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The Birchbark House
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
81 posts | 74 read | 41 to read
For use in schools and libraries only. Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.
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Cosmos_Moon
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

This was a sweet sad little story. My son had to read this for his 5th grade class, and he wanted me to read it, too. Omakayas is an Ojibwe girl growing up on an island in the Great Lakes. It follows a year of her life through the seasons, with good times and struggles throughout the year.

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vlwelser
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

This is definitely informative. And I think it's great as a kids book. Louise is a great storyteller.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 11mo
43 likes1 comment
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Bookzombie
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

January Reviews (last one!)

After bailing on my first pick for #authoramonth , this one was a winner. We follow 8 year-old Omakayas and her family over four seasons. There is happiness and love, but also sadness and grief. I though the audio narrator did an excellent job.

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Christine
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

This was lovely and sweet and also sad and brutal. Loved the way Erdrich wrote about this family/community, the immersion in the natural world/Upper Midwest seasons, and the way the book showed everyday life intersecting with the horrors of that historical moment. Happy to have fit in another #AuthorAMonth book (maybe time for one more?).

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Read4life
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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I read two Erdrich books this month for #AuthorAMonth & attempted a third. I‘m glad I tried an author I haven‘t read before. Overall, they weren‘t really for me.

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Kristin_Reads
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

🎧 1-22-23 || This was my read for #AuthorAMonth and I really liked it. I think it would be a good companion piece or alternate to Little House on the Prairie. Sensitive readers should be aware that It does have some traumatic events.
I‘ve also read The Sentence by Erdrich and really like her writing.

mcctrish I read this ages ago to my boys on a camping trip around Lake Superior and I totally didn‘t not pay attention to the author 🤦🏻‍♀️ I need to get on with reading The Sentence 1y
Kristin_Reads @mcctrish What a perfect choice for that trip! 1y
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Texreader
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

A year in the life of an 8-YO Native American girl, we experience her happy childhood and the terror a stranger brings to town that changes her life forever. What stood out the most for me was the narrator who I initially thought over-emoted but who was clearly perfect for the job. She narrated all of the characters‘ voices so well, including the Native American language. It was impressive. #authoramonth @Soubhiville TW: see ⬇️

Texreader I read this right at the beginning of the month and sadly, completely forgot to review it. I say that because I recall wanting to provide more insight about the book. I should warn of an incident involving animal cruelty and animal killings that I think could really terrify young readers. So even though it‘s about an 8-YO, and is obviously written for youth, I do NOT think it‘s appropriate for that age without due caution. 1y
81 likes1 comment
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Andrew65
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

10/225 First book completed for #AuthorAMonth for January. Although this is written as a children‘s book I enjoyed this a lot and would be interested to continue with the series. @Soubhiville

This short video talks a little bit about the book, it‘s setting and how names were given. https://youtu.be/HnJcQTbf_8Q

Book 10 completed for #JumpStart2023 @Clwojick @LizPixie

Soubhiville Glad you liked it. 1y
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IndoorDame
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Mehso-so

I would 💯 recommend this story of a young Anishinaabe girl and her family to elementary aged readers, but something about it lacked the spark I was hoping for as a first time adult reader. #AuthorAMonth #Pantone2023 #SummerSong @Soubhiville @Clwojick

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Andrew65
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Starting the first book in The Birchbark House Series by #AuthorAMonth Author Louise Erdrich. @Soubhiville

In the U.K. this is available free to download if you are a member of Audible. May be worth checking elsewhere.

#JumpStart2023 @Clwojick @LizPixie

Soubhiville Hope you like it! 1y
Kristin_Reads This is what I plan to read for #AuthorAMonth, too! 1y
bnp I liked the first three when I read them. Must remember to check out the later ones. 1y
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Allylu I found Book 2 on Hoopla. I read book 1 a couple of years ago. 1y
Andrew65 @Allylu I‘ve asked our library to buy it but often they don‘t. 1y
Andrew65 @Kristin_Reads It‘s an engaging read. 1y
Andrew65 @bnp At the moment I only have access to books 1 and 4. 1y
Andrew65 @Soubhiville Very enjoyable so far. 1y
Allylu @Andrew65 I‘m fortunate because our library is small and my daughter is the Circulation Director, so sometimes they listen to me and get books I want. 1y
Andrew65 @Allylu That‘s handy, amazed at some of the bizarre decisions made by our library seem to buy whole screeds of books by authors that no one has ever heard of and the books have low ratings. So much high quality fiction missing. 1y
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Read4life
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

Finished my first #AuthorAMonth read. A strong indigenous voice tells this MG story.

