"Times sure have changed," a third-grader observed when he browsed through the book "Children of Native America Today" by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder.

Hirschfelder, a Teaneck resident since 1969, smiled at the boy's response because it captured the message that she and her co-author wanted to send to American children about Native Americans. The book, published in 2003, describes engagingly and captures in vivid color photographs the real lives of now 25 Native American groups.

The two women also co-authored an activity and resource guide to "Children of Native America Today."

Hirschfelder wrote her book to help children understand that Native Americans want to communicate: "We are human beings like you - not mascots, not savage, not vicious. We have wisdom and knowledge and we want to live in the 21st Century."

The book stresses the integration of past and present for Native American. Tsimshians, wearing jeans and black leggings with T-shirts, celebrate at a totem pole raising. Aleut children in bright blue parkas and Nike sneakers recline among rocky outcroppings and peer through binoculars to locate birds and reindeer as part of a stewardship program.

Mohawk skywalkers, sure-footed at high heights, helped build many of New York City's skyscrapers, including the World Trade Center. After Sept. 11 the skywalkers cleared debris from the site of the tragedy.

The Cahuilla people, respectful of their fragile California desert environment, operate a recycling plant for discarded tires, converting them into "crumb rubber," used for roads, fake turf and dock bumpers.

Hirschfelder and Dennis wrote "Children of Native America Today" at the request of Maya Ajmera, founder of The Global Fund for Children, an eight-year-old non-profit organization. The Global Fund invests in community-based educational programs for children and publishes the Shakti book series to promote multicultural understanding. Most of the royalties the two authors receive from their book, they will give back to The Global Fund.

Hirschfelder's life work has been devoted to research on Native Americans. For 21 years, she worked in Manhattan at the American Association of Indian Affairs where she did historical research to help tribes gain federal recognition.

She has also taught about Native Americans at The New School in New York City for 12 years. She is the author of more than 20 nonfiction books and conducts workshops for school children in grades four through 12 on both Native Americans and nonfiction writing.

Hirschfelder stated that her career has been "great." Her historical research and her contact with Native American political and spiritual leaders across the United States have made her admire the Native American "incredible respect for family, for their own religious ways, and for their generosity of spirit."

She believes that she is honoring the Native American tradition of reciprocity by donating her royalties back to The Global Fund for the benefit of Native American children because so many Native Americans shared their stories and photographs with her for her book.

Hirschfelder and Dennis have already begun work on their next book, also for The Global Fund's Shakti series.

Their new book will explore multiculturalism in the United States today through an exploration of one city in each of the 50 states.