Chapter Book #9

Author: Michael Dorris
Title:  Morning Girl
Illustrator: N/A
Readability score:  Grade 4 to Grade 6
Genre:  Fiction
Subgenre:  Historical
Theme:  Appreciate the world in which you live.
Primary and secondary characters:  Morning Girl, Star Boy, Father, Mother, She Listens, Sharp Tooth, Red Feathers
Awards:  Scott O'Dell Award
Date of Publication:  1992
Publishing company:  Hyperion Paperbacks for Children
ISBN number:  0-7868-1358-X

Morning Girl is a story told from the perspectives of Morning Girl and her brother Star Boy.  They live on a Caribbean island in the time right before Columbus comes to the New World.  Morning Girl loves the morning and daytime, while Star Boy loves the night.  Morning Girl is early to rise, early to sleep.  Star Boy sleeps all day and wanders at night.  Each child has complaints about the other and they both complain about their parents.  In some ways, this 15th century family is not so different from today's typical family.  Morning Girl feels like her brother does not belong in the family.  Around this time, Mother tells Morning Girl that she is going to have a little sister.  The next month, Mother goes away.  When she comes back some time later, she does not have the baby.  Morning Girl and Star Boy are very disappointed.  Star Boy runs away for a day and hides in the rocks because he thinks he is in trouble for forgetting to tie up the canoe.  His parents and sister look for him, but they do not find him.  He finally reveals himself to his father and all is well again.  Morning Girl becomes curious about what her face looks like.  She asks her mother to describe it.  A great storm comes up in the night and Star Boy is caught in it.  Father tries to reach him but he can't because the wind is so powerful.  Star Boy hides in a tree.  The roof of their house is blown off.  The next day, everyone on the island works to rebuild their homes and gather food.  They celebrate by having a feast.  Star Boy runs away again because he is mad at several people.  Morning Girl goes to the beach for a swim one morning and finds a group of strange people in a strange boat.  She welcomes them, but they do not speak her language.  What she does not realize is that Christopher Columbus has come to Christianize her people and take over the island.

This story could be read in literature circles as a way to supplement learning on the topics of Native Americans and the founding of the Americas.  Morning Girl and Star Boy provide a look into what it was like to be on the 'other side' of history.  I would have the students read the book during literature circles and then respond to it.  I would give the students the following prompt:  How would you feel if you saw a stranger coming to your home?  How would you respond?  Would you be kind like Morning Girl was?  Would you be scared?  Respond by writing one paragraph using complete sentences.