Next up is The Sentence.

IndoorDame I have the same ones picked for this month, just in the reverse order 😆I‘m loving The Sentence so far, I hope you enjoy it! 1y
Daisey I‘m enjoying The Sentence right now as well! 1y
55 likes2 comments
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Texreader
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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I‘m kicking off #authoramonth with this audiobook

@Soubhiville

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Texreader
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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I‘m reposting this for #authoramonth. I have books for almost every author.

I hope to start the tagged book this week. @Soubhiville

Soubhiville Wow, great list! 1y
Texreader @Soubhiville Thanks! I‘m very excited about the author picks this year. When you first published the list, I did my research. So I had a handful of these but certainly not all. But I grabbed a lot of them either through Audible or Kindle deals 1y
Aimeesue I've read a lot of Erdritch over the past couple of years - she's so fabulous! ❤️ 1y
Texreader @Aimeesue I‘m new to her, so that‘s great to hear! 1y
39 likes4 comments
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Texreader
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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I‘m planning my 2023 challenges. First up is for #authoramonth. I only will need to buy or borrow books for two of the authors. I think this is a great list this year and I think I‘m going to find some new authors I will love. @Soubhiville

Bklover I‘m excited about the list too. I know I love some of these authors already. ❤️ 1y
Soubhiville Yay! I love planning for challenges! 1y
45 likes2 comments
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caitlinblack
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
Pickpick

Published in 1999, this book is about a family that lived on land, and white people keep encroaching on their life. She has an older sister and an annoying younger brother and there was also a baby. They built a new birchbark house every fall. A visitor came to their lodge in winter and brought an enemy with him.

Genre:
Novel, Fiction, Children's literature

Awards:
Phoenix

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Smarkies
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

I now understand why this book is so beloved. ❤️
Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Kristin_Reads This has been on my TBR for so long! 2y
32 likes1 comment
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peacegypsy
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

I can‘t say enough good about Erdrich lately, and this YA novel solidified my feelings about her as a writer again. Her protagonist, a young Chippewa girl, describes traditional culture beautifully while giving readers a deeper sense of what devastation has occurred in this country in regard to treatment of indigenous peoples.

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Centique
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

