NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON
by Gloria Whelan & illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith
In 1840, Libby and her parents live in Michigan, near a Potawatomi settlement. A young Indian girl (Libby's father calls her ``Fawn'' because she resembles a deer) befriends Libby, who sneaks away to visit Fawn's village while her own mother is giving birth. When the Indians are seized by white militia intent on moving them west, Libby is captured with them. Fawn's father leads his family and Libby in an escape that's notably without drama, returning Libby to her parents; Fawn's family heads north. Whelan's narrative is simple and readable, including a few basic insights into Indian and pioneer life (e.g., the Native Americans occasionally eat dogs). But her plot is languid, while the girls aren't drawn vividly enough to give their friendship much intensity. Gentle b&w illustrations. (Fiction. 7-9)