Virginia Driving Hawk SneveReviews

This picture book is a story from the author's own life about a christmas when she was a child. Her family had taught her to put others needs before her own and as a child it can be really hard to see that. I think that this book would be good to have in primary classrooms as it teaches empathy towards others. in addition to the story, the illustrations can help break down negative stereotypes about indigenous people and their experiences

This book is suitable for primary readers.
This book is about a young girl who wants and needs a new coat and has to wait and watch as the coat she wants is given to someone less fortunate.
This book is useful in teaching about patience and generosity.

Beautiful Christmas story about a young woman wishing for a Christmas coat. The illustrations are lovely and the story a good moral tale about the Christmas spirit.

Virginia recounts her childhood memories and the irony of Christmas wishes. This book brings together multiple cultures and traditions: life on the Reservation, Santa Claus, holiday generosity with family and religious expectations. Virginia's father is the priest, but she'd love to have the fur coat in the donation box. A Christmas twist brings a different coat to her.

fiction (short stories), some based on true stories, from the perspective of a woman descending from the Lakota tribe.

Age: primary / intermediate
Genre: realistic fiction

This book was a beautiful story about life on the reservation and the traditions during Christmas time. Santa comes and there are commonalities of ways we celebrate Christmas, but there were also other cultural aspects. It is a great story to have during the holidays.

A history about the Sioux nation, from its creation story to present day. This picture book describes traditions, culture, migration, and way of life.

I was surprised when I found out this picture book was published in 2011. I thought it was the early 1990's, and really earlier than that. The illustrative style feels old fashioned but not in a good way. I'm reminded of the style of Little House on the Prairie, which considering how racist that series is to American Indians, is not the image I imagine the illustrator wanted to portray. The narrative is sweet and heart-felt, although I'm not sure how much of the story is true and how much is imagined. Since it is based on the childhood of the author I would like to know more about the distinction and why it has ultimately been considered fiction, and or why it became written that way. I like how the Sioux Christmas is shown and how it depicts the similarities and differences during this popular holiday.

Family history of Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve.

Stories about an old way of life where Native Americans and cowboys cross paths on a daily basis.

Three girls encounter a strange creature while exploring an old fort on the South Dakota Prairie.

A fifteen year old boy finds a relic with the power to make strange things happen. When Thunders Spoke is a haunting story whose strength lies in what is not said.

A simple story of friendship surviving tragedy.

I would use this book for grades 4th-5th grade because at these grades students will be able to appreciate the culture of the book more. I would use this book as an interactive read-aloud so before reading I could get students background knowledge of what they know about native americans and what they about christmas. I will be able to ask questions for students to make connections and I will be able to teach students character through the character Virginia. I would use this book to teach culture because of the different culture Virginia is from, her Sioux childhood or teach holidays and how they differ in cultures. This book can also teach patience because Virginia is patient and for being patient she gets rewarded in the end.

This book describes the multiple groups who make up the entire Apache people. It goes into detail about how each group differs and how they run their everyday lives. The book also describes how and why these people lost their ancestral lands and were put in reservations. It also contains excellent illustrations of Apache garb, weapons, and instruments. Although I feel their could have been more descriptions about the Apache ceremonies that were mentioned, all in all this is a great book to introduce children to the Native American Apache tribe.½

My personal response to the book: The book was excellent and I would like to see the book acquire this for the collection.
Curricular connections: The curricular connections include: MBI, being respectful, responsible and being selfless towards others. A TL could use the book around the holidays and during the Native American unit.

Virginia lives in South Dakota; her coat is too small, and it is very cold outside. People in the east send boxes of clothes to the poor Sioux people. Virginia has last pick because she is the priest's daughter, and other's have greater need. The expressive illustrations are done in muted realistic style. Text and design make it easy to read. Themes: Sioux, Christmas, family, feeling, South Dakota, and charity. Great for read aloud discussion on other culture, people less fortunate, envy, and charity.

Virginia is excited for the winter package to arrive from a congregation that sends supplies to her family and neighbors in her Sioux reservation. She sets her eye on a gray fur jacket. She is not allowed to pick first because she is the priests daughter. Her father and mother tell her other people need these more than they do. After being disappointed when another girl chooses the gray coat she is left with the boring brown one no one wanted. On Christmas one more package arrives, especially for the priest and his family. Inside was a beautiful red coat that fit Virginia perfectly.

This book contains 13 poems written by Native American youth from several different tribes. The poems were recorded from oral traditions and reflect Native American culture, history, and lifestyle. Gammell illustrates effectively with colored pencils or watercolors.

Reading Level: 3.2
Genre: Poetry

This autobiography is about a young girl Virginia who dreams of getting a coat for christmas. She has to let all the less fortunate children pick first, and the coat she wants is taken by someone else. Her patience and understanding is rewarded when she finally gets the coat she always dreamed of.

While Troll was searching for his Norwegian immigrant family he meets Iktomi. He was a lonely Trickster and the Troll become friends and live in a cave. Many years pass before they are found.
Norway, Friendship, Adventure

6-8

The book showed the friendship between Iktomi and Troll, and they build the friendship from the advantage of Iktomi, and the time make them know the meaning of love.

A simple, yet compelling story, Sneve tells her story in a straightforward manner. No political commentary, just the simple and beautiful recollection about growing up on a Sioux reservation. Here is an important opportunity to expose children to a more modern-picture of American Indians.

A very informative, if somewhat choppy, read. I enjoyed it very much. Sometimes the author's style didn't flow well for me.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone, especially middle-grade children, interested in Native American history specifically or American history in general. I, too, am thinking of donating it to our school library (after I let my children read it!).

This is a children’s non-fiction book about Standing Bear and the Ponca Indians. He was not the main leader of the Ponca, but was a chief of the Bear Clan which lived near the area of Niobrara, Nebraska, in 1804.

The author writes a well-documented story of the Ponca culture, ceremonies, and the way they lived. This story tells of the hardships the Ponca endured with their own Trail of Tears, not once but twice, when the United States had this brilliant idea to send the Ponca’s to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Well, the Ponca didn’t want to stay and walked back to Nebraska, in winter no less.

Standing Bear was arrested, and the famous, historic trial was held in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 1, 1879. When Standing Bear was allowed to speak to a packed court room, he held out his hand and said: “That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made us both.”

Standing Bear of the Ponca will never be forgotten. The Ponca tribe, the State of Nebraska including several cities, and Ponca City, Oklahoma, honor him with statues and naming a special day for him thus telling his story every year.

This book caught my attention because there is a city named Ponca near where I grew up, but I never learned much about the Ponca Indians. Standing Bear’s clan never lived near this city. Other Ponca clans lived in surrounding cities where I grew up, and I didn’t know it. I am disappointed that this is the first I heard of Standing Bear.

I would highly recommend this book.