"My Journey" books
These are choose-your-own adventure books written from a first person perspective. Just for ease, I'm going to always pick the first option when I come them, but I'll try to mention the other possible endings. Since the reader is meant to insert herself into the story, the main character (a modern-day pre-teen) isn't named. It would sound to weird to me to summarize the story as, "and then (Historical Characters) and I saw a..." so I'm going to use the author's first name as the main character's name, in this case, Emma.
Plot
Emma is in charge of a volunteer project, growing food in a garden for a food bank. She was appointed the leader by the adult coordinator, because Emma has a garden at home. But Emma is shy and not assertive, so it's a difficult position for her. She feels like she can't effectively get the other kids to listen to her. While digging in dirt, Emma finds a beautiful and very old bracelet with a shell on it. At home that evening, she puts it on and suddenly finds herself transported back in time, and clothed in Native American dress, lying in the mud near a waterfall. A Native American girl introduces herself as Kaya, and Emma is able to understand and speak the language Kaya speaks. Emma is understandably confused, and asks to be alone for a minute or two. Kaya acquiesces and leaves to get some water for Emma to drink. As she tries to get her bearings, Emma slips off the bracelet, and is suddenly back in her room. It only takes a moment for her to realize that the bracelet is the key to her time travel. She puts it back on, and is sent back to Kaya's time just as Kaya returns.
The first choice: clean up, or explore Kaya's camp.
As Emma rinses off, Kaya notices that Emma's bracelet looks just like her own hair ties. Kaya says the bracelet might good for trading at the upcoming festival. They head for camp, where Emma is confused by many things that Kaya considers common knowledge. Kaya takes this to mean that Emma hit her head hard when she fell, and takes Emma to her tepee. There, Kaya's grandmother has Emma lay down and rest, while Kaya tells Emma more about her life and family. Bear Blanket, a healer, gives Emma some herbs to hold against her scrapes, and tells Kaya's parents and grandparents about a dream she had: that a young visitor came to them only for a short time, one who needed help but didn't know it. The next morning, Emma's cuts feel much better, and she joins Kaya in helping with the daily tasks and meeting more Kaya's family. Emma's an only child, and Kaya's large family is at once both intimidating and comforting. Kaya's father announces there are some new horses to train.
Next choice: stay in the camp with Speaking Rain or go with Kaya's father to train the horses.
Speaking Rain shows Emma her weaving, and how to make some patterns. In turn, Emma makes a beaded necklace using techniques from the twenty-first century, which are new to her eighteenth-century friends. Emma helps Kaya with other tasks throughout the day as well. A while later, Kaya's older sister Brown Deer sets up supplies to paint a bison hide while some other people get ready for a game of shinny.
Next choice: paint the hide or play the game.
As Emma is enjoying painting and learning about the symbolism, she hears a baby cry out in distress. A woman appears with an infant, who is ill with fever. Bear Blanket sends Kaya and Emma to fetch some juniper. They run off immediately, but Kaya stops in her tracks. There's a bear. Every bit of Emma's instinct is telling her to run, but Kaya whispers they must stay still.
Next choice: run or stay.
Of course, the bear chases Emma when she runs. Kaya is able to scare it off, but is now more worried about Emma; reasoning that she must have hit her head very hard to forget so much. They quickly grab the juniper and go back to camp. Emma feels terrible that she put Kaya in so much danger, especially when they were getting medicine for a little baby. But no one is upset with Emma, just worried about her, and the medicine is made in time. The baby's fever breaks, and Emma and Kaya head to the festival, relieved. The festival feels like Thanksgiving to Emma: everyone coming together to share a meal they all helped prepare. After eating, a lot of people start trading. There's also talk of a horse race.
Next choice: stay to watch the trading or go see the horse race.
Kaya happily suggests she and Emma be trading partners. She takes off her quill necklace, having noticed earlier that Emma doesn't have a necklace. Emma hesitates: the only thing she has of similar value is her bracelet.
