This fictional story is about martha tom, a young choctaw girl, and lil mo an enslaved african boy whose family lives in a plantation across the bok chitto river. In crossing bok chitto by tim tingle, the author combines the stories of two cultures into a. The book was the creation of tim tingle, a wellknown storyteller and member of the choctaw nation. In the days before the war between the states, in the days before the trail of tears, bok chitto. Crossing bok chitto as a lasting connections of 2006 book, one of the years best books to tie. Crossing bok chitto josh stanishs childrens literature. In 1993, he retraced the trail of tears to choctaw homelands in mississippi and began recording stories of tribal elders.
Dramatic, quiet, and warming, this is a story of friendship across cultures in 1800s mississippi. He evokes a 19thcentury southern landscape, presenting it through. An enslaved black boy escapes the plantation with the help of a choctaw girl. Martha tom, a young choctaw girl, knows better than to cross bok chitto, but one dayandmdash. Among many great features, teacher resources include outside links to diverse media and provide information about text complexity. Jeanne, because of illness in the family, could not attend. This fictional story is about martha tom, a young choctaw girl, and lil mo an enslaved african boy whose family lives. Our textbook says, tim tingles crossing bok chitto. This book won the oklahoma book award for best illustrations as well as best childrens book for 2007. I am not well versed enough in the intricacies of native culture to offer an opinion on all of the various aspects of this book. This historybased tale is the inspiration for stone river crossing. This moving and original story about the intersection of native and african americans received starred. To help put the right book in each readers hands, consider the following comprehensive text complexity analyses within your instructional plans. Watch a performance by tim tingle at the many voices, many nations program from the american library association ala.
Tim tingle books list of books by author tim tingle. Crossing bok chitto is tim s second childrens book. Crossing bok chitto is a tribute to the indians of every nation who aided the runaway people of bondage. The story is a beautifully illustrated version of a story found in his previous work, walking the choctaw road. In the story, the bok chitto river cuts through mississippi. Crossing bok chitto is her first fully illustrated book. In a picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between. The video has many performers but you can find tim tingles performance at 3 minutes and 23 seconds into the video. Martha tom is a choctaw girl who becomes friends with little mo, a slave boy who lives on the other side of the bok. There is a river called bok chitto that cuts through mississippi. Tingle is a member of the choctaw nation and has based the picture book on which this novel is based, crossing bok chitto, on the stories handed.
His greatgreat grandfather, john carnes, walked the trail of tears in 1835, and his paternal grandmother attended a series of rigorous indian boarding schools in the early 1900s. Tim tingle author tim tingle is an oklahoma choctaw and an awardwinning author and storyteller of twenty books. A choctaw tale of friendship and freedom by tim tingle and jeanne rorex bridges 16 total resources 5 awards view text complexity discover like books. The story takes place in mississippi where a river called bok chitto was a boundary between the indian nation of the choctaws, and the plantation owners and their slaves. A choctaw tale of friendship and freedom 2006, written as a tribute to the native peoples of every nation who aided runaway people of bondage, highlights the coming together of african americans and native. Sep, 20 crossing bok chitto by tim tingle, jeanne rorex bridges illustrator told by the choctaw storyteller, tim tingle, this story follows a girl who crosses the river bok chitto to get some blackberries and discovers a friendship with a black slave family that leads to their freedom. On the other side of the river lay a nation of indian people, the choctaws. It is, as the title says, a tale of friendship and freedom, but it is more. Kids wings activities for crossing bok chitto by tim tingle.
Teacher resources are online instructional tools created by teachers for teachers to help integrate trade books seamlessly into the classroom. A choctaw tale of friendship and freedom tim tingle, author, jeanne rorex bridges, illustrator, illus. Crossing bok chitto a choctaw tale of friendship and freedom by tim tingle. In an expansion of his awardwinning picture book crossing bok chitto, acclaimed choctaw storyteller tim tingle offers a story that reminds readers that the strongest bridge between cultures is friendship. Tim tingle, author, jeanne rorex bridges, illustrator, illus. Karen clarkson, a choctaw tribal member, is a selftaught artist who specializes in portraits of. Fifty favorites for the telling by tim tingle 20040515 jan 1, 1819. Crossing bok chitto is an indian book and documented the indian way, told and told again and then passed on by uncles and grandmothers. Crossing bok chitto receives 2008 american indian youth. Tims books celebrate the history, storytelling and imagination that has allowed the choctaw nation to survive. In this lesson students will listen to crossing bok chitto, by tim tingle and write their stories about times they or their families have fought injustice. It is a lesson in history, in the ethics and values of a people with a valuable set of traditions. This years annual american library association convention in anaheim june 26 to july 2 was very special for cinco puntos pressthe american indian library association aila awarded crossing bok chitto, written by tim tingle and illustrated by jeanne rorex bridges, the 2008 american indian literature award for a picture book.
