Product Description

This collection of traditional stories explores the significance of a young girl's rite of passage into womanhood. Each of these stories originated in the oral tradition and have been carefully researched. Joseph Bruchac, author of the best-selling Keeper's of the Earth series, and noted storyteller, has been entrusted with stories from elders of other native nations which ensures that the stories collected in The Girl Who Married the Moon are authentic.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #761014 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-15
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 115 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Bruchac and Ross (How Rabbit Tricked Otter) team up for a companion volume to Bruchac's Flying with Eagle, Racing with Great Bear, a collection of Native American tales that focused on boys' rites of passage. Here, girls or young women are the protagonists of 16 stories intended "to reach the daughters and granddaughters who will come after." Becoming a woman and marrying correctly are common themes: brave and resourceful heroines escape monsters and kidnappers, comically avoid marriage to trickster Owl or tragically die with their husbands. Unusual selections include "The Beauty Way," a recounting of an Apache rite of passage; "Stonecoat," the defeat of an evil and powerful medicine man by women who use the power of their "moontime"; and the title story, in which a girl not only marries the moon but shares his job with him. Comments on the stories open the four sections of the book (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest), each of which contains tales from four different nations (e.g., Penobscot, Seneca, Passamaquoddy and Mohegan for the Northeast). An afterword and source notes close this useful resource for storytelling and multicultural learning. Ages 10-13.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-What sets this book apart from other collections of Native American tales is its focus on women. Of the 16 stories (4 from each corner of the U.S.), most are relatively unknown. In one Pandora-like tale, the heroine's curiosity is rewarded, not punished. A Cinderella variant, on the other hand, ends unhappily. Several selections involve abduction; there is a bit of cruelty and gore; and one romantic story ends tragically. Edging toward nonfiction, two pieces reflect actual coming-of-age ceremonies, and another celebrates the courage of a woman during the historical battle of Rosebud Creek. Although none of the retellings has the individual power of some Native-heroine tales available in picture-book form, e.g., Rafe Martin's Rough-Face Girl (Putnam, 1992), the volume as a whole is valuable and, as its introduction points out, will balance the popular image of the passive "squaw."-Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 6-8. A companion volume to Bruchac's Flying with the Eagle, Racing with the Great Bear , this anthology focuses on the role of women in traditional Indian cultures. The 16 stories, collected from tribes representing all areas of North America, range from female rites of passage to cautionary and pourquoi tales. Utilizing the significance of the number four to native cultures, each of the four sections represents a different region and contains four stories. Ross introduces the collection by noting that the role of women in traditional native cultures is "perhaps the most falsely portrayed," and indeed these tales bring a perspective that is little known outside the communities they represent. Striking black-and-white stylized drawings as well as background information about the region and the stories introduce each section. Acknowledgments for some of the stories are appended, as is a general source list. An excellent addition for storytelling collections. Karen Hutt

Customer Reviews

The Girl Who Married The Moon
The stories that this book tells are incredible teachings that let our imagination flow. We see how strong women can be. Some stories talk about young girls and how they grow and become women. These Northeastern, Southeastern, Southwestern, and Northwestern Native American stories are intriguingly magical, sad, and even hysterical at times. We read 16 stories of 16 girls in adolescence all of whom mature. Penobscot, Seneca, Mohegan, Cherokee, Muskogee, Peoria, Caddo, Santa Clara Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo, Navajo, Apache, Cheyenne, and Alutiq, among others, are cultures that are learned about in these stories. There is that girl, who married the moon. There is another, who made us humans lose the trust of turkeys, which has made them wild. Read tales passed down generations from the Native American culture.
My opinion: I thought this book was alright. It wasn't too intriguing to begin with when I picked it up, but I would rate it a good 3 out of 5 stars. I wasn't bored to death by the stories. The way of retelling the story as Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross did, was pretty good. It was pretty cool that they told a little bit about the northeastern, southeastern, northwestern, and southwestern parts before continuing the storytelling.

The girl who married the moon
The stories that this book tells are incredible teachings that let our imagination flow. We see how strong women can be. Some stories talk about young girls and how they grow and become women. These Northeastern, Southeastern, Southwestern, and Northwestern Native American stories are intriguingly magical, sad, and even hysterical at times. We read 16 stories of 16 girls in adolescence all of whom mature. Penobscot, Seneca, Mohegan, Cherokee, Muskogee, Peoria, Caddo, Santa Clara Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo, Navajo, Apache, Cheyenne, and Alutiq, among others, are cultures that are learned about in these stories. There is that girl, who married the moon. There is another, who made us humans lose the trust of turkeys, which has made them wild. Read tales passed down generations from the Native American culture.
My opinion: I thought this book was alright. It wasn't too intriguing to begin with when I picked it up, but I would rate it a good 3 out of 5 stars. I wasn't bored to death by the stories. The way of retelling the story as Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross did, was pretty good. It was pretty cool that they told a little bit about the northeastern, southeastern, northwestern, and southwestern parts before continuing the storytelling.

Tales, Do you want to read some tales
This book is a very, very, very good book. In this book the language is written in a neat way. In the beggining of the story it starts with a catchy line then goes "Once upon a time" like a childrens book.
There is four sections, the Northeast, the Southeast, the Southwest, and the Northwest. In these sections there is different short stories about the tales of that section like , "Turkey Girl"from the southwest section.
My favorite short storie is "The Girl Who Married the Moon". I like it because it has two people together, but one the moon in this case the moon is always working, but in the end they worked there problem out. I really liked this book.