Middle School (9 - 14) Books

DRIFT, William Mayne. New York : Dell Yearling, 1985. (Grades 4-7)

A stranded-in-the-wilderness tale about white teen Rafe and Indian teen Tawena. Indian characters are grunting savages, even though Mayne has attempted to present a "sympathetic" treatment of the Indians and their concept of nature. Time period, place and Indians involved are unknown, and the storyline is rather murky. Mr. Mayne and the author of Indian in the Cupboard are from England. In general,books featuring Native peoples written by British authors tend to befull of quaint stereotypes and misperceptions. A book to avoid. Reviewed by Lisa Mitten and Naomi Caldwell-Wood