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When I began to work in the Indian community in 1988, the resources on California Indians available for children were very limited and more often than not inaccurate or diluted by misinterpretation or misunderstanding. The most common misconception was that California Indians were extinct and therefore not available for consultation, let alone for writing or illustrating books. These deficiencies were particularly evident to me because as a children's librarian, part of my job is to research California Indian resources for children.
Over the past decade and a half, I have witnessed a virtual renaissance in published material for children on California Indian culture, history, and contemporary experience, partly the result of the increasing visibility of and demand by California Indian people for accurate and culturally sensitive resources for children. This special section presents reviews of a selection of the best books available today....