Dear Miss Karana

By Eric Elliot, Eric Elliott, Eric Elliot

Book Overview

First written in Chamt eacute;ela and developed in accordance with fourth grade Common Core State Standards, Dear Miss Karana tells a compelling story of family, determination, and cultural perseverance.

While reading Island of the Blue Dolphins at school and learning about the real woman stranded on San Nicol aacute;s Island, ten-year-old T iacute;shmal begins writing emails to "Miss Karana" in hopes of talking to her spirit. When she arrived on the mainland of Southern California, Miss Karana spoke a language that no one could understand even back then, and all that remains is a recording of the song she sang when she was found on the island. T shmal realizes that some of the words sound very similar to Chamt ela (Luise ntilde;o), the language spoken on her reservation.

As she writes to Miss Karana, T shmal becomes more and more resolved to understand the lone woman's song. The only person able to help her is a grouchy great uncle, W h Pow eya ("two tongues"), the last living person fluent in the language of their ancestors from the belly button of the ocean: the islands including San Nicol s. Together, T shmal and W h Pow eya must discover what the lone woman said long ago in order to help her spirit finish the journey West.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1597143235
• ISBN13: 9781597143233
• Release Date: January 2016
• Publisher: Heyday Books
• Length: 126 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.9" x 7.0"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7