Joseph Marshall III's the Dance House: Stories from Rosebud relates knowledgeable insight from the Sicangu Lakota Sioux's point of view, using everyday incidents as well as historical events. A Lakota Sioux historian who was raised on the Rosebud reservation, the author's simple yet harmonious language creates a memorable collection of eight short stories and five essays that present a truthful representation of Native Americans. Using the underlying theme that heritage is important to one's identity. Marshall is adamant in erasing the white man's barbaric, ignorant image of the Indian.

In the title story, after the tribe's dance house was ordered burned by the United States Government which seized the Black Hills land where the house stood, Jacob Little Thunder and others, outwitting the white "boss farmer" and defying the Dawes Act, build a house of happiness where the people of Grass Valley could come together to remember "the old days and traditional way."

Gus Pretty Crow, through his unwavering honesty, brought the demise of the haughty sheriff in "1965 Continental." One rainy night a stranger appears at Gus' door requesting mechanical help. When Gus recommends that the man wait until the next morning and call the local wrecker "that runs, sometimes," the stranger propositions him: "Sell me your [1950] truck and I'll give you that 1965 Lincoln Continental." After Gus explains that an Indian owning a new luxury vehicle would create problems for him, the stranger promises that just a phone call to him would fix any problem that would occur. Reluctantly Gus agrees to the transaction and soon after the harassment by the local sheriff begins.

Jon Marichale educates his grandfather during a reminiscent outing about the petrifaction process of a stone turtle the grandfather had discovered years before.

The Dance House is necessary reading for anyone who is interested in the truth about Native American culture, or simply enjoys gifted storytelling.

READ ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING BY THIS MAN YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON....HIS ESSAYS AND STORIES IN THIS COLLECTION ARE WELL WRITTEN AND EXCEPTIONALLY PROFOUND...THE ANSWERS TO A HARMONIOUS AND BALANCED LIFE LIE IN THESE PAGES....COME FIND THEM.

Lakota Sioux historian and novelist Marshall proves himself a triple threat with these powerful essays and short stories. As the subtitle suggests, the nine pieces collected here all deal with life on the author's home reservation of Rosebud, SD, and it is a credit to Marshall's ability as a storyteller that the fictional stories are nearly indistinguishable from the factual essays. Subject to changes brought in by Euro-American culture that surrounds it, Marshall's Rosebud is nevertheless a timeless place where the Sioux insist on maintaining their identity. Readers will be grateful to Marshall for building a dance house of the mind, one that draws on autobiography, nature writing, legend and the day-to-day adventures and misadventures of his own family and neighbors.

This book isn't the most beautifully written or profound book I've ever read, but the sweet story touched me just the same. If you are looking for a family tale about the TRUE meaning of Christmas, this is the book for you. Childrens and adults alike will enjoy this holiday book.

This book is easy to read, simple in its point, and suitable for children as well as adults. As a 5th and 6th grade art teacher, I read it to my classes every year at the beginning of Dec., when we begin our Christmas projects, including recycling old cards to make new ones for a local family shelter. Much as "The Gift of the Magi" opened my eyes to what a "good gift" is, "If You're Missing Baby Jesus" illustrates the true meaning of Christmas. The fact that it is a true story makes the book even more attractive to me. It also brings the opportunity to teach things about "the good ole days," like living in a small town, you only needed to dial the last four digits of someone's phone number to reach them and there used to be such a thing as "penny candy." I usually can't get through the reading of this story without crying, it touches my heart so!

This is a wonderful little story with beautiful illustrations that conveys the true meaning of Christmas. A good choice to read aloud to a group of children (ages 5 to 8 or so), the story contains enough humor to lighten the message.

