The Silent Stranger: A Kaya Mystery (American Girl Beforever Mysteries) - Softcover

Shaw, Janet

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1609589157 ISBN 13: 9781609589158

Publisher: American Girl, 2015

Synopsis

Kaya's village is preparing for winter when an injured stranger arrives. She doesn't speak, and no one seems able to reach her but Kaya's beloved dog, Tatlo. Kaya searches for clues, but she must also look deep inside her own heart to truly understand. Who is this stranger, and why is she so silent and alone? Includes a glossary of Nez Perce words and an "Inside Kaya's World" essay about Nez Perce culture.

About this title

About the Author:

Each night when Janet Shaw was a girl, she took out a flashlight and book hidden under her pillow and read until she fell asleep. She and her brother liked to act out stories, especially ones about sword fights and wild horses. Today, Ms. Shaw has three grown children. When they were small, she often pulled them in a big red wagon to the library, where they filled the wagon with so many books, they had to walk back home. Ms. Shaw now lives in North Carolina with her husband and their dog.

From Booklist:

Gr. 4-6. In this entry in the Kaya Mystery series, the tribe is preparing for the winter Nez Perce Spirit Dances when an injured stranger arrives. The young woman's hands are badly burned, she sleepwalks, and she seems unable to speak. Despite misgivings, the tribe takes the woman in, and Kaya tries to befriend Hawk Woman, as she calls the stranger, even though the woman takes Kaya's dog, Tatlo, for her own. It's only after Kaya rescues Hawk Woman from a snowstorm that she finally learns the stranger's story. Shaw's narrative emphasizes tribal values (caring for the less fortunate, honoring the deceased) and the everyday life of the Nez Perce prior to European contact. There's not much drama beyond uncovering Hawk Woman's story, and the ending seems somewhat contrived, but readers who have enjoyed Kaya's previous mysteries will want to read this all the same. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: American Girl
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1609589157
• ISBN 13: 9781609589158
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144