Status
Available
Call number
Call number
FIC SMI
Collection
Description
Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. Short Stories. HTML: Edited by award-winning and bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of intersecting stories by both new and veteran Native writers bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride. Native families from Nations across the continent gather at the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In a high school gym full of color and song, people dance, sell beadwork and books, and celebrate friendship and heritage. Young protagonists will meet relatives from faraway, mysterious strangers, and sometimes one another (plus one scrappy rez dog). They are the heroes of their own stories. Featuring stories and poems by:Joseph Bruchac Art Coulson Christine Day Eric Gansworth Carole Lindstrom Dawn Quigley Rebecca Roanhorse David A. Robertson Andrea L. Rogers Kim Rogers Cynthia Leitich Smith Monique Gray Smith Traci Sorell, Tim Tingle Erika T. Wurth Brian Young In partnership with We Need Diverse Books.… (more)
Genres
Publication
Heartdrum (