Reminiscent of a scrapbook or yearbook, "Meet Christopher" includes captioned pictures, historical and current interspersed with maps, informational text boxes, and Christopher's own words. This is a warm description of his life on the the Osage reservation: his strong connection to family, his many, varied interests (music, cooking, fishing, youth group, Boy Scouts), and his cultural heritage (learning the Osage language, participating in dances, learning from his extended family). A good portion of the book explains the annual dances, including the clothing, celebrations, and expectations. I appreciated the discussion of why photography is prohibited when the dancing begins--it's an interesting point of comparison with other Native American cultures. Middle grade readers will find many points of connection with Christopher while also experiencing a balanced view the Osage experience now and historically.

The fourth entry in the My World: Young Native Americans Today series, which features contemporary kids from diverse native nations, Meet Christopher introduces young readers to Christopher Cote, an eleven-year-old Osage boy growing up in the small town of Skiatook, on the border of Oklahoma's Osage Reservation. Written by Genevieve Simermeyer, an Osage woman who works in the Education Office of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, and who happens to be Christopher's cousin, it gives a brief history of the Osage people, before turning to the details of Christopher's life.

From playing trombone in the school band, to camping with his Boy Scout troop; attending weekly Osage language lessons at the public library, to participating in church dramatic performances, Christopher seems to lead an incredibly full life. I don't think, looking back, that I was half so active at his age! In addition to all the many activities one would expect any boy Christopher's age to find interesting, the cultural traditions of his people - like the I'n-lon-shka Dances - also play an important role in his life. This brief biography focuses on the here and now, demonstrating that Native Americans, like anyone else, are not just historical peoples, but live in the present.

If that seems like something that is self-evident, consider how often portrayals of the indigenous peoples of North America are historical or mythological, rather than modern and realistic. This series is undoubtedly intended as an antidote to such misconceptions. With its engaging, educational narrative (I learned that Osage has its own writing system!), and appealing color photographs, taken by Mohawk photographer Katherin Fogden, it's no surprise that Meet Christopher was chosen by the American Indian Library Association as an American Indian Youth Literature Award winner! ( )

I thought this was a very good book. Part of the "My World: Young Native Americans Today" series, by the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, it is put together by Native Americans, and tells Christopher's story as directly as possible. He tells all kinds of interesting things about himself, things that non-Native kids can relate to (school, Boy Scouts, Church, band) and lots of things about being Osage, which are very interesting and told in an accessible and appreciated way. This kind of biography is interesting, respectful, with fun pictures to look at, and shows that Native Americans are not 'just a people of the past' but a living people.

Teachers and librarians could use this title in curriculum related to Native American studies, and also local studies in and around Oklahoma.