A perfect middle grade book which made me feel immersed in nature and living in the outdoors. What an important book - giving a voice and narrative to indigenous ways of life that were nearly eradicated by colonisation. This would be a very good book just for detailing that life - but it is so much more - Omakayas is such an engaging character, her adventures and sorrows pull you completely inside her world and her heart. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Centique Also we are in lockdown now - joining our Aussie cousins. We had it lucky for a long while with no community cases, but unfortunately our vaccine rollout has been slow. We‘re only about 20% vaccinated so having a very hard lockdown until we can get this outbreak (our first Delta cases) ringfenced. It happened the day after #hiselderliness finally moved into the retirement apartment. He‘s very confused but the staff are looking out for him. 3y
Centique Luckily I had just brought him in some new library books @Cinfhen @Megabooks @Reggie @TrishB @Cathythoughts 💕🐛📚 3y
Tamra Wishing you a speedy and safe exit out of lockdown! 💜 3y
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Centique @Tamra thank you Tamra 😘 3y
Megabooks Ah what a change for your family on both counts! I hope delta is under control soon. As for His Elderliness, I will keep him in my thoughts as he makes this transition. After having my dad in the nursing home for three months during Covid last year after his stroke, I understand how difficult this can be especially now. 💜💜 3y
TrishB Thinking of you all. ❤️❤️ 3y
Cathythoughts Oh Paula , thinking of your Dad , and sending love to you all. I hope he settles in , my heart goes out to him. Take care … ❤️ 3y
Cinfhen I‘m very sad to hear that Delta has made it‘s way to your region😞Of course sending much love to you and your family, especially dad. I‘m glad he‘s not alone during this time. Keeping you all in my thoughts. Lovely review ♥️ 3y
Reggie I hope all of you all stay healthy and that your dad adjusts to his new surroundings. ❤️ 3y
MaureenMc Thinking of you and yours 💗🙏💗 3y
GingerAntics I loved the twist/surprise at the end. By that point, I‘d completely forgotten about that little bit at the beginning. I love how she brought this one full circle. 3y
Centique @Megabooks @Cinfhen @Cathythoughts @Reggie @TrishB thank you all for your kind words. It‘s a bit of a train wreck here, now dad has been rushed to hospital with a raging infection in his leg. Which is probably why he was so confused. Of course we can‘t visit him and he can‘t use a phone so we‘re just a bit lost in knowing how he‘s getting on with just a phone call from a nurse each day. Appreciate all your love and kindnesses to him 💕 3y
Cinfhen Oh no 😢prayers and love xx 3y
Megabooks I am so sorry, Paula! I will continue to keep you all in my thoughts. 💜💜 (edited) 3y
TrishB Oh no, so sorry to hear. I hope he‘s on the mend soon, not being able to see him is really hard. ❤️❤️ (edited) 3y
Michael_Gee @Centique ❤️ Thinking of you, Paula. 3y
AlaMich I hope your dad is on the mend soon so he can get adjusted to his new home! (edited) 3y
Centique @Cinfhen @Megabooks @TrishB @Cathythoughts @Reggie just an update on dad for you kind folks. He gets out of hospital tomorrow. He had stents put in his leg arteries and a toe amputated 🤢 but his retirement village can supply him with full care while we‘re still in lockdown and we can‘t visit him. I imagine his apartment will seem palatial to him after getting out of hospital! Thank god we had already shifted him 🙌 3y
Megabooks Oh Paula! I‘m sorry he‘s going through such a difficult time, but I‘m glad he‘s receiving excellent care! 💜 3y
merelybookish Oh I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad! I can only imagine how heartbreaking it is not being able to see him. Hugs! 3y
TrishB Oh that must be so hard for you and him. At least he‘s getting the best care possible ❤️❤️ thinking of you all again in lockdown. 3y
Reggie Oh, Paula, I hope nothing but the best for him. I hope he recovers well enough. Sending ❤️❤️❤️. 3y
Cinfhen I‘m glad to hear your dad is on the mend although I can only imagine how difficult these past few weeks have been. Sending MUCH LOVE & SUPPORT♥️ 3y
74 likes23 comments
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Jen2
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

Such a lovely start and her bookstore is wonderful!!!

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Allylu
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

Another wonderful middle grade book! This is the story of a year in the life of Omakayas, an 8-year old Ojibwa girl. It is mostly about the women - Omakayas, her sister, her Mother, her Grandmother, her Aunties - and how they care for their family and their community. It is interesting, funny and enlightening. A very good book. #100YEARS100BOOKS #BookSpinBingo #7 #BFC21 #MGMarch

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 3y
megnews I started this on audio a couple years ago but very distracted at the time. I want to try it again. 3y
18 likes2 comments
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GingerAntics
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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The Birchbark series is now complete and right at home here on my indigenous author‘s shelf. Sadly, the invisible bookends didn‘t work for me, so this glass water bottle is serving as a bookend at the moment. Clearly I just need more books by indigenous authors to fill in this cube. 😂🤣😂
#shelfie #LouiseErdrich #TheBirchbarkHouse #TheGameOfSilence #ThePorcupineYear #Chickadee #Makoons #TheRoundHouse

Hooked_on_books I recommend Eden Robinson and David Treuer as some indigenous author options. Oh, and Joshua Whitehead! 3y
GingerAntics @Hooked_on_books thanks for the recommendations. The only other person I could think of just now was Stephen Graham Jones. 3y
Hooked_on_books I just thought of Leslie Marmon Silko, too. I read her book Ceremony years ago and it really stuck with me. 3y
GingerAntics @Hooked_on_books oh Ceremony sounds REALLY good. 3y
18 likes4 comments
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GingerAntics
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Butterfinger
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

This is the book that I would use as a companion to, or instead of, Little House. Little Frog faces so much loss in her short life, but still manages to rise above depression with the help of her family and an old, harsh woman. #BBRC - by Native American @LibrarianRyan @Sarahreadstoomuch #SeriesRead2021 @TheSpineView

