My Name Is America: The Journal Of Jesse Smoke, A Cherokee Boy

by Joseph Bruchac

Hardcover, 2001

Status

Check shelf

Call number

J DA 1838 TOT

Publication

Scholastic Inc. (2001), Hardcover, 176 pages

Description

Jesse Smoke, a sixteen-year-old Cherokee, begins a journal in 1837 to record stories of his people and their difficulties as they face removal along the Trail of Tears. Includes a historical note giving details of the removal.

Local notes

1309-027

User reviews

LibraryThing member jessicacl

I really enjoyed this historical fiction. Jesse and his fellow Cherokee people have lived on Grorgina land for generations. Life suddenly changes as the Treaty of New Enchota forces him and his mother and sister off of their land. His father was killed. In the middle of the night they were forced

harshly to move out. This sixteen year old boy writes in his journal about what he sees; the hardships, sickness, death, and hunger of his people. The journey is known as the "Trail of Tears."

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LibraryThing member rachel0217

This is a great book that shares the life a of Cherokee boy. This book is more like his diary and he talks about the struggles of life.

LibraryThing member ogemahgesr

Sad account of the Trail of Tears.

LibraryThing member Beammey

This book broke my heart in a lot of ways, but I think it was one that has to be read, has to be told so people don't forget. It's shameful what happened to these people. This isn't my favorite book in the series, but it was good and had me tearing up at parts. I would recommend to anyone. 4 out of

5 stars.

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LibraryThing member wichitafriendsschool

This is the diary of Jesse Smoke, who travelled the Trail of Tears with his family. Within the pages of his journal, Jesse weaves together the incredible stories and history of his people with the tragedy of their journey as they walk the long miles toward their new lands.

LibraryThing member Jazz1987

Like many of the books in the My Name Is America series I enjoyed the learning about the Cherokee and the history of the Trail of Tears. Growing up in public school in Vermont it amazes me how little I learned about any indigenous group suffering that make up the United States (it's seemed more

focused on the immigrants and slavery - all are important but doesn't help to fully understand racism and prejudism in the nation).

I liked how this book mentions that the Cherokee were slave owners of African-Americans and side with the Confederate States; I think too many times this is ignored or not taught. However, despite they're favorable opinion of slavery (at the time) it also focuses on the fact the Cherokee were on of the most developed tribes east of the Mississippi. The book also doesn't shy away with the fact that Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren were no friends to the natives and John Quincy Adams actually apposed the idea of the removal.

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LibraryThing member Beammey

5 stars.

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