Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/08/2021 Gr 4 Up—A frightening ride via Native American storytelling. Jones (Ponca) explains that these 32 entries have been handed down from a variety of tribes and storytellers across Indigenous country. This collection is divided into five sections—ghosts, spirits, witches, monsters, and the supernatural. Illustrator Alvitre (Tongva) provides unsettling yet age-appropriate visuals to accompany the selections. While most collections of creepy stories feature fictional tales, this volume is composed of scary reads that come directly from cultural and historical accounts, including the author's own. Each tale is prefaced with a short introduction on how it was shared with permission from tribe members and omits anything that should not be shared among non-Native readers. However, Indigenous students who follow these cultural traditions might still find some of the content to be taboo. VERDICT Reminiscent of Robert San Souci's "Dare to Be Scared" books or the ever-popular Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, add to your library for a diverse cultural representation of scary stories.—Danielle Burbank, Farmington, NM - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/01/2021 *Starred Review* Jones, of the Ponca nation, is a storyteller and collector of Native American stories, and during his travels, he’s heard his fair share of ghostly tales, some of which are ancient and others contemporary. Stating that “Ghost stories are always close to us because ghosts are part of our daily world,” Jones shares a delectable assortment of spine-tinglers divided into sections on ghosts, spirits, witches, monsters, and the supernatural. He introduces each section of five to eight stories with general information on how these otherworldly forces operate or are perceived within Indigenous communities, acknowledging variations therein. Readers will encounter helpful ghosts, frightening scenes akin to possessions as portrayed in popular culture, cursed dolls, and a terrifying cannibal whose heart of ice is shaped like a human baby. And as awesome as these stories are, what makes this book a real treasure is the context that Jones provides for each tale. Every story in the book is credited to either an individual or tribe (usually both) and briefly prefaced by background on Native or specific tribal beliefs relevant to the story about to be told. For some of these stories, Jones is both teller and participant in the events he shares, for others he simply relays the accounts of others. It is an intimate and enriching reading experience that will be a boo-n to library shelves. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.