From School Library Journal
Grade 3-7. In alternating chapters, Taino youngsters Alba and Noche (Morning Girl and Starboy) describe their lives on their Caribbean Island in 1492. Alba is quiet and pensive, loves to dream, and loves her solitude. She is always up early to enjoy everything the day has to offer her. In contrast, her younger brother begins his day when the sun goes down. He uses his keen senses to experience nature. His special gift of being able to see and hear the world at night has earned him the name of Noche. The siblings' relationship has always been turbulent, but their parents encourage them to appreciate one another's individual talents. Their emergence into young adulthood is paralleled with the arrival of Christopher Columbus. This is a good translation of the original and a perfect introduction to historical fiction. Black-and-white pencil drawings include renderings of authentic Taino objects.?Diane Tureski, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, this story recreates the lives of Alba and Noche, two Taino children who live on a Caribbean island in pre-Columbian times. The author, Michael Dorris, a descendent of Modoc Native Americans, is an anthropologist who specializes in Native American studies.

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal