Title: Addie Slaughter, The Girl Who Met Geronimo
Author: Susan L. Krueger with Dr. Reba Wells Grandrud
Topic: Westward Expansion
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Students: A balanced mix of strong readers and struggling or reluctant readers
Rating by: Patti Johannsen from Arizona
Historically Accurate?
(4) Yes and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.
(3) Yes
(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals
(1) Not a bit
An Engaging Story?
(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading
(3) Most students will get caught up in the story
(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake
(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned
Prompts Discussion?
(4) Students will still be talking about it in the hallway
(3) Will prompt discussion about major issues in the past as well as today
(2) Will prompt discussion about the characters and the events in the book
(1) Will not prompt discussion Readability?
(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board
(3) Can be used for a whole class read
(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group
(1) Recommend only to students that love reading
Age Appropriate Content?
____Too mature
_X__Just right
____Too simplistic
A Comment from Patti Johannsen:
Bravo! I read ADDIE SLAUGHTER, THE GIRL WHO MET GERONIMO. I liked the cover. It says "authentic". I was delighted with the clarity and simplicity of language. I admired the grit demonstrated by the ranch family, and the kind, generous spirit of these early settlers of Arizona. As a 5th grade teacher, I was always on the hunt for books like Addie Slaughter to supplement Social Studies topics. They were hard to find.
Amazon's Product Description:
Before most of today's children have spent even one day on their own without a caretaker, young Addie Slaughter braved Indian attacks, outlaws, smallpox, earthquakes and blizzards in Susan L. Krueger's historical chapter book, Addie Slaughter: The Girl Who Met Geronimo. In first-person narrative, Krueger expertly speaks for Addie Slaughter, daughter of John Horton Slaughter, a Texas Ranger, the Sheriff who tamed Cochise County and an early settler of the San Bernardino Valley in the late 1800s. The adventurous, sometimes heartbreaking, story tells of Addie's trek across the Wild West from Texas to Arizona to Oregon, eventually settling on the Slaughter Ranch near the Arizona-Mexico border. Along the way, her mother dies; she narrowly escapes a stagecoach robbery; her grandfather is rescued when their adobe ranch buildings collapse in an earthquake; her father's earlobe is shot off; and Addie meets the fierce warrior Geronimo.
"I wanted to show young readers that history is anything but boring," explains Krueger a teacher for 32 years before retiring in 2000. "When told with passion and realism, history is exciting, inspiring and captivating."
Krueger's book is based on actual stories told to Adeline Greene Parks by her mother, Addie Slaughter, and in-depth interviews with Arizona Culturekeeper Dr. Reba Wells Grandrud, the John H. Slaughter Ranch historian. Most of the book's photographs come from Slaughter family albums and the collection of Dr. Grandrud. Though retired, Krueger works now as much as she ever has. She joined the Phoenix Art Museum docent program and is currently their research chair. In addition to writing research papers, she gives slide show talks and is available for classroom visits to talk about writing, history, art and her book.
Link to Reviews on Amazon
Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound
