware of it, the books may have also given me a little more of a glimpse into the world in which they grew up, which only made me like and treasure it more.) Even at that time, I had wanted to be an archaeologist, but after reading this book, I was unable to choose between that and paleontology. History, and what we can learn from it, has always been a passion of mine, even from an early age.

This book made such an impact on me and has stayed with me faithfully for so many years that I even have a tattoo of George on my left forearm, as a reminder of the openness and exploratory nature of children. Although I didn't become an archaeologist or a paleontologist (I actually became a writer!), history as a hobby has stayed with me throughout my lifetime and it is one I explore through reading quite often. Books like this make that pursuit an absolute joy.

I will close by saying I have never read the second book in this series, and I likely never will. I did not know it existed for a long time, and once I found out, I wanted to preserve George and the kids the way I remembered them. I adore Lampman as a writer, but I have a distrust of sequels and did not want the memories of this book to be somehow tainted, as so often first books are, by the potential failures of books that follow in their wake. show less

Having just read part of "A Broken Flute" by Doris Seale, I'm wondering what they would have said about this book for middle schoolers. (I checked, the author was not reviewed.)
Time Frame: sometime around the Vietnam War. The narrator is a high school girl whose family is Chinook (no current tribal landbase, traditional homelands around the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon) and living in poverty. She describes situations in which prejudice is clear, her home life which includes wood show more heat and no running water. Her brother has returned from the Vietnam War, after a stint in hospital. He has ideas for restoring his community's pride, providing income by hosting potlatch events, relying on the memories and teachings of the elders along with the energy and labor of the younger ones. His whole family, some reluctantly, become involved. Even though they have to make some modifications, based on natural resources available, it proves a success and develops into an ongoing tourist attraction.
I think one criticism "A Broken Flute" might make is that it took the financial help of a local white family, just another book showing Indians can't make progress on their own. But perhaps that assumption is wrong. It could also be seen as all people working together, in unity, for a just world. It also shows that the tribe is still here and valuing a cultural core, despite lacking federal recognition. show less