If you or your child has already read the American Girls book "Kirsten Learns a Lesson", you know that Kirsten has befriended an Indian girl named Singing Bird. In that story, Kirsten was ordered not to play with Singing bird any longer. Singing Bird leaves. In this new short story, which forst appeared in American Girl magazine, Singing Bird is back. Kirsten wants to see her, but cannot break her rules. Can she and Singing Bird meet again and keep their friendship a secret or will everything fall apart? Kirsten learns another lesson in this great book for little girls.

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden, whose family has moved to frontier Minnesota of 1854. In this book, Kirsten's American Indian friend, Singing Bird, returns. Almost immediately disaster strikes, when Kirsten's secret friendship is discovered, and her mother orders Kirsten to never see Singing Bird again. However, when Kirsten's brother Peter gets lost in the woods, Kirsten turns to a friend who can help when others can't. It proves a chance for the whole family to learn a lesson.

As an added bonus, this book contains a chapter on the Sioux Indians, and instructions on making a charm bag. I never ceased to be amazed at the quality of the American Girls books. With wonderful illustration, the book tells a great story that teaches a valuable lesson. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with a young daughter. My daughter and I both love these books!

[For those parents interested in reading historical fiction about Swedish immigrants, please consider reading The Emigrants series by Vilhelm Moberg.]

Kirsten on the Trail is a good story for early readers and children who can hold their attention to a twenty minute story.

This is the tale of frontier life and the interaction of a pioneer girl and her indian friend of the same age. Theirs is a secrete relationship -- history has told their parents to be wary of each other and they are forbidden to play together.

The disappearance of Kirsten's younger brother and his rescue by Kirsten's indian friend allows the parents of the pioneer girl to accept the the innate goodness of a child from a different culture. This book introduces pioneer life, the clash of indian and pioneer cultures and the acceptance of difference to young readers. Its a story my kids like.

I've reviewed Carsten Stroud in the past. I've always stressed his atmosphere and characters. In my opinion he excells in his books at being able to take you into the story and make you genuinely care for his chatracters. the same is true of Lizardskin, but here his dialouge is also very finely done. Yes the conclusion is a little weak but it's such a pleasure getting there that I will readily forgive Mr. Stroud and his Robin Cook ending. Actually I found myself enjoying the story so much that I really wasn't in all that much of a rush to see it end. I have read this novel several times over the years and every time I enjoy it immensely. Read this novel if you enjoy storytelling at its finest.

This was Stroud's first novel, after two works of non-fiction. And unlike most journalists who have great difficulty making the transition from fact-based writing to fiction, Stroud has no problem at all. This is an outstanding book: characters so real you can practically touch them, humor so outrageous that sections provoke out-loud laughter, a complex completely viable plot-line, and sections of writing lyrically simple and beautifully constructed. Stroud is one wonderful writer.

Aside from all the above assets, the author's feel for place is so powerful that Montana comes alive in its vistas, its climate and its denizens. There's also a lot of native American history, integral to the plot, that isn't sentimentalized but made to come alive--via hero Beau McAllister's sensibilities.

A good author always, always leaves the reader wanting more. Lizardskin is a signal accomplishment in that it practically begs for a sequel. Stroud has gone on to write other, equally fine books, resisting the temptation to overwork a winning hand. Smart fellow, first-class writer.
My highest recommendation.

Carsten Stroud's Lizardskin is one of the best books I have ever read. If you had the chance for revenge--would you take it? It's your choice. You decide. In an instant. That is partly what this book is all about. Set in the area of Montana and the Little Big Horn, this book opens with an incident at a gas station. There is a shootout between the owners and someone shooting at him with bows and arrows. Carsten Stroud's character is called in to investigate. He does not like what he finds

Wonderful recollections of a bygone era. Ms. Plotkin's well documented family lore invokes the stories of countless immigrant families who settled in the Dakotas and whose lives were filled with hardhips and struggles but also with lots of love and humor. Five beautiful and amazingly strong women who remained instrinsicly feminine doing "man's work". Certainly not an idyllic life but neither a tragic one. Just one that had to be lived to the fullest. No wonder Ms. Plotkin wanted desperately to be a Pearson Girl - I do too!