Next choice: trade the bracelet or keep it
Emma nervously offers Kaya her bracelet, worried that she might not be able to use it to get back home later. She gets even more anxious when a girl with a puppy offers to trade the dog for the bracelet, but Kaya declines, saying the bracelet is too special. Emma is relieved that the bracelet is staying with her new friend, but the stress is still too much for her. Kaya quickly notices that Emma looks ill, and takes her back to camp. Back at camp, Kaya's grandmother is just as astute, and privately asks Emma if she and Kaya had an argument. Emma discloses that she regrets the trade but is worried that Kaya will be furious if she asks to trade the necklace back for the bracelet. Kaya's grandmother reassures Emma that their friendship is strong, and indeed when Emma explains that the bracelet is a connection to her family, Kaya readily agrees to trade back. Emma talks a bit more with Kaya and her grandmother. She gives Kaya's grandmother a pretty pink stone she found, thanking the woman for her guidance and wisdom. She and Kaya both sense that Emma is ready to leave them, and Kaya takes Emma back to where they met by the river. Emma tells Kaya she'll never forget her, steps out of view, and travels back to her own time. Now confident in the help she can get from people with more experience, she goes to the adult coordinator to ask for advice about being a leader.
Emma is in charge of a volunteer project, growing food in a garden for a food bank. She was appointed the leader by the adult coordinator, because Emma has a garden at home. But Emma is shy and not assertive, so it's a difficult position for her. She feels like she can't effectively get the other kids to listen to her. While digging in dirt, Emma finds a beautiful and very old bracelet with a shell on it. At home that evening, she puts it on and suddenly finds herself transported back in time, and clothed in Native American dress, lying in the mud near a waterfall. A Native American girl introduces herself as Kaya, and Emma is able to understand and speak the language Kaya speaks. Emma is understandably confused, and asks to be alone for a minute or two. Kaya acquiesces and leaves to get some water for Emma to drink. As she tries to get her bearings, Emma slips off the bracelet, and is suddenly back in her room. It only takes a moment for her to realize that the bracelet is the key to her time travel. She puts it back on, and is sent back to Kaya's time just as Kaya returns.
The first choice: clean up, or explore Kaya's camp.
As Emma rinses off, Kaya notices that Emma's bracelet looks just like her own hair ties. Kaya says the bracelet might good for trading at the upcoming festival. They head for camp, where Emma is confused by many things that Kaya considers common knowledge. Kaya takes this to mean that Emma hit her head hard when she fell, and takes Emma to her tepee. There, Kaya's grandmother has Emma lay down and rest, while Kaya tells Emma more about her life and family. Bear Blanket, a healer, gives Emma some herbs to hold against her scrapes, and tells Kaya's parents and grandparents about a dream she had: that a young visitor came to them only for a short time, one who needed help but didn't know it. The next morning, Emma's cuts feel much better, and she joins Kaya in helping with the daily tasks and meeting more Kaya's family. Emma's an only child, and Kaya's large family is at once both intimidating and comforting. Kaya's father announces there are some new horses to train.
Next choice: stay in the camp with Speaking Rain or go with Kaya's father to train the horses.
Speaking Rain shows Emma her weaving, and how to make some patterns. In turn, Emma makes a beaded necklace using techniques from the twenty-first century, which are new to her eighteenth-century friends. Emma helps Kaya with other tasks throughout the day as well. A while later, Kaya's older sister Brown Deer sets up supplies to paint a bison hide while some other people get ready for a game of shinny.
Next choice: paint the hide or play the game.
As Emma is enjoying painting and learning about the symbolism, she hears a baby cry out in distress. A woman appears with an infant, who is ill with fever. Bear Blanket sends Kaya and Emma to fetch some juniper. They run off immediately, but Kaya stops in her tracks. There's a bear. Every bit of Emma's instinct is telling her to run, but Kaya whispers they must stay still.
Next choice: run or stay.
Of course, the bear chases Emma when she runs. Kaya is able to scare it off, but is now more worried about Emma; reasoning that she must have hit her head very hard to forget so much. They quickly grab the juniper and go back to camp. Emma feels terrible that she put Kaya in so much danger, especially when they were getting medicine for a little baby. But no one is upset with Emma, just worried about her, and the medicine is made in time. The baby's fever breaks, and Emma and Kaya head to the festival, relieved. The festival feels like Thanksgiving to Emma: everyone coming together to share a meal they all helped prepare. After eating, a lot of people start trading. There's also talk of a horse race.
Next choice: stay to watch the trading or go see the horse race.
Kaya happily suggests she and Emma be trading partners. She takes off her quill necklace, having noticed earlier that Emma doesn't have a necklace. Emma hesitates: the only thing she has of similar value is her bracelet.
