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KAYA, 1764
In 1764, the Pacific Northwest is home to the Nez Perce people. Kaya and her family raise horses, fish and hunt, and build their teepees near the rivers. Kaya, her sisters, Brown Deer and Speaking Rain, and her twin brothers, Wing Feather and Sparrow love traveling to the valley every year to join the other families in harvesting the salmon, and the elders make sure the children learn about the old ways of the Nez Perce so their traditions won't be forgotten. Enjoy these stories about the first American Girl and her Appaloosa mare. And be sure to read the "Looking Back" section at the end of every book for many interesting facts about the Nez Perce, then and today.
 MEET KAYA: An American Girl (Book #1)
by Janet Beeler Shaw
Pleasant Company
ISBN: 1584854235
Ages 7-up
80 pages
Kaya loves going to The Valley of the Winding Waters where the Nez Perce families gather to fish for salmon. Everyone works hard to set up camp and then Kaya, her blind sister Speaking Rain, and her twin brothers go off to play. Before long some of the boys challenge Kaya to a horse race to prove who has the fastest horse and, even though she is supposed to be watching her twin brothers, Kaya takes the dare. When the twins wander off into the woods, Kaya ends up in big trouble. She not only was tossed from her horse and lost the race, now she has to live with the shame of disobeying and putting her brothers in danger, too.
But summer camp has plenty of activities to help Kaya forget her embarrassment like singing and dancing and family gatherings where her grandmother tells stories of their ancestors and the old ways. Kaya works hard training her Appaloosa, Steps High, practicing her riding, and helping the women with the cooking and sewing. As the summer passes she begins to wonder if her father will ever let her race her mare again. Little does Kaya know that she and Steps High are about to face a dangerous challenge that will teach her what it takes to finally win back everyone's respect.
 KAYA's ESCAPE: A Survival Story (Book #2)
by Janet Beeler Shaw
Pleasant Company
ISBN: 1584854251
Ages 7-up
88 pages
Kaya's village moves to higher ground to hunt for deer and elk. While the men are gone hunting the Nez Perce women pick berries to add to their winter food stores. Kaya's mother warns her to stay close because enemies sometimes raid their camps for horses when the men are gone. But when raiders do come in the middle of the night and start to take Steps High away, Kaya forgets what she was told. Instead of taking Speaking Rain into the woods to hide, she rushes toward the horses, and both she and her sister are captured.
The girls are taken far away across the mountains to Buffalo country where they become slaves in the raiders camp. Despite her fears, Kaya worries more about her blind sister. When she begins to plan an escape with another slave, Speaking Rain insists that she must be stay and wait to be rescued so she won't slow them down. Kaya knows her sister is right, but will she be able to leave Speaking Rain behind?
 KAYA'S HERO: A Story of Giving (Book #3)
by Janet Beeler Shaw
Pleasant Company
ISBN: 1584854278
Ages 7-up
88 pages
In Kaya's village, there is a woman named Swan Circling that Kaya admires --- in fact she wants to grow up to be just like her. Swan Circling is different from the other women because she is a respected warrior. Kaya wishes she could be strong enough to tell her new friend about the mistakes she's made, especially when Swan Circling shows an interest in Kaya, and compliments her. Most of all, Kaya wishes she could be a warrior woman and rescue her little sister from the raiders.
Two Hawks, the boy that escaped the raiders with Kaya, is unhappy too. He misses his people and spends a lot of time alone. Kaya takes him on horse rides and teaches him to make a flute to make him feel better. When tragedy strikes the village, will Two Hawks be able to return the favor and help Kaya get over her grief?
 KAYA AND LONE DOG: A Friendship Story (Book #4)
by Janet Beeler Shaw
Pleasant Company
ISBN: 1584854294
Ages 7-up
96 pages
One day in the woods, Kaya sees a stray dog and shoos her away. When the dog appears again, Kaya befriends her --- naming her Lone Dog --- though others warn Kaya that a dog that lives away from the pack could be dangerous. Her new companion helps Kaya deal with the pain of missing Speaking Rain, but soon Kaya realizes that Lone Dog isn't meant to be a camp dog. Saying good-bye is hard, but Lone Dog leaves Kaya with something special to remember her by.
 KAYA SHOWS THE WAY: A Sister Story (Book #5)
by Janet Beeler Shaw
Pleasant Company
ISBN: 1584854316
Ages 7-up
88 pages
Kaya and her family travel to thundering Celilo Falls for an exciting summer of salmon fishing, horse racing, feasting, and dancing. Thousands of families gather at Celilo Falls each summer, and Kaya hopes that someone may have word of Speaking Rain. With the help of her old friend, Two Hawks, Kaya discovers Speaking Rain at the Salish camp across the river. Kaya's happiness is short-lived when Speaking Rain tells Kaya that she can't return to her family, but Kaya comes up with the perfect solution that makes them both happy.
 CHANGES FOR KAYA: A Winter Story (Book #6)
by Janet Beeler Shaw
Pleasant Company
ISBN: 1584854332
Ages 7-up
80 pages
Now that Speaking Rain has returned, Kaya's greatest fear is that she'll never see her beloved horse, Steps High, again. When Kaya hears of a herd of horses running wild in the mountains, she hopes Steps High is one of them. Kaya soon has a chance to find out when she joins an elk-hunting party traveling into the mountains. As Kaya searches for her beautiful horse, a mountain fire breaks out and she has to face a fear greater than any she's ever known.
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