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Rattlesnake Cave
An eleven-year-old boy learns about Indian history and lore when he makes friends with local Indian tribal members, while spending a four months at his aunt's ranch in Montana.
185 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1974
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Sibley Lampman
41 books20 followers(1907-1980) Mrs. Lampman grew up in Dallas, Oregon, granddaughter of pioneers in that region. She graduated from Oregon State and worked for many years in radio. Her first book was published in 1948, and she was most recognized for sensitive books about racial minorities, especially Native Americans.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 13, 2023
Throughout my reading lifetime when I come across a book written by Evelyn Sibley Lampman, I have read it, a solid given.
One of her most beloved was “Treasure Mountain”, or let me qualify that, it was given sainthood if you grew up in Tillamook County, Oregon. I did grow up there and both the school library and the county library had multiple tattered, cherished copies.
Maybe in 6th or 7th grade I stopped just rereading “Treasure Mountain” and began my happenstance method of enjoying her books as they came to me.
Why not order them all through the library system or buy them all? I am not sure, but I think Ms. Lampman’s writing with a sense of PNW place, revealing issues of injustice, First People’s abysmal treatment, women’s rights, etc. made her a magical, unpredictable source of “gifts”. It was mysterious and surprising to come upon one of her life’s work in surprising places.
“Rattlesnake Cave” was in a lot of books going to be pulped in Hubbard Oregon. It was a discard from a Middle School in Stayton Oregon. Triangulating in my mind that puts it about 40 minutes from each of those Oregon towns to where Lampman grew up in Dallas Oregon.
All my whimsical E. S. Lampman fandom babble aside…
Rattlesnake Cave was dated, and did not use current more respectful word choices, but it provided a very sensitive and insightful look at mid 20th century life, dealing with rejection, respect, ageism and the sad history of colonialism in America.
It did not disappointment me as a lifetime follower of a compelling children’s author with her diverse point of view.
One of her most beloved was “Treasure Mountain”, or let me qualify that, it was given sainthood if you grew up in Tillamook County, Oregon. I did grow up there and both the school library and the county library had multiple tattered, cherished copies.
Maybe in 6th or 7th grade I stopped just rereading “Treasure Mountain” and began my happenstance method of enjoying her books as they came to me.
Why not order them all through the library system or buy them all? I am not sure, but I think Ms. Lampman’s writing with a sense of PNW place, revealing issues of injustice, First People’s abysmal treatment, women’s rights, etc. made her a magical, unpredictable source of “gifts”. It was mysterious and surprising to come upon one of her life’s work in surprising places.
“Rattlesnake Cave” was in a lot of books going to be pulped in Hubbard Oregon. It was a discard from a Middle School in Stayton Oregon. Triangulating in my mind that puts it about 40 minutes from each of those Oregon towns to where Lampman grew up in Dallas Oregon.
All my whimsical E. S. Lampman fandom babble aside…
Rattlesnake Cave was dated, and did not use current more respectful word choices, but it provided a very sensitive and insightful look at mid 20th century life, dealing with rejection, respect, ageism and the sad history of colonialism in America.
It did not disappointment me as a lifetime follower of a compelling children’s author with her diverse point of view.
May 8, 2021
Evelyn Sibley Lampman, a fellow Oregonian, is one of my favorite youth authors. This was on my quest list for her this year. The books are getting harder and harder to find, but I am happy to have this one to pass on to a young reader and that I enjoyed the story as much as I have her other works.
Jamie is the gutsy, yet bookwormish 11-year old who carries the action in this tale. Ailing, and sent for health reasons to his aunt's ranch in Montana, he has the adventure of his short life. He no longer just had books to read about his beloved Indians, reptiles and horse - he got to experience the real deals! I loved how Jamie made friends when he thought he never would, and he felt he'd really gained the respect he so desired from his father, who let him finally grow out of his baby name "Jamie" and started calling him "Jim". There was a thread of this kind of landmarking in growth that was modeled in the Cherokee and Sioux nations that were featured in this story - that at certain points when a tribe member passed through a certain experience, their name would change to memorialize that growth, experience or change. It started me thinking about how that happens to many of us - either by our "tribes" or by ourselves in the neverending effort of distinctly identifying ourselves to the world at large.
The author's father was a story teller and had many experiences with Native Americans and was empathetic to the clear inequities they faced. Lampman said this tale came from the many stories her father shared with their family about early settlers and the indigenous peoples he and his ancestors lived among. She, herself, never saw them having been born later, but they were very real to her.
Jamie is the gutsy, yet bookwormish 11-year old who carries the action in this tale. Ailing, and sent for health reasons to his aunt's ranch in Montana, he has the adventure of his short life. He no longer just had books to read about his beloved Indians, reptiles and horse - he got to experience the real deals! I loved how Jamie made friends when he thought he never would, and he felt he'd really gained the respect he so desired from his father, who let him finally grow out of his baby name "Jamie" and started calling him "Jim". There was a thread of this kind of landmarking in growth that was modeled in the Cherokee and Sioux nations that were featured in this story - that at certain points when a tribe member passed through a certain experience, their name would change to memorialize that growth, experience or change. It started me thinking about how that happens to many of us - either by our "tribes" or by ourselves in the neverending effort of distinctly identifying ourselves to the world at large.
The author's father was a story teller and had many experiences with Native Americans and was empathetic to the clear inequities they faced. Lampman said this tale came from the many stories her father shared with their family about early settlers and the indigenous peoples he and his ancestors lived among. She, herself, never saw them having been born later, but they were very real to her.
October 19, 2014
Actually still reading this...but wanted it in good reads while I remembered to do so. Book is for Tom (Jim's Grandson)...but I had to read it first....kid in Montana meets old Indian who had ancestors at Little Big Horn. Kid and young friend who is an Indian find old Medicine bag and imagine stories of Little Big Horn/While author fills you in!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews