THE SPIRIT LINE

Crystal Manyfeathers has decided to carry on her family’s rug-weaving tradition in order to earn money for college and as a way to leave the reservation for good. She risks angering “Spider Woman” as she decides not to put in the traditional spirit line in her first large rug. When the almost-finished rug is cut from the loom and stolen, Crystal’s friend Junior helps her to neutralize Spider Woman’s anger and to uncover the thief. Information about Junior’s apprenticeship to become a medicine man (hataalii) and the plans for Crystal’s Kinaaldá (womanhood) ceremony seep into the storyline, giving readers an awareness of the influence of honored traditions on the lives of contemporary youngsters. Notable because it’s one of the few novels that include Native American characters in a contemporary setting, this well-developed mystery should have wide appeal. (Fiction. 11-14)