by Second Mate Embry, guest reviewer
Title: Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison
Author: Lois Lenski
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 320
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Summary: Mary Jemison is living a normal life in the past during the years of British colonization of America until one day a man comes running by saying that the Indians are going to attack. Her dad ignores the warning and continues to plant his corn. They attack and she is separated from her family and kept captive amongst the Indians. They call her Corn Tassel for her hair. She’s tried to runaway to get back to her family but the Indians keep bringing her back. She is to become like them, but Mary doesn't want to be an Indian. It’s based on a true story.
Why I started reading this book:
It was a literacy book in my class and I read it for school as an assignment.
Likes:
- Most books I’ve read about historical America usually have the European population capturing the Indians and I liked that this was the reverse of that scenario.
- I enjoyed the different Indian names (Shining Star, Squirrel Woman, Red Bird, Little Turtle, Running Deer, etc.) and I thought that it was cool that their names sort of reflected the character and their personality.
- The Indians only captured Europeans to replace dead members of their tribe.
- The most interesting part of the book was when one of the captured Europeans was running the gauntlet! The Indians were trying to kill him and if he made it out alive he would be considered a true Indian.
Dislikes:
- I wish it was more suspensful. I thought I would be very wrapped up in what would happen next and it was really more “Mary throwing herself a pity party, mumbling woefully about not being able to escape, and refusing to eat Indian food.” I just wanted to shake her to get her to stop moping and to start doing something.
- Some of the language was hard to follow as it was full of older style dialogue instead of the contractions and language we use today.
Buy: Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison
Rating: 2.5 Treasure Chests
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Indian Captive (The Story of Mary Jemison) Lois Lenski |  |
US $1.99 | 2d 18h 44m |