A heartwarming and intelligent story of immigrant grit on the Dakota front at the beginning of the century. If you have time to read only one memoir this year, make it THE PEARSON GIRLS! It will fascinate you.

I loved this book. It told of a wonderful hard working family and the love that was passed down from generation to generation. You will soon find yourself loving the 'girls' and seeing the Plains through their eyes.There were many times during the course of reading this book that I wanted to live with them, oh what a beautiful, peaceful time in America's history.

Rinnah Two Feathers has always longed for adventure. But nothing ever happens in her small community on the edge of the Sioux reservation. One day, on the way to school, she sees a suspicious stranger examining the Jackson house. And the school bully won't leave her, her best friend Tommy, and their new friend Meagan alone. Then the museum in Tommy's house is robbed and mysterious guests arrive at Rinnah's family's guest house. Soon, Rinnah has more excitement then she knows what to do with. Can she figure out what is really going on?

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast moving young adult mystery. All the characters are well developed. The plot is complicated enough to keep me guessing with a couple of nice twists, but comes to a logical conclusion.

This book is a definite step ahead of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books and I'm looking forward to Rinnah's further adventures.

The Secret of Dead Man's Mine is a truly fascinating mystery. It makes sleuthing look so fun and pleasurable. It's a good work out for the mind. It is great for a school report, because it will really get the class on the edge of their seats. Kids from ages 10-15 will enjoy this book.

Do you remember the thrill of reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries growing up? The straight-forward stories kept you guessing until the last page, and they were filled with characters you liked and could identify with. If so, it's time to rejoice! "The Secret of Dead Man's Mine" brought back wonderful memories of those old-fashioned (in a very good way) mysteries, while updating the concept by making the lead character a Lakota Sioux Indian girl -- just imagine a Native American Nancy Drew. And at a time when many so-called "children's books" are nothing more than toy commercials, "The Secret of Dead Man's Mine" is a breath of fresh air.

Author Rodney Johnson takes us into a fascinating world with a plot that is simple but extremely effective -- by being naturally inquisitive, Rinnah Two Feathers finds herself in the middle of a mystery that leads to a search for the legendary Dead Man's Mine. Fortunately for us, the clever writing, the glimpse that the book provides into the Indian world and the fun illustrations (by Jill Thompson of Scary Godmother fame!) take this book to the next level.

Rinnah is the type of girl you want to know, and her best friends, Tommy and Meagen, are wonderful, fully drawn characters, similar to the kids in the Harry Potter series. In fact, all of the characters are not only interesting but also integral to the story, such as the bullies at school, the Indian family members and the numerous adults staying at the lodge run by Rinnah's mom.

I won't give away the ending, but I will say that it was both surprising and satisfying. I can't wait for the next Rinnah Two Feathers book!

Althought the opinions of Custer and life with the calvary are viewed through (very) rosy glasses, Mrs. G.A. Custer is a witty and prolific writer. She also gives little-known insight into everyday happenings in life on the prairie and how women survived the journey. Particularly interesting are the dynamics of relationships between women when living literally in the middle of nowhere, surviving the harshest of climates, with few friends, the same friends, for extended times. Also interesting is the relationship between people of color and the white soldiers. Custer is an enigma, and readers should read this book but also others ("Son of the Morning Star" is the best thus far) to get a glimpse at the man. Libby Custer falls into poetic verse at times, but this can be refreshing - there are not many writings of women in these times available.

This is really a question insteadof a review. I have a copy of Boots and Saddles written by Elizabeth B. Custer. The copyright is 1885, by Harper & Brothers. The first page has a note wrote on it "To my friend Richard Dec 25th 1890 then a signature of the giver M L Malis ? Would you know anything about this particular book?

