Eagle Books for Grades 5-8
The Eagle Books for young people in grades 5–8 is a series of youth novels written by Terry Lofton and illustrated by Patrick Polo and Lisa A. Fifield. The novels follow Rain That Dances and his friends on adventures that reinforce Native wisdom, encouraging friends and families to stay healthy by being active and eating healthy food. In addition to the books, a four-volume graphic novel that expands the story of Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream with new characters and adventures is available for download.
*Note: These are also available as e-books that have been optimized for best viewing on a tablet. You can find those files here: Eagle eBooks.
Readers are reintroduced to the original characters, who are now in middle school. Rain That Dances and his friends meet fossil poachers and dodge traps set by the tricky coyote.
Hummingbird, a 12-year-old girl, hopes to grow giant vegetables for the reservation. However, a school bully and a coyote get in the way of her fulfilling that dream.
Rain, Rain’s dad, and Boomer meet “the Two Rabbit” during a trip. They learn how small, seemingly defenseless, individuals use their wits to overcome bigger adversaries.
This four-volume, comic book–style adaptation of the original youth novel features more action, new characters, illustrations, and positive health messages.
- Volume 1: The Vanishing – Things are beginning to disappear around Rain and his friends. As they look for clues and listen to advice, their friend Jimmy, mysteriously vanishes.
- Volume 2: The Cave Where the Giants Sleep – Our young friends discover that Jimmy’s disappearance and other missing things are linked. Now they need guidance from the Eagle to help solve the mystery.
- Volume 3: A Trail of Bones – The boys find Jimmy, but he is in trouble. The bones they discovered were from a cave that fossil poachers want to find. Jimmy is captured again and makes a bargain with the poachers that may put Rain in danger.
- Volume 4: A Boy Must Help Us – Rain learns that the fossil poachers have taken his Grandma to find the cave in hopes of stealing valuable fossils. With the help of his friends, Rain finds his Grandma and helps police arrest the poachers.