Susan Secakuku

One of four titles in The National Museum of the American Indian's My World: Young Native Americans Today series - the others include Meet Naiche: A Native Boy from the Chesapeake Bay Area, Meet Lydia: A Native Girl from Southeast Alaska, and Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma - this picture-book biography describes the life of a contemporary Hopi teenager, following her through both everyday occurrences and special occasions. From her life as an American high school freshman, to her participation in the traditional ceremonies of the Hopi people, Mindy's life is a full one.

As with the other entries in this series, Meet Mindy: A Native Girl from the Southwest was written by an adult relative of the young person being profiled, and includes plenty of historical and cultural background about her people - in this case, the Hopi and Tewa. The focus, however, is very much on life in the here and now, which is very welcome indeed, as so many titles with a Native American theme seem either to be mythological/folkloric in nature, or are set in historical settings. I appreciated this informative book, and its emphasis on a contemporary young native woman. Mindy herself is an engaging figure, the background information is fascinating, and the copious use of color photographs - both contemporary and historical - add great visual appeal. All in all, this was another winner in this wonderful series - I just wish they would publish some more! Recommended to young readers looking for stories about contemporary native people, and the ways that their lives are both like and unlike people of non-native communities.… (meer)