THE LEGEND OF JIMMY SPOON

by Kristiana Gregory ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1990

Gregory's story of a white boy's life with the Shoshoni in the 1850's is a worthy successor to her promising first novel (Jenny of the Tetons, 1989). Jimmy, 12, who yearns for adventure, is angry at his father's refusal to give him a horse and chafing at having to work in the family store. Meeting two Shoshoni boys who seem to offer him a horse if he will visit their chief's mother, he impulsively leaves his home in Brigham Young's new community for a visit that turns out to last three years--during which time he begins to understand the Indians' way of life and fulfills his longing for adventure with numerous deeds, both foolish and heroic. Horrified by the scalp dance but ashamed of his own people and deeply grieved by his new family's tragic losses, Jimmy reluctantly decides to return home in order to prevent a war to secure his release. Among the Shoshones, the memoirs of Elijah Nicholas Wilson, provided the inspiration for this carefully researched, sympathetic, well-balanced picture of life on the frontier; authentic details of daily life are deftly woven into a moving story that promises a sequel. Glossary of Shoshoni words; bibliography.

Pub Date: May 1, 1990

ISBN: 0152167765

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1990

Categories: CHILDREN'S