The Legend of Jimmy Spoon

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Summary: Jimmy made a mistake that would change his life forever.
Review: Jimmy Spoon is a ten year old boy living in Salt Lake City,Utah. He really wants a horse but his dad said he couldn't until he was 14. One day when Jimmy was playing in his backyard two Shashoni boys came up to him and played for a while. The next day they came back with a horse named Pinto Bean and they said,"If you come to our village, Jimmy, we will give you Pinto Bean." Jimmy thought, "Sure! Why not?" So he went with the boys to the village. Little did Jimmy know that the boys meant forever. After Jimmy found out he said,"Ok, I'll go with you for a while". Jimmy never would imagine all the adventures and fun that would come in the future.

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Summary: Okay, so it's not the best...
Review: My main problem with this book was that it didn't have a lot of page-turning material in it. Other than that, it was GREAT! It really showed how the Indians lived, and their views on different things. I found it a little annoying that he didn't miss his family as much as I thought he would. But still, I recommend this book to anyone interested in Indian culture but don't want to read through textbooks.

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Summary: Mormon boy gives a good insight into the lives Shoshoni
Review: This story is based on the life of Elijah Nicholas ("Nick") Wilson, for whom Wilson, Wyoming, is named. Unlike the review from HORN BOOK, I didn't think this book needed a map; a "regular" modern map of Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Montana works well.

The plot does meander--but so did Wilson's life! If you are looking for a book about a child unsure of his place in the world, this is certainly a good one. Jimmy doesn't know if he wants to live with the white men or the Indians. (Read or see LITTLE BIG MAN for a humorous take on exactly the same theme but a different Indian Nation.)

The story is not sugar-coated. Bad things do happen (scaplpings, buffalo killing, etc.) and the author tells the tale realisticly. I have travelled greatly in this area and found that it brought back very fond memories--and a strong desire to summer in Wyoming and Idaho again!

Also good reading are JIMMY SPOON AND THE PONY EXPRESS and JENNY, A GIRL OF THE TETONS by the same author. The former is based on Wilson's further adventures and the latter is based on the life of the namesake of Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.