Next choice: trade the bracelet or keep it
Emma nervously offers Kaya her bracelet, worried that she might not be able to use it to get back home later. She gets even more anxious when a girl with a puppy offers to trade the dog for the bracelet, but Kaya declines, saying the bracelet is too special. Emma is relieved that the bracelet is staying with her new friend, but the stress is still too much for her. Kaya quickly notices that Emma looks ill, and takes her back to camp. Back at camp, Kaya's grandmother is just as astute, and privately asks Emma if she and Kaya had an argument. Emma discloses that she regrets the trade but is worried that Kaya will be furious if she asks to trade the necklace back for the bracelet. Kaya's grandmother reassures Emma that their friendship is strong, and indeed when Emma explains that the bracelet is a connection to her family, Kaya readily agrees to trade back. Emma talks a bit more with Kaya and her grandmother. She gives Kaya's grandmother a pretty pink stone she found, thanking the woman for her guidance and wisdom. She and Kaya both sense that Emma is ready to leave them, and Kaya takes Emma back to where they met by the river. Emma tells Kaya she'll never forget her, steps out of view, and travels back to her own time. Now confident in the help she can get from people with more experience, she goes to the adult coordinator to ask for advice about being a leader.
About Kaya's Time
The spring salmon festival was one of the largest trading gatherings on the continent in Kaya's time. People came from as far away as what is now Alaska and Missouri, ready to enjoy the abundant food and company of many people.
Misc
In memory of Kathy Carlon, "born in 1922, a judo brown belt who could perform a jackknife dive, kill a rattlesnake with a shovel, sew sequined dance costumes, and tame squirrels and crows."
This is mostly just time travel, with a little bit of space travel: the main character lives in Oregon in the present day, only a few miles from the Columbia River.
Seriously, Oregon? You have a Wallowa County? Just miles away from Walla Walla, Washington? Oregon steals place names from other states all the time. Portland, Salem, Springfield, Rainier--as in Mt. Rainier, which is in a different state! Tons of others, too.
"Emma" is an only child, but still needs to lock her bedroom door for privacy. I guess her parents don't knock before going in her room. My parents always did, and I do for my kids. Especially when the kids are older and getting more private about themselves; what if they're changing?
Emma lives in Oregon on the Columbia River and has never tried salmon. Between that and never having privacy, her parents seem really weird to me.
A few of the options lead to Kaya meeting the horse from her other books, Steps High.
Some of the endings are online-only. So, these aren't good books to take anywhere without an internet connection.
Some other possible endings: if Emma goes to see the horses, she gets advice from Kaya's father and with her new-found confidence decides she'll accompany her best friend to an overnight camp; participating in some horse races shows Emma her own strength which she draws on to talk to the girls she's leading; the same race can also give Emma the confidence to try new things at home with her adventurous best friend; getting lost with a horse during a raid teaches Emma that she's more capable than she gave herself credit for, capable enough to lead the other volunteers; it can also show her that while there might be some unpredictable or even scary things beyond her own backyard, there are also lots of wonderful things the world has to offer and she doesn't need to limit herself to only "safe" options; the horses can also show Emma the beauty of nature; or the horses can give Emma a deeper connection to nature; or Kaya's life can give Emma a deeper appreciation for her family.
This is mostly just time travel, with a little bit of space travel: the main character lives in Oregon in the present day, only a few miles from the Columbia River.
Seriously, Oregon? You have a Wallowa County? Just miles away from Walla Walla, Washington? Oregon steals place names from other states all the time. Portland, Salem, Springfield, Rainier--as in Mt. Rainier, which is in a different state! Tons of others, too.
"Emma" is an only child, but still needs to lock her bedroom door for privacy. I guess her parents don't knock before going in her room. My parents always did, and I do for my kids. Especially when the kids are older and getting more private about themselves; what if they're changing?
Emma lives in Oregon on the Columbia River and has never tried salmon. Between that and never having privacy, her parents seem really weird to me.
A few of the options lead to Kaya meeting the horse from her other books, Steps High.
Some of the endings are online-only. So, these aren't good books to take anywhere without an internet connection.
Some other possible endings: if Emma goes to see the horses, she gets advice from Kaya's father and with her new-found confidence decides she'll accompany her best friend to an overnight camp; participating in some horse races shows Emma her own strength which she draws on to talk to the girls she's leading; the same race can also give Emma the confidence to try new things at home with her adventurous best friend; getting lost with a horse during a raid teaches Emma that she's more capable than she gave herself credit for, capable enough to lead the other volunteers; it can also show her that while there might be some unpredictable or even scary things beyond her own backyard, there are also lots of wonderful things the world has to offer and she doesn't need to limit herself to only "safe" options; the horses can also show Emma the beauty of nature; or the horses can give Emma a deeper connection to nature; or Kaya's life can give Emma a deeper appreciation for her family.
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