| The Trail Book Contributor(s): Austin, Mary (Author), Graulich, Melody (Afterword by) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0874175887 ISBN-13: 9780874175882 Publisher: University of Nevada Press OUR PRICE: $17.10 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: March 2004 Annotation: First published in 1918, "The Trail Book" is now considered a classic of American nature writing. It is essentially a frame tale set in the New York Museum of Natural History, where two children discover displays that come to life and admit them into a series of exciting adventures that include talking animals and magical travels through the vast landscapes of the pre-Columbian continent. Along the way, the children discover the lifeways of the ancient Native Americans and the natural worlds they inhabited, as well as the impact on both Indians and wildlife from contact with European explorers and Euro-Americans. Told by a variety of narrators, including some of the animals, the stories offer a perceptive and sympathetic view of the natural history of North America and of Native Americanwhite relations.This new edition of "The Trail Book" includes an afterword by Austin scholar Melody Graulich that addresses Austin's motives in writing the book and its significance as an early example of interdisciplinary multicultural literature. The illustrations by Milo Winter that enlivened the original edition are included, as are Austin's appendix giving historical background and a glossary of Indian and Spanish names. Ultimately, The Trail Book urges readers young and old to recognize that history and culture existed in North America well before 1492 and to pass that history on to the next generation. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Historical - General - Literary Criticism | Native American - Fiction | Action & Adventure |
| Dewey: FIC |
| LCCN: 2003022017 |
| Series: Western Literature |
| Physical Information: 0.63" H x 5.32" W x 8.46" (0.61 lbs) 227 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Mid-Atlantic - Cultural Region - Northeast U.S. - Ethnic Orientation - Native American - Geographic Orientation - New York - Locality - New York, N.Y. |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The Trail Book is a classic of American nature writing. First published in 1918, it is a collection of children's tales, framed by its setting in New York's Museum of Natural History. For two children, Oliver and his sister Dorcas, the museum's famed dioramas (which were new at that time) come to life and admit them into a series of exciting adventures that include talking animals and magical travels. Along the way, the children discover the ways of the ancient Native Americans and the landscapes of the pre-Columbian continent, as well as the impact on both Indians and wildlife from contact with European explorers and Euro-Americans. Told by a variety of narrators, including some of the animals, the stories offer a perceptive and sympathetic view of the natural history of North America and of Native American-white relations. This edition of The Trail Book includes an afterword by Austin scholar Melody Graulich that addresses Austin's motives in writing the book and its significance as an early example of interdisciplinary multicultural literature. The illustrations by Milo Winter that enlivened the original edition are included, as are Austin's appendix giving historical background and a glossary of Indian and Spanish names. |