This book is truly great. I 100% think that you should read it. It is a nonfiction book, yet it has a fictional main character. So, it's not completely true, but it's good enough for me.

This book vividly describes the struggle of a native girl. She gets kidnapped by white men and is taken to a place where they are all slaves. However, they don't give up. Eventually, they manage to leave the area and run back to their village. Sadly, one of them gets shot on their return.

This book is suitable for all ages. It's a quick read, and you can learn a lot from it. So, don't hesitate. Pick it up and start reading right away!

Read aloud for History.

This is a work that is both moving and gently told, specifically designed for young audiences.

The content within it is sure to capture the hearts and imaginations of the young listeners.

However, the structure of the piece presented a bit of a challenge when it came to reading aloud.

The flow and pacing had to be carefully considered to ensure that the story was conveyed in a way that was engaging and easy to follow.

Despite this, the overall quality of the work shines through, and it has the potential to be a valuable addition to any history curriculum or reading list for young people.

With a little bit of practice and adaptation, it can be transformed into a truly memorable read aloud experience that will leave a lasting impression on the minds of the listeners.

What happened in America between the Indians and the US Government is a tragic and harrowing tale.

From the Indian perspective, it was a story of human trafficking, with many Indians being forcibly removed from their lands and sold into slavery.

Their properties were burned down, leaving them homeless and without resources.

Starvation and death became all too common as they were deprived of their traditional means of sustenance.

Reading about these events is a difficult experience, as it forces us to confront the dark reality of what America was built on.

It is a reminder that the history of this nation is not one of simple progress and prosperity, but also one of injustice and exploitation.

We must learn from this history and work towards a more just and equitable future for all.

A story that appears to be highly accurate and real, yet it seems rather unlikely. It is extremely well-written, achieving a nice balance between vivid imagery and bleak description. However, it does have a certain deficiency in terms of characterization and emotional development. The vivid imagery helps to paint a detailed picture in the reader's mind, making the story come alive to some extent. The bleak description adds an element of solemnity and perhaps a touch of mystery. Nevertheless, the characters could have been more fully developed, with their personalities and motives being more clearly defined. Similarly, the emotional development within the story could have been more pronounced, allowing the reader to better connect with the characters on an emotional level.

It was truly fascinating to listen to these events as told by a fictional yet vividly portrayed young Native American girl.

Her perspective added a unique charm to the narrative, allowing for a more personal and engaging exploration of history.

I particularly valued the personal view and the insights she provided, which offered a different lens through which to understand the past.

In addition, I also appreciated the couple of references made to the Anasazi people and their mysterious disappearance.

Even though they weren't specifically named as such in the book, their presence was felt as a part of the ancient history that preceded the girl's time.

These references added depth and context to the story, highlighting the rich and complex tapestry of Native American history.

Overall, it was a captivating and enlightening experience to hear history through the eyes of this young fictional character.

This is a truly beautiful story that takes us back to the time of The Trail of Tears among the Navajo of Arizona and New Mexico.

I had the pleasure of reading it to my kids, and it led to some really good and serious conversations about this very sad period in our history.

The descriptive writing in the story was truly captivating. It painted a vivid picture in our minds, making us feel as if we were right there with Bright Morning and her family as they were unjustly forced from their home.

Recently, we had the opportunity to travel through Arizona and New Mexico. As we journeyed through those lands, we couldn't help but imagine first hand what the lives of the Navajo must have been like during that difficult time.

The story not only educated my kids about a significant event in history but also sparked their curiosity and empathy. It was a wonderful experience that I will always cherish.

We were traveling from our home in Pennsylvania to Arizona through New Mexico. I read this book to my children in the car. I really love it when I can find a book that matches our travel destination, and this was exactly one of those books. As I was reading, at first, I didn't think my kids were really interested. However, everything changed once we saw the mesas and pinon trees. Their interest suddenly perked up. Then, when we stopped in Fort Sumner for gas, my kids got extremely excited. This was because we had just read about Bright Morning and her people being marched there. My son was so enthusiastic that he even grabbed the camera to take a picture of the town. It was really funny! I think the gas station we stopped at is in his picture! Once we arrived at the Grand Canyon, we watched some Navaho dancers. Again, I asked my children if maybe the girl could be Bright Morning and the young man could be Tall Boy. They watched the whole performance without saying a word. I just love it when a book can bring an interest in history, geography, and culture to life!

