Friday, March 27, 2009

Morning Girl by Michael Dorris- Realistic or Historical Fiction and a Chapter Book


“Morning Girl” is an example of realistic or historical fiction, and it is also a chapter book. The chapters alternate back and forth between the perspectives of a girl named Morning Girl and her little brother, Star Boy. Morning Girl loves to wake up early and she enjoys being alone in the morning. She goes out and swims, looks for shells, walks around the island, etc. Star Boy, on the other hand, likes to stay up at night and he loves looking at the sky. He usually sleeps a lot during the day. Morning Girl and Star Boy are like the typical brother and sister- they fight and annoy each other, but they stick up for each other when they need to. Star Boy once embarrassed himself in front of lots of people by running ahead and grabbing food during a large gathering. Morning Girl stuck up for him by running and grabbing food as well, telling everyone that they were all very hungry after searching for Star Boy during a big storm. Star Boy is very grateful for his sister after this, and he calls her “The One Who Stands Beside.” Throughout the book, Star Boy and Morning Girl describe all of their adventures, such as the terrible storm that Star Boy almost died in, when Star Boy hid in the rocks because he forgot to tie up his father’s canoe, and when Morning Girl’s family is sad because the new baby sister was never born. At the end of the book, Morning Girl is swimming and sees a canoe full of strange people. Morning Girl is very polite and speaks to these people, even though she thinks they dress and act very strangely. The epilogue then shows a journal entry from 1492 written by Christopher Columbus, and it turns out that the strange people Morning Girl met were Christopher Columbus and other explorers. I could tell that the book was set in a time long ago, but I did not realize the exact setting until the epilogue.
This book would be a great way for students to learn what life was like in America before it was “discovered” by Christopher Columbus. They can learn what life was like for Native American children and families, and they can see that the Native Americans actually did just fine before Columbus and others came. Students always learn the story of the discovery of America from the explorers’ points of view, but this tells the story from the perspective of the Native Americans. Students can also really connect to this book. Many of them have brothers and sisters that annoy them, but they also stick up for them in times of need. Children know what it is like to be embarrassed just like Star Boy was several times in the book. Star Boy and Morning Girl were supposed to get a new baby sister, but the baby died before it was born. Many families experience miscarriages, so students can relate to this as well. Some parts of the book are strangely worded, so parts might be confusing for students, but overall, this was a great book. Students can really enjoy this book, connect with the characters, and learn about life in America in the 1400’s!

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