Susan Kita

As a historical account of facts about the Anasazi, the tour guide plot creates a natural context for learning about the life of this interesting people. But readers who find this book in the children's fiction section of the library will be greatly disappointed not to discover an imaginative fantasy about what life might have been like in this civilization, which disappeared around 500 years ago. If only the children had met a ghost as they hiked through the canyon or fell into a time machine when they entered a cliffside cave, the Anasazi might have come to life again to tell us their tale.
The story can serve as a useful teaching tool in a classroom of 3rd - 5th graders studying Southwest Native American tribes. Perhaps, the children could use the facts to create imaginary stories about Anasazi life.… (més)