Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner tells the story of a fictional Navajo boy who is forced out of his home with his family and all of the nearby Navajo by the US military and forcibly marched to Fort Sumner: the Long Walk of the Navajos. When Danny attempts to escape, he is beaten and treated even more horribly and then sent to a Confederate POW forced labor camp away from his family and anyone he knows. He is further abused and mistreated until friends he made through acts of kindness help him to escape.

My personal response to the book: This was an excellent story while sad it illustrated how poorly our Navajo Native Americans were treated and how they gave back as code talkers in WWII a short 80 years later in US history! This is truly remarkable and telling of their resiliency and dedication to their country!
Curricular connections: The curricular connections include the study of history and Native Americans. A TL could reference this book through RA for students wanting to learn more about the Native Americans and/or for those doing a report on Native Americans.

I have always enjoyed historical fiction and this story does not disappoint. It is heartbreaking to see what happens to this community and the march these Navajo are forced on. I liked the fact that the story is very accurate and contains action to keep the reader entertained and interested until the very end and anticipating the next volume. This story would work nicely in a classroom to teach historical fiction as well as the theme of survival. ( )