I HATED this book with a passion.

It was truly one of the most depressing and dark pieces of literature I have ever encountered.

From the very first page, it seemed to suck the life and joy out of me.

To make matters worse, it even gave me a nightmare.

I dreamed (or perhaps it was a nightmarish experience...whichever way you prefer to describe it) that the Spaniards were chasing me relentlessly.

Their fierce expressions and menacing shouts filled my dream, making it a truly terrifying experience.

This book is definitely not one that will leave you with a happy or positive feeling.

It is a story that delves deep into the darker side of human nature and leaves you feeling drained and disturbed.

I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a lighthearted or enjoyable read.

It is simply too depressing and dark for its own good.

I have a profound weakness for a really good Scott O'Dell book. His works have always held a special allure for me, especially those that revolve around the theme of survival. However, Sing Down the Moon failed to live up to the standards set by his classic Island of the Blue Dolphins.

The pacing of this book was extremely slow. It seemed to get bogged down in endless discussions about sheep. It was sheep this and sheep that, to the point where it became quite tiresome. I had the misfortune of reading this for a report two years ago. I vividly remember spending an entire paragraph in my report trying to analyze what the sheep might represent.

Frankly, if I have to endure one more sentence about wool, I'm seriously considering chucking this book in the trash. It's a real pity that what could have been an engaging story turned out to be such a disappointment. I had high hopes for it, but unfortunately, it just didn't deliver.

Perhaps if the author had focused more on the main plot and less on the minutiae of the sheep, the book would have been more enjoyable. As it stands, it's a book that I'm not likely to recommend to others.

In 1992, Dell Publishing released a Yearling reprint edition of Scott O’Dell’s remarkable Newberry Award Winning novel “Sing Down the Moon.”

This novel delves into the lives of native Americans who, in 1860, resided in a Navaho village situated in Canyon de Chilly, Arizona. The central characters revolve around the family of 15-year-old Bright Morning, her sister Lapana, and their parents. Additionally, it showcases their relationship with Tall Boy and his parents.

When Bright Morning reached womanhood, her family arranged for her to marry Tall Boy, and 9 months after the marriage, she gave birth to a son. However, before the marriage, a renegade group of Spanish Warriors captured Bright Morning and her friend Running Bird. They were taken to a town miles away and sold to slave owners. Running Bird was sold to a family far from the estate that bought Bright Morning.

The Senora who owned the estate home had three slaves, one of whom was Nahana. Nahana had attempted to escape but was caught and severely punished. With Nahana’s help, a plan of escape was devised, and Bright Morning and Nahana managed to locate Running Bird. The three slaves successfully executed their escape plan and returned to their Navaho village.

The book also features the Long Knife warriors from Fort Defiance and their initiative to capture all the Navaho tribes. Tall Boy and Bright Morning escape and return to a mesa close to their native Canyon de Chilly village. Fortunately, the O’Dell book has a happy ending as over 8,500 Arizona Native Americans defeated their warrior aggressors.

I truly relished reading this book.

It delved into the captivating world of the Navajo tribe, the Long Knives, and the Apaches, who found themselves embroiled in a conflict.

Their struggle to escape and seek a better life was a central theme that kept me on the edge of my seat.

There are numerous other fascinating aspects of this book.

If you wish to uncover them, you must embark on the reading journey yourself and discover for yourself.

I awarded this book a perfect 5/5 rating.

It not only entertained me to no end but also provided an abundance of details.

The story had such a realistic feel to it that it seemed as if it could have actually occurred in real life.

Perhaps it did, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this already remarkable literary work.

A HA! This was the very book that had haunted me throughout my middle school years!

After I had recounted the plot to some friends, they hypothesized that it might have been "Naya Nuki Shoshone Girl Who Ran" by Kenneth Thomasma. However, it wasn't. It was this one!

The scene that remains etched vividly in my mind is when the two girls are abducted by slavers. Shudder, shudder, shudder! I truly despised this story.

Was it against the law to have us middle school students read something humorous or uplifting? What on earth is wrong with the individuals who compile the required-reading lists for middle schools? Are they all tormented souls who wish to wallow in the worst aspects of humanity or believe that the arbitrary age range of 11 - 13 is the ideal time to introduce us to the most depressing books ever penned?

It seems rather unjust that we were subjected to such a downbeat narrative during our formative years. There should be a better balance between educational and enjoyable reading materials for middle school students.