Join readergirlz in discussing Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell (Dutton, 2005) this month at the readergirlz blog. Comment at the “welcome” post.

An hour-long live chat with Marlene is scheduled for Nov. 24, beginning at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST.

From the promotional copy of Sweetgrass Basket:

In prose poetry and alternating voices, Marlene Carvell weaves a heartbreakingly beautiful story based on the real-life experiences of Native American children.

Mattie and Sarah are two Mohawk sisters who are sent to an off-reservation school after the death of their mother. Subject to intimidation and corporal punishment, with little hope of contact with their father, the girls are taught menial tasks to prepare them for life as domestics.

How Mattie and Sarah protect their culture, memories of their family life, and their love for each other makes for a powerful, unforgettable historical novel.

Suggested (related) reads recommended by postergirlz, the readergirlz advisory council are: Moccasin Thunder: American Indian Stories for Today, edited by Lori Marie Carlson (HarperCollins, 2005); Rain is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith (HarperCollins, 2001)(Listening Library, 2001); Who Will Tell My Brother? by Marlene Carvell (Hyperion, 2002); The Absolute True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Little, Brown, 2007); and Native Time: A Historical Timeline of Native America by Lee Francis (St. Martin’s, 1996).

See a book trailer for Rain Is Not My Indian Name, created by Shayne Leighton. Read a Cynsations interview with Shayne.

Cynsational Notes

Moccasin Thunder includes my short story, “A Real Live Blond Cherokee and His Equally Annoyed Soul Mate.”

My work includes two Native-themed books for younger readers, Jingle Dancer, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu (Morrow/HarperCollins, 2000)(ages 4-up) and Indian Shoes (HarperCollins, 2002)(ages 7-up).