There are so few well written and personally lived books about the people of the northern great plains, but this is one of them. Mrs. Custer gives intimate details of life in the cavalry and the Dakotas of a time now gone.
She tells of blizzards, heat, insects, dangers and people in a most readable way that draws the reader in. This is a special book that speaks to the plainsman's heart.

Mr. Bender writes in manner that flows so well he draws you into his stories whether you know the real-life characters or not. It is amazing that in the span of a few well worded paragraphs, your heart and soul can be moved so easily. Just read one of Mr. Bender's stories and I'm sure you'll have to read another. Please keep writing Tony!

I am a fan of human interest stories, especially those with wry humor and insight into the human spirit. If you are also a fan of that style, this is a must read. The subtitle, "Humorous and Poignant Stories from the Dakotas", says it all; I'm not sure if the emphasis should be on "poignant" or "humorous". "Wednes- day's Ashes" is about a prairie Lutheran church, built in 1886, which withstands a tornado, but burns down on Ash Wednesday as its congregation of 50 or less stands by helplessly. "It Was a Good Thing" is about a transplanted Russian, a North Dakota cowboy, who dies with his dignity intact, having dodged the nursing home experience. That story is followed by, "Chopper", which is about the crusty cowboy's equally crusty stallion who threw "Cowboy" the first ride of each spring, just to remind "Cowboy" who was boss. "Boys of Summer" is about the author's Little League Baseball team - the Bad News Bears before Walter

Matthau's great movie. "Letter to Mike" is a deeply moving tribute to the author's brother, who lives a dignified life in spite of his Williams Syndrome, and who has inspired all who know him with his purity and enthusiasm (you very well may cry as you read this one). These stories are relieved by tales of the writer's frustration with "tech support", and a letter exchange with Dave Barry as to whether or not North Dakota is still there, complete with details about a giant milk cow, liver sausage, Lawrence Welk and Bobby Vee. The Fix-It Man fixes, the mom steals clothes and then mails them to her neighbor, a pathetic dog finds a (pathetic?) friend - it's all here, and at the click of a mouse! It gets a 4 rather than 5 star because frankly, Tony has a sense of humor that evades me sometimes! Is this what they mean by "prairie humor"?

For anyone with a small town or Midwestern background, this is a must read. Bender touches the heart and tickles the funny bone with his columns on the feats and foibles of real people in real life situations. As a compilation of his newspaper columns, "Loons" is an easy read, yet I limited myself to one or two stories per day, in order to savor the emotion conveyed by each. I have given several copies as gifts, and have always been thanked by the recipient for introducing them to this new, gifted author.

Lorbiecki takes a great and fascinating subject, the Dakota images of Minnesota frontier soldier-and-artist Seth Eastman, and creates a dense, clouded picture of his situation and motives. Eastman's images are so strong, they could almost speak for themselves with careful assistance. Instead the text reads at an annoying mid-level: not clear enough for a young reader, yet oversimplified (some description of historic figures are plainly inaccurate) in content and concept for an advanced reader. It leaves one asking "Who is this book intended for?"