LibrarianRyan 👍⭐️💗 3y
TheSpineView 📕 ❤ 👍 3y
Tamra I believe Erdrich wrote the series as an alternative/companion to Little House - another perspective of 19th C life in America. My daughter and I started it and it fell by the wayside amidst life. We were enjoying it and need to pick it back up! 3y
Sarahreadstoomuch In library school we read this with Little House to compare perspective in children‘s lit. One of my favorite assignments! 3y
sblbooks I've read and enjoyed the both. 3y
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mjtwo
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

11-14 Jan 2021 (audiobook)
This was lovely. Told from the perspective of a Native American girl, it offered an alternative view to the Little House books which Beatrix had read last year. It did take the girls a little while to get interested, but both enjoyed.

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ImperfectCJ
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

Like many young girls, Omakayas lives with her family, argues with her siblings, does chores she dislikes, and cares for her baby brother. But when tragedy strikes, she reveals a strength she didn't know she had and gains wisdom through her pain. This is a lovely story filled with life lessons and heartache. It feels a little like the Little House books.

6 pts for #TeamHarkness for a non-theme book.
@StayCurious #scarathlon2020

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GingerAntics
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

This is such a sweet story. It‘s a full year in the life of a young girl who is stronger than she knows and has a secret past you completely forget about until the very end. She has an older sister and two younger brothers. Her favourite is her baby brother. She wants to be a healer more than anything. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

GingerAntics I wish this series had been around when I was a kid. I think I would have fallen in love with Omakayas - little frog, be wise her first step was a hop - her happy spirit and her genuine view of the world. I can‘t wait to read the next book. #LouiseErdrich #TheBirchbarkHouse #TheBirchbarkHouseSeries 4y
merelybookish Ive been meaning to read this series for eons. It is her response to the Little House on the Prairie series. 4y
GingerAntics @merelybookish it sure is. I was reading an article by a woman who read the whole Little House series over and over as a kid, and why she wouldn‘t read them to her son. She recommended this series so I gave it a shot, and I am so glad I did. I actually like it better than I ever liked the little house books. This is one of those series I‘m going to have to get in physical copy to restart my library. 4y
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merelybookish @GingerAntics Really must get to it! 4y
GingerAntics @merelybookish you‘re not the only person who has said they‘ve been putting off reading this book. It seems to be a popular TBR book. 🤣 I hope you get to enjoy it soon. 4y
merelybookish @GingerAntics Haha. Funny how some books are like that. 🤷 4y
15 likes6 comments
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Coffeymuse
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Weekend reads... Loved Birchbark House the most.

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Lindy
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

A 19th c Ojibwa girl‘s childhood: practically a classic (1999) & often suggested as an alternative to Little House on the Prairie. I‘ve intended to read this for ages & I‘m glad I found it on #Hoopla. Narrator Nicolle Littrell‘s exaggerated voice moderations for the characters isn‘t my favourite style, but it works well for kids, plus the writing itself is appealing. 4 stars for the #audiobook; 5 stars for print. #ownvoices #Indigenous #kidlit

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Lindy
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Omakayas tucked her hands behind her head, lay back, closed her eyes and smiled as the song of the white-throated sparrow sank again and again through the air, like a shining needle, and sewed up her broken heart.

Cathythoughts Beautiful! A shining needle ✨ 4y
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ravenlee
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

I started this in March, my first audiobook, and finally finished it last night. It‘s only 5:23. It‘s just hard for me to focus on an audiobook, and as my kiddo‘s primary caregiver I feel uncomfortable plugged in and unable to hear what‘s going on around me.

None of which has anything to do with the book, which was very good.

And it completed the final space on my social distancing bingo card!

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ravenlee
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich

So, after a swing and a miss, this is my first audiobook (free from stories.audible). I spent all day in the kitchen making pierogi and tried some #audiocooking, with mixed results. The food is good! But I‘m learning audiobooks, iPad, and AirPods all at the same time. There‘s a learning curve here. 😆 I think it‘ll be good in the long run, though.

TheBookHippie I liked this story. 4y
runswithscissors007 oh! air pods in the kitchen... I could use those right now. genius! 4y
31 likes2 comments
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ahoffkosik
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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In all the uncertainty and anxiety that so many of us are experiencing this week, I hope today‘s new episode of my podcast — in which I have an especially thoughtful, honest conversation with Uli from Subway Book Review — can whisk you away to another time and place and offer you important food for thought. In it, we discuss Louise Erdrich‘s The Birchbark House, the importance of indigenous stories, and white discomfort. 🐻 Link to listen in bio!

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lovelybookshelf
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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C and I have been reading THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE by Louise Erdrich together. She's 10, but I think there's something special about read-alouds at any age. I first heard about this book from Dr. Debbie Reese, and honestly, I feel cheated that it was never introduced to me as a kid. The language is so beautifully descriptive, the story is rich and sweet and even humorous at times. It's perfect. ❤ #nativeauthors #historicalfiction #kidlit #unschooling

Cinfhen 💕💕💕💕💕 4y
emtobiasz I just read this one with my homeschool kids book club, and I was expecting mixed reactions, especially with some of the tougher scenes toward the end. Nope— they universally loved it. 4y
lovelybookshelf @emtobiasz awwww I love that! 4y
9 likes3 comments
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toofondofbooks
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

Good middle grade historical fiction.

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emtobiasz
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

Finished this one up last night before bed. I‘m pretty sure this is a reread, but I must have been a young teen and I remembered no details. I love the parallels with the Little House books from an indigenous perspective Laura Ingalls Wilder never made space for in her books. I would have loved it in 3rd grade when I was so interested in pioneers and early 1800s America, and I‘ll definitely be able to recommend it to those readers. #24in48 #kidlit

JillR Thank you for this recommendation, my 8 year old and I loved The Little House series which we finished recently, but I did feel a little uncomfortable with some aspects so I think I might get this one to read with her 😊 5y
emtobiasz @JillR you‘re welcome! I think the book does a great job to balance out the biases of Ingalls Wilder, in a way that doesn‘t discount the appeal of those older books. 5y
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erincox
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich

“You were sent here so you could save others.”

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erincox
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich

I don‘t think I would enjoy this book. Historical fiction is kind of boring for me so I wouldn‘t pick up this book to read.

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erincox
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
Panpan

Historical Fiction
This historical fiction is similar to Little House on the Prairie. Taken place in 1840‘s about the Ojibway family living on Lake Superior.

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sydneybrooks
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich

You were sent here so you could save the others.

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sydneybrooks
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich

I think that I definitely would have enjoyed this as a kid. This could come in handy for some topics that may be discussed in social studies lessons.

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sydneybrooks
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
Pickpick

This book definitely has a Little House on the Prairie vibe that some kids may really enjoy. It‘s also a series! This is told from Native people‘s point of view so that could give kids insight.

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mrp27
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Pickpick

#diversemiddlegrade

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My final read for the first quarter of #book2019 Thanks to the #mgbuddyread my reading of diverse middle grade books really took off and I was happy to read this book about the life of a Ojibawa girl and her daily family life.

TheBookHippie I really enjoyed it!! 5y
Cinfhen This also would work for #indigenousauthor 5y
Cinfhen Great job on your first quarter!!!!! 5y
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alisiakae Great job! I love this book. 5y
mrp27 @Cinfhen Thanks! Ironically I chose Love Medicine by Edrich for indigenous author before I read this for the buddy read. 5y
Cinfhen Funny!! 5y
46 likes8 comments
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Lmstraubie
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
This post contains spoilers
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Question 9 #mgbuddyread

