Title: Lana’s Lakota Moons
Author: Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Genre: Young adult fiction
Age level: 11+
Themes: Relationships among family, phases of the moon, religion
Synopsis: This charming and poignant contemporary story about two Lakota girls and their Laotian friend illuminates for children and adults the Lakota meaning of family, friendship, life, and death. In the Lakota way, Lana and her cousin Lori are like sisters, growing up together under the caring eyes of an extended family of parents and grandparents. Also like sisters, they have their share of squabbles and fights, but when they meet a new girl at school who has recently arrived from Laos, they are drawn closer by their shared friendship, their discoveries about cultural differences, and their experience with loss and death. An image of footprints in the snow, one under the other so that it looks as if only one person is walking, becomes the central compelling image in the story. "We can't keep snow from melting," says Grandpa, "But the footprints will always be there, even if we can't see them."
Synopsis: This charming and poignant contemporary story about two Lakota girls and their Laotian friend illuminates for children and adults the Lakota meaning of family, friendship, life, and death. In the Lakota way, Lana and her cousin Lori are like sisters, growing up together under the caring eyes of an extended family of parents and grandparents. Also like sisters, they have their share of squabbles and fights, but when they meet a new girl at school who has recently arrived from Laos, they are drawn closer by their shared friendship, their discoveries about cultural differences, and their experience with loss and death. An image of footprints in the snow, one under the other so that it looks as if only one person is walking, becomes the central compelling image in the story. "We can't keep snow from melting," says Grandpa, "But the footprints will always be there, even if we can't see them."
About the author: Jane Austen's delightful, carefully wrought novels of manners remain surprisingly relevant, nearly 200 years after they were first published. Her novels -- Pride and Prejudice and Emma among them -- are those rare books that offer us a glimpse at the mores of a specific period while addressing the complexities of love, honor, and responsibility that still intrigue us today.
Pre-reading activities: Since this story mainly talks about the Laotian culture and how family and religion are important to the family, the students can think of what is important to them. Since this book is geared toward upper elementary students, they should be able to think of more non-material items, such as family, friends, their education, etc, and why those things are important to them.
Post-reading activities: Discuss the different phases of the moon, since the Laotian girls learned of the moons of the Lakota calendar. The grandfather says that they "can't keep the snow from melting, but the footprints will always be there, even if we can't see them" in regards to the girls' footprints in the snow. Write the quote on the board and the students will write a reaction to it and what they think it means.
Reflection: Even though the book talked mainly about the Laotian culture, I thought at first that the book dealt with a Native American Tribe since the characters were given special names when they were born and at certain times in their lives. However, as I read on and found that the family members were involved in the church and each had a part, I found that I could relate that religion was important to them, as religion and a faith in God is important for my family as well. Also, the family members were very close, even though they had a few squabbles here and there; I found myself relating to this as well since my family is very close.
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