Morning Girl by Michael Dorris

Morning Girl. by Michael Dorris. Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, 1999. 74 pages.

Plot: The main characters are Morning Girl, who loves to get up early and set out into the day and her brother, Star Boy, who prefers to sleep late and loves the night.  They live with their mother and father on an island in pre-Columbian America.  The story alternates back and forth between the brother and sister who at times struggle with the misunderstandings that arise from sibling rivalry. Morning Girl loves to take walks on the beach and collect treasures. She loves to contemplate life and and herself.  She wonders what she looks like and her father helps her by telling her to “Look into my eyes, what do you see?”  Morning Girl answers, “Who are these pretty girls who live inside your head?” Father replies, “They are the answer to your question.” The family lives simply in a somewhat idyllic setting that is temporarily shattered by a violent hurricane. Star boy is stranded and must face the storm alone. The family deals with the grief of Mother’s miscarriage.  Morning Girl grows to understand and love her brother.  She goes for a swim one morning, but who are these strange looking people who arrive and does she understand how her life will never be the same?

Review/Personal thoughts:  This is an excellent novel for younger tweens. The characters are well-developed and the story flows easily. Universal themes of family, survival, grief, healing and coming of age transcend the dramatic cultural differences between Morning Girl’s culture and today’s modern world. The epilogue dated October 11,1492 is especially compelling and will surprise readers.  This is an award winning book and and should prove enjoyable for young tweens. 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Level: 6.3  Interest level: Ages 8 to 13.

Awards: Scott O'Dell award for historical fiction