sblbooks Thanks for picking this one, it was an interesting read. 5y
Daisey I‘m glad this finally pushed me to read a book I‘ve had on my TBR for years! I‘ve also seen it frequently mentioned as a good book to read alongside Little House on the Prairie and do think they would pair well. 5y
mrp27 Great book, glad I read it. I never knew Edrich wrote kids books. 5y
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Lmstraubie @sblbooks @Daisey @mrp27 I liked the book. It was sweet. I'm glad I read it & will be adding it to my school collection. I definitely think it's a great companion book to the Little House series. 5y
JaclynW @Daisey @Lmstraubie While reading I also made the comparison to the Little House books! Although I like those better...maybe just nostalgia?? I was so drawn to the Little House characters and was just beginning to get that with the characters from this book towards the end. Is this author planning on writing a series of this book? If she continued the series, I could see myself coming to like these books close to my fondness for Little House. 5y
JaclynW I'm glad to have read this book. It isn't something I probably would have picked up on my own. As I stated early, I'm lacking in knowledge about the Native American people and culture. What I have is pretty basic. In recent years to help remedy this, I have read Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee and Killers of the Flower Moon - both of which are highly educational and excellent reads. @sblbooks @Daisey @mrp27 @Lmstraubie Thanks for choosing this one! 5y
4 likes6 comments
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Lmstraubie
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
This post contains spoilers
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Question 8 #mgbuddyread

sblbooks Yes I thought it was very descriptive. 5y
mrp27 Yes. I've been to the Plimouth Plantation museum in Plymouth Massachusetts and there they have a live Wampanoag village with real members of the tribe demonstrating how they lived, hunted, and cooked. They even had birchbark houses (I believe they were since they look the same) and the whole time I was reading this story all I could think about was my visit there and it all came to life. 5y
Lmstraubie @sblbooks @mrp27 It reminded me of Plimoth Plantation as well. I also went on a field trip with my son's school to a remake of a Lenape Village which I thought of too. I think it helped that the author was a dependent of the tribe and worked at making the story authentic. 5y
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mrp27 Did you not just love Plimouth Plantation? So cool. Really brings things to life. The Lenape Village sounds neat too. 5y
Lmstraubie @mrp27 I'm such a huge dork. I live for that kind of stuff. I love to think about what life was like and always wish the walls could talk. 5y
JaclynW I had never before even heard of this tribe! I'm assuming this author did her research. This whole book was an education for me. We have several Native American tribes in our state and surrounding areas and I have visited a few historical sites and museums. It is fascinating to learn and see. They were kind and gentle people. I obviously have a lack of education in this area though I'm ashamed to say. @sblbooks @mrp27 @Lmstraubie 5y
mrp27 @JaclynW I feel the same, my knowledge is so limited. I wish Native American history and culture were taught more on school. 5y
Lmstraubie @mrp27 Yes and not just at Thanksgiving 5y
Lmstraubie @JaclynW The author is a decendent of the tribe on her mother's side. 5y
JaclynW @Lmstraubie I didn't know that. How cool! 5y
JaclynW @mrp27 @Lmstraubie Good news: My kids have learned WAY more about Native American tribes in school than I did - and it is FACTUAL based. It isn't the "fluff" I learned around Thanksgiving time. Thankfully! 5y
Lmstraubie @JaclynW That's good to hear! 5y
mrp27 @JaclynW That's awesome! 5y
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Lmstraubie
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Question 7 #mgbuddyread

Peddler410 Omakaya 5y
Lmstraubie I actually thought it was Neewo and it was the ending of the story. 5y
mrp27 Omakaya 5y
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Chelsibno I read this book back in the early 2000s when it was nominated for the WAW Award. I still remember reading the first two chapters and thinking to myself “that baby is Omakayas. If it‘s not Omakayas, I‘m going to throw this book against the wall.” As an eleven year old, it just made thematic sense for that to be true. Any other path would have just been disappointing. *cough*LastJedi*cough* 5y
JaclynW @Lmstraubie At first I thought it was Neewo too. As the book went on I wondered...I love that it turned out to be Omakayas. @Chelsibno @mrp27 @Peddler410 5y
Lmstraubie @Chelsibno Thank you for the chuckle 😁 @JaclynW I like that it turned out to be her also. 5y
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Lmstraubie
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Question 6 #mgbuddyread

sblbooks Similar interest, the grandmother is teaching her the art of healing at the end. 5y
mrp27 I like to think the grandmother saw a bit of herself in Omakaya. 5y
Lmstraubie @sblbooks @mrp27 Agreed. They had a special way to listen to the world around them. 5y
JaclynW @sblbooks @mrp27 @Lmstraubie Yes! Agreed. I loved their special bond.❤ 5y
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Lmstraubie
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Question 5 #mgbuddyread

