(Image credit: www.powells.com)Carvell, Marlene. Sweetgrass Basket. New York: Dutton Childrens Books, 2005.
A father is convinced to send his two daughters to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School to give them a better future. Their days at the school are bleak with rare moments of hope.
Mattie and Sarah, two Mohawk sisters, are sent away from their home to a boarding school back east. A school of unrelated individuals plucked from their Indian homes, promised opportunity, and delivered more cruelty than comprehension. But in between the harsher lessons, there are lessons in friendship, and a teacher's kindness, and what it really means to be a sister in your heart.
When Mrs. Dwyer shames Mattie, accusing her of stealing a brooch, she is stripped of her dignity, her strength, and the respect of her fellow students. Will Mattie and Sarah be defeated by Mrs. Dwyer, turncoat Ida, and the Carlisle Indian School? Or are there resources to be found tucked away in a basket? A basket full of hopes and dreams and made with the love of a mother. A sweetwater basket.
ALA Notable Children's Book.
This is a great find!
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