The Earth Is My Mother

by Elise MacLay, Bev Doolittle (Illustrator)

Sarah Stewart loves Magic Canyon, which is rich with Native American legacy and many precious memories for Sarah, whose mother has recently died. When the canyon is threatened by developers, Sarah goes into action. Armed with her mother's camera, a "guardian spirit," and a handful of clues revealed to her in a dream, Sarah sets off on an adventure that she is sure can save the canyon. She chases the clues in her dream while her father and local sheriffs chase Sarah from the canyons of the Southwest to Mesa Verde National Park. In Mesa Verde she retraces the steps of the ancient Anasazi Indians, survives a brief encounter with a mountain lion, and discovers the mysterious Blue Mesa of her dream.

At first it seems like Sarah's remarkable wilderness adventure--and the publicity she receives for it--might help save Magic Canyon. It is only after a court defeat, when a magazine art director stumbles on a breathtaking arrangement of Sarah's pictures, that Sarah is able to stir the nation's conscience about the fate of Magic Canyon. This beautifully illustrated novel is an inspiring story of how one child's dedication, as the surprise ending shows, can make a difference.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Art, Nature

175 pages, Hardcover

First published January 4, 2000

Reviews

[Catherine Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I will read over again and again! I love the way the dream world melds with reality, memories, and the unconscious mind. Then the chance photo shots all coming together is a beautiful ending to the adventure.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for pre teen girls. It shows a young girl as a hero, however improbabe the circumstance, and young girls need to see how strong they can be.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story about a girl making an impact.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book. Bev Doolittle’s illustrations, drawings of the southwest are so beautiful.

[InkandSam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great story idea, but it could have been shortened by at least half.