Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing

A 2005 Sibert Honor Book

The story of Sequoyah is the tale of an ordinary man with an extraordinary idea--to create a writing system for the Cherokee Indians and turn his people into a nation of readers and writers. The task he set for himself was daunting. Sequoyah knew no English and had no idea how to capture speech on paper. But slowly and painstakingly, ignoring the hoots and jibes of his neighbors and friends, he worked out a system that surprised the Cherokee Nation--and the world of the 1820s--with its beauty and simplicity. James Rumford's Sequoyah is a poem to celebrate literacy, a song of a people's struggle to stand tall and proud.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Published: 11/01/2004
Pages: 32
Weight: 0.8lbs
Size: 11.60h x 7.80w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780618369478
Age: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.7
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 79891 / Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing


Award: Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award - Honor Book
Award: Jane Addams Children's Book Award - Honor Book
Award: Black-Eyed Susan Award - Nominee
Award: Beehive Awards - Nominee
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Multicultural Review 06/01/2005 pg. 97
Booklist 10/15/2004 pg. 402
School Library Journal 10/01/2004 pg. 150
Kirkus Review - Children 10/15/2004 pg. 1013
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2004 pg. 730
Publishers Weekly 11/08/2004 pg. 55
Kirkus Review - Children 12/01/2004 pg. 1146
SLJ's Best Books 12/01/2004 pg. 46
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2005 pg. 225
ALA Notable Children's Books 02/15/2005 pg. 1020
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2005 pg. 175 - Outstanding, Noteworthy In Style
School Library Journal 03/01/2005 pg. 68
School Library Journal 04/01/2005 pg. 25

About the Author
Rumford, James: - Master storyteller James Rumford combines his love for art and history in his picture books. Each of his books is vastly different in its content, design, and illustrations but one aspect remains constant throughout his work: his passion about his subjects. Rumford, a resident of Hawaii, has studied more than a dozen languages and worked in the Peace Corps, where he traveled to Africa, Asia, and Afghanistan. He draws from these experiences and the history of his subject when he is working on a book. His book Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing was a 2005 Sibert Honor winner.Rumford, James: - Master storyteller James Rumford combines his love for art and history in his picture books. Each of his books is vastly different in its content, design, and illustrations but one aspect remains constant throughout his work: his passion about his subjects. Rumford, a resident of Hawaii, has studied more than a dozen languages and worked in the Peace Corps, where he traveled to Africa, Asia, and Afghanistan. He draws from these experiences and the history of his subject when he is working on a book. His book Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing was a 2005 Sibert Honor winner.