Crazy Horse

Title: Crazy Horse
Author: Kristine Brennan
Publisher: Chelsea House Publications
Copyright: 2002 by Chelsea House Publishers
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 64
Genre: Non-fiction

Summary:
Crazy Horse was born in South Dakota in 1840 to a man named Worm and a woman named Rattle Blanket Woman. He had two known siblings. Not much is knows about his early life other than most people believed him to be white because of his light skin and light hair. His name before he was Crazy Horse was Curly. He learned to hunt and raid and scout for buffalo and enemy tribes.
When a cow of a white man is killed and cannot be replaced, fighting begins. His chief is killed and he wanders off on h is own, wondering what will happen to his people. He began a vision quest and received a vision. His vision was interpreted to mean that he would be a great warrior but not to be proud, and to always help the needy.
He soon becomes a warrior and kills two Arapaho men and because he disobeys his vision, he is promptly hit in the leg with an arrow.
There continued to be battles against the whites despite the Civil War and many Indians were killed. Crazy Horse even fell in love but was tricked and his love taken away.
He worked with a chief called Black Kettle and they fought side by side. He was then called as a shirt wearer (a respected and responsible man) and he was to help lead.
A treaty is signed, but misunderstood by the Indians and they have to live on a reservation. Through all of this, Crazy Horse was still in love and ran off with the woman he loved, but she was married and he ended up being shot in the face. He recovered, but times got harder. Crazy Horse eventually married and had a daughter named “They are afraid of her”. But she dies of cholera. He never displayed emotion, but he stayed with her body for several days mourning her loss.
Because of the gold rush, the whites wanted all of the Indian land they had previously given them. The declared that after a certain date the Indians would be hunted down. The Indians placed a counter attack and won. But Colonel Custer came at them again. He and all of his men were killed.
The Indians are once again attacked, and another tribe took 3 days to reach Crazy Horse and his camp. In total, 11 babies died. Crazy Horse soon realizes that he can no longer fight and surrenders. But in essence, he and his people are prisoners. He is urged to meet the president but refuses because the whites refuse to keep their promises. Rumors begin that Crazy Horse will try to kill all the whites (because of a mistranslation) and people begin to turn on him. They plot to kill him and he takes his wife and runs. He is then promised a meeting and goes. Unknowingly into a trap. The whites imprison him. He tries to escape and is stabbed twice with a bayonet. He dies later that night with his father by his side. No one knows what happened to his body.

Recommendations:
I think everyone should read this book so that they know what the Indians went through because of the whites. It’s an important part of our history.

Potential Problems:
It is violent, and some of the men have several wives.

My Reaction:
I liked reading this book, I learned a lot, and I think I would read this book again.