A choctaw tale of friendship and freedom 2006, written as a tribute to the native peoples of every nation who aided runaway people of bondage, highlights the coming together of african americans and native americans chocktaw through the bravery of two young children fighting to free. But as lil mos family adjusts to their new life, danger waits just around the corner. Tim tingle is a member of the choctaw nation of oklahoma an awardwinning author and storyteller of. A picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between native americans in the south and african. Tingle has appeared at major storytelling and folklore festivals throughout america, as well as in germany, mexico, canada and ireland. Jeanne rorex bridges illustrations mesmerized readerspublishers weekly noted that her strong, solid. Choctaw storyteller tim tingle blends songs, flute, and drum to bring the lore of. It is difficult to find books on native american topics that are sufficiently sensitive and historically accurate.
Stone river crossing kindle edition by tingle, tim. When it was first published, crossing bok chitto took readers by surprise. Watch a video and see pictures from ala convention 2008 when crossing bok chitto won the american indian youth literature award aila. Tim tingle is a member of the choctaw nation of oklahoma an awardwinning author and storyteller of twenty books. Tim tingle cinco puntos press independent book publisher. A choctaw tale of friendship and freedom, by jim tingle, is a story of friendship, bravery, and liberation. In crossing bok chitto by tim tingle, the author combines the stories of two cultures into a unique tale. Stone river crossing by tim tingle, hardcover barnes.
This story is about choctaw indians who live on one side of the river, and slaves and plantation owners who live on the other side. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Tims previous and often reprinted books from cinco puntos press walking the choctaw road and crossing bok chitto received numerous awards, but what makes tim the proudest is the recognition he receives from the american indian communities. He is a keynote speaker for many native american events and continues to write about his tribal heritage. While i was still reading it, a strange thing happened. From talks with archie mingo emerged crossing bok chitto, tingles first illustrated childrens book. Tim tingle is an oklahoma choctaw and an awardwinning author and storyteller of twenty books. Martha tom, a young choctaw, breaks her villages rules against crossing the bok chitto. Seven slaves cross the big river to freedom, led by a choctaw angel walking on water. As he did in his picture book crossing bok chitto illustrated by jeanne rorex bridges, 2006, tingle choctaw captures a rarely explored bond that formed during colonization between enslaved africans and native americans, an alliance of survival under white colonial tyranny. Martha tom is a choctaw girl who becomes friends with little mo, a slave boy who lives on the other side of the bok chitto river in the 1800s. Tim is the recipient of an nsn oracle storytelling circle of excellence award.
If the slaves can cross the river onto the choctaw side then they will be free. A choctaw tale of friendship and freedom by tim tingle and jeanne rorex bridges. Crossing bok chitto by tim tingle, jeanne rorex bridges. Crossing bok chitto when it was first published, crossing bok chitto took readers by surprise. Thus begins crossing bok chitto, told by awardwinning choctaw storyteller tim tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of jeanne rorex bridges. Apr 01, 2006 thus begins crossing bok chitto, told by awardwinning choctaw storyteller tim tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of jeanne rorex bridges. Fiction martha tom is a choctaw girl who becomes friends with little mo, a slave boy who lives on the other side of the bok chitto river in the 1800s. While searching for blackberries, martha tom, a young choctaw, breaks her villages rules against crossing the bok chitto. When the boys family faces separation, martha tom and the choctaw women help them to escape to freedom. Martha tom, a young choctaw girl, knows better than to cross bok chitto, but one dayin search of blackberriesshe disobeys her mother and finds herself on the other side. Tim was featured author and speaker at the national book festival in washington. Crossing bok chitto, a choctaw tale of friendship and freedom is a book written before the war between the states.
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