Reviewed by Tyler Crogg; excerpts included: "Fortunately for us, Eastman captured in a series of watercolor and oil paintings the final decades of the Eastern Dakota tribe as an independent, self-sustaining nation in the Minnesota Territory... His works compete with the best ethnographic treatises for their particular detailing of American Indian culture. Lorbiecki, an award-winning children's book writer. . ., has presented the dual story of the Dakota people and the Army officer/artist who portrayed them, in a balanced and detailed style. The text mainly focuses on Eastman's relationship with the Dakota Nation and kin ... and his steady rise to prominence as a first-rate artist of the American frontier and Dakota Nation. Lorbiecki has judiciously spiced the text with Eastman's notes and Dakota oral histories....In Eastman's perspective, the Dakota were not just subjects for his canvas, but relations, friends, humans struggling to survive year to year. The selection of Eastman's works in this book documents the everyday essentials of life: women gathering wild rice, men hunting and ice-fishing, ceremonial dances, funeral and wedding rites. In this sense, Eastman is a Vermeer among American artists of indigenous peoples; he found beauty and meaning in the unnoticed and common acts of life .... The best test of a children's book is whether adults are entertained and informed as well. This is one of those books. An addition of a glossary and pronunciation guide for some of the Dakota terms and names would have been helpful, but overall, Lorbiecki's writing is precise. She handles complex historical topics, like the growing dependence of the Dakota on Anglo-American merchandise, and the regional Dakota-Ojibwe conflicts with clarity, and without oversimplification. Her portrayal of Eastman is honest. As a New Englander, he was not pleased with being so far from the artistic centers of New York and Boston, but he used his time at Fort Snelling to improve his talents and understand Dakota culture as well as any Anglo-American could. Lorbiecki will hopefully keep investigating and writing on historical, ethnic and environmental subjects she has covered in her past books. Her scholarship and style hold as much detail as one of Eastman's watercolors. PAINTING THE DAKOTA recreates a fascinating portrait of early Minnesota history, its original inhabitants and the man who painted their world."

This is an insightful book, aimed at a broad readership. With clear prose and striking paintings, it places Seth Eastman in context as an artist, by emphasizing his pioneering work painting "ordinary" Dakota men and women (rather than focusing on Native American leaders as Catlin and others had done). The author too focuses on everyday Dakota life, expertly using Eastman's paintings of sugaring time, traveling, etc. to emphasize points made in the text. I highly recommend this book.

Most of the time, I think of murder mysteries as an escape from life and a way to test my skills as an armchair detective. This novel offers so much more than that. Set in the old west, the hero of the series returns to his seriff's office one day to find a man dead on his desk. Thinking that was supposed to be him, he investigates. Soon, however, he is taken away from town on an expedition to find a safe passage around Indian territory. Soon, however, the people on the expedition begin dieing. Their bodies are found with arrows in their backs. Soon, innocent Indians have been massacred as has most of the expedtition. To make matters worse, Samuel, our hero, is torn from his girlfriend by these events. There is a war cry coming from both the Indians and the Army, and to end the blood bath, Sam must get sober again and find out the real reason for the deaths. As a fan of murder mysteries, I have grown used to people dieing. This book, however, has over 50 deaths. It also features a sad breakup between Sam and his girlfriend. It does deal realistically with the issues of Indian/Settler relatons in the early west. It is well written. I give it a 6 because it is so serious. When I had finished it, I was truly depressed. This is not light reading.

Before I read this book, I heard a mixture of why I should read it and why I should not read it. Before you get swayed from this book, understand that it is necessary to understanding Samuel Keaton.
It starts when Sam discovers a dead body in his office. He immediately thinks someone is after HIS blood and he takes a scouting job for a young Leutinent. Not to give away too much, the expidition goes bad and Sam turns to whiskey. This book shows the love the other characters have for Sam and it shows how smart Doc. Harper is. It also shows that the smartes man has his weaknesses and how, with the right friends, you can rise from the ashes and move on with your life.

Of the four Ghost Rider books, I liked this one the best. I'll agree with the previous reviewer that this one was depressing, so I recommend that you have book 4 ("Thunder Voice") ready to read when you finish book 3 just to lift your spirits. However, please do not skip this one because of the unhappy nature of the plot.

This is the best mystery of the series. Sam Keaton must figure out why there is a dead man in his sheriff's office, a tradegy stricken expedition, and a massacre of women and children. The plot adds more great characters, reintroduces old favorites, and twists along to the end conclusion.

What makes this book great is the struggles of the hero. Sam must deal with the guilt of his actions and his failed responsibility to others. In addition, he has a very realistic battle with alcoholism, a struggle that makes him so much more of a real (imperfect) person. Sam's humanity and the struggles of a real person to find a higher purpose make this the best book of the Ghost Rider series.