sblbooks I think it's part of their culture and also they may not understand how germs are spread. 5y
Lmstraubie @sblbooks I didn't consider they didn't understand germs. That really makes good sense. I was do annoyed they put themselves at risk for hospitality, but that definitely makes more sense. 5y
Daisey I thought maybe they did not realize how sick he was when he first arrived. However, then I also wondered why they were so accommodating since they were aware of smallpox and knew to separate their own family members once sick. 5y
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mrp27 I was a little puzzled by that too. I'm guessing they didn't realize it was smallpox until they started seeing the symptoms. Not understanding germs also makes sense. 5y
JaclynW @sblbooks I completely agree with you. It is totally their culture to be hospitable. They also didn't have modern education about germs. @Lmstraubie @Daisey @mrp27 I did some research from another book I read about the Spanish Flu in 1918-1920 and found that it hit my state of Utah hard. The hardest population hit here was the Native Americans on the reservations - much of it due to lack of education of proper handwashing and quarantine. 5y
Lmstraubie @JaclynW Very interesting. I also think their isolation could cause a less viable immune system. 5y
JaclynW @Lmstraubie Yes, definitely. 5y
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Lmstraubie
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Question 4 #mgbuddyread

Mdargusch I think they had to be in order to survive. 5y
Peddler410 Survival for sure. Living the way they do requires an understanding of nature and how to use what nature provides. 5y
sblbooks It's important because there were no modern conveniences. They had to live off the land. 5y
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mrp27 Agree it was for survival but I also believe nature weighs pretty heavy in their spirituality and folklore. (edited) 5y
Chelsibno While survival seems to be the consensus (and I agree that plays a huge part), I think @mrp27 makes a great point of how nature figures heavily in their folklore and spirituality. It seemed like every story and spiritual ritual heavily featured or tied into natural forces. 5y
JaclynW @mrp27 @Chelsibno Totally agree with you about it being both for survival and spiritual based. You find that in many ancient cultures. I do love the reverence that Native Americans have for nature. We could probably learn a thing or two from them. @sblbooks @Peddler410 @Mdargusch 5y
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Lmstraubie
The Birchbark House | Louise Erdrich
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Question 3 #mgbuddyread

Mdargusch Because she was so unlikeable and scary to so many, no one probably wanted to be with Tallow and her wild dog! 5y
Peddler410 I wonder more how she came to be so unlikeable. 5y
sblbooks I think living with a husband like the one she had made her want to stay away from people. I think it's sad and she was misunderstood. 5y
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Lmstraubie @Mdargusch @Peddler410 @sblbooks It was apparent she cared for others, but kept her distance. If I'm not mistaken I believe the story said she had 3 husbands. Maybe her experiences caused her to be cautious. I'm also curious as to why she didn't have children. 5y
Daisey @Mdargusch @Peddler410 @sblbooks I figured that after her previous husbands, she decided she was independent enough and more comfortable living alone than with anther unsatisfactory husband. If that was the case, she may have become more unlikeable just to keep men from approaching her. Honestly, I pretty quickly moved on from how unlikeable she was supposed to be because I thought she was a great character. (edited) 5y
mrp27 She definitely was a favorite character and as I get older I understand the appeal of being alone. 😝 I think part of it was cultivated by her and part was just how she was perceived. 5y
Chelsibno I have to agree with @Daisey and @mrp27 . I thought she was a great character. I always figured that after three worthless husbands, she‘s rather be alone and valued her independence. And I have to wonder if she would come off as “unlikeable” if she were a male character? Oftentimes, what some people consider unlikeable character traits in women are considered just normal for men. 5y
mrp27 @Chelsibno Agreed. I was thinking too why are independent people always labeled as difficult or eccentric? Can't they just be independent? 5y
Mdargusch I had to go back and read the first chapter because I had completely forgotten about it. I also liked her character but once I realized she was the rescuer, that solidified it. I loved that revelation. @mrp27 @Daisey @Chelsibno @Peddler410 @sblbooks @Lmstraubie 5y
JaclynW @mrp27 @Chelsibno @Daisey She was a favorite character for me too. I do agree that unlikable traits in women are often desirable traits in men. She was obviously a powerhouse and men couldn't handle it. I love how she was watchful of Omakayas. 5y
mrp27 @Mdargusch now I want to check out the book from the library again and reread the first chapter. 5y
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