Remember Little Bighorn : Indians, soldiers, and scouts tell their stories / Paul Robert Walker ; with a foreword by John A. Doerner.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Remember Little Bighorn, maintains the momentum of this award-winning National Geographic series, which continues to set new standards in nonfiction history books for middle-grade students. Author Paul Robert Walker draws on scores of eyewitness accounts of the Battle of the Little Bighorn from Indians, soldiers, and scouts, measuring their testimony against the archaeological evidence to separate fact from fiction. From this wide kaleidoscope of testimony, the author focuses his narrative into an objective and balanced account of one of the most contentious chapters of American history. Covering the core curriculum topics of Westward Expansion and the Indian Wars, Walker's text is a vivid and timely historical narrative to mark the 130th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 2006. Readers first learn about events preceding the fighting, including the discovery of gold on Indian land in the Black Hills, the refusal by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other Indian leaders to obey a government order to live on the Great Sioux Reservation, and the subsequent battle in Rosebud Valley. The narrative evolves to the three major clashes known collectively as the Battle of the Little Bighorn: the attack by Major Reno on Sitting Bull's village, the "Custer Massacre" in which Crazy Horse and more than a thousand warriors wipe out George Armstrong Custer and his immediate command, and the final battle on Reno Hill, which culminates in the victorious Sioux and Cheyenne setting fire to the grass and moving up the river. The afterword explains how the greatest Indian victory only hastened their final defeat, as news of Custer's fate enflamed public opinion and led Congress to give control of all Sioux agencies to the Army. Readers learn how Sioux rations were cut off until native claims to the Black Hills and Montana hunting grounds were renounced. In the finest National Geographic tradition, the book illuminates this controversial period in American history with extensive use of primary sources. Some 50 archival images are included, several by Native Americans, plus a map showing troop and Indian movement. Remember Little Bighorn also features a comprehensive time line of Indian Wars, web sites, student-friendly resources, and a quick-reference index that make it an ideal source for writing reports.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-8-The story of this battle, commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, has slowly changed over the years. The image of a heroic general, with long hair streaming and pistols blazing, has been replaced by a picture of a commander who badly misjudged the Indians' strength and their determination to hold their sacred land. Drawing extensively from and making sound use of primary-source materials, this authoritative reconstruction of the battle recounts the course of events. Beginning with the white incursion into the Black Hills in the summer of 1874 and the discovery of gold, the narrative chronicles mounting tensions as the U.S. government increased demands that the land be surrendered. The text covers the course of the warfare beginning in March 1876, and continues to the Battle of the Rosebud, thus setting the stage for June 25, 1876. The Battle of Little Bighorn is laid out in detail, using maps to indicate troop movements and testimony of both Native Americans and army troops. The treatment is evenhanded, not faulting Custer as a madman (his decisions were not unreasonable, given his lack of experience), but also presenting a clear and sympathetic case for the Indians' defense of the Black Hills. Beautifully laid out with numerous period photographs of the people quoted in the text, as well as period drawings, paintings, and reproductions, this exemplary historical account creates a vivid picture of a time, place, and event. More detailed and immediate than R. Conrad Stein's The Battle of the Little Bighorn (Children's Press, 1997), this is a superb addition to most collections.-Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 9-12. In dense detail that draws on a wide variety of primary documents, including eyewitness accounts from all sides, this handsome volume gives an almost blow-by-blow account of the famous battle that came to be known as Custer's Last Stand. Walker concentrates on the battle itself, fought on the Great Plains in 1876, and the book includes diagrams of each side's tactics. Many readers will need more background on the battle and on why it was so decisive, but Walker's exhaustive research does bring together the conflicting viewpoints of the whites and the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho fighters, documenting everything in source notes. The handsome book design, with thick paper, clear type, maps, stirring photos, and archival images, will attract readers to the battle story and then start them thinking about lasting historical issues. Other books in the series include Ronald J. Drez's Remember D-Day (2004) and Thomas B. Allen's Remember Pearl Harbor (2001). --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2006 Booklist

Horn Book Review

This book recounts the controversial battle between the U.S. Cavalry and the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians at the Little Bighorn River in 1876. Details of significant events are drawn from first-person accounts of both soldiers and Native Americans who witnessed the bloody struggle. Paintings, drawings, maps, and archival photos enhance and enliven the well-written, well-documented, and balanced text. Timeline. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.