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Binding: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-57131-630-1
Pages: 279
Publish Date: Dec, 2001
Genre: Young Readers
The Great North American Prairie
A Literary Field Guide
BY Sara St. Antoine
Stretching from Alberta and Saskatchewan south to Texas, and from the edge of the Rockies east to Illinois, the Great North American Prairie is a remarkably rich and varied region. West to east, the prairie changes from short grass to mixed grass to tall grass while badlands, buttes, bluffs, and gullies add height and depth to the landscape, as do the cities that rise from the plains.
The Great North American Prairie gathers the literature that best conveys the region’s natural heritage. Readers will find songs and narratives from Plains Indians, stories of nineteenth-century settlers (including freed slaves) and contemporary stories, essays, and poems about coyotes, meadowlarks, farm life, wild places in the city, and efforts to restore native prairie. Dip into this book and you’ll hear the whistle of prairie dogs, witness the dance of sandhill cranes, catch the white flash of a pronghorn’s tail, and revisit the massive buffalo.
Introducing several new voices, the book also features well-known writers who have lived in the plains such as Willa Cather, Georgia O’Keeffe, Louise Erdrich, Kathleen Norris, William Least Heat-Moon, Carl Sandburg, and Hal Borland. Beautifully illustrated, the book includes scientific information about habitat, plants, and animals, and a list of places to visit to experience the prairie ecosystem.
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The California Coast
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The Great Lakes
Drawing on the rich literary tradition of the Great Lakes, this book takes readers on an informative, imaginative trip through the region's past and present. Meet an Ojibwe girl born in 1777 on the sh
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“In its quiet but exuberant way, this book speaks to one of our nation's great needs: to reinhabit the land we have paved and ploughed. . . . An exceptional collection that capitalizes on young readers' inherent interest in the natural world. . . . A strong resource for both learners and teachers of any age or disposition.”
—Riverbank Review“A good mix of fiction and information, that reflect the ethnic diversity of the inhabitants. St. Antoine showcases familiar authors such as Carl Sandburg, Willa Cather, and Louise Erdrich, as well as lesser-known writers. Also valuable are the generous appendixes.”
—Booklist“Every so often readers are given a literary gift that illuminates the beauty of the environment. The stories, poems and excerpts in this volume capture the essence of what it means to be part of the Great North American Prairie. . . . The varied selections include a song of a Sioux chief, a letter from Georgia O'Keeffe, and the recollections of a 92-year-old woman [Iron Teeth]. . . . Ring[s] with pride and poignancy.”
—Book Report“Includes the words of Willa Cather, Louise Erdrich, Georgia O'Keeffe and more than 40 others. Beautiful illustrations from Trudy Nicholson, with maps by Paul Mirocha, are accompanied by fine writing. So many voices telling their stories honoring the place they call home.”
—Glenda Martin, Minnesota Women's Press“What comes through in a clear voice is each writer's awe and love for the uniqueness of the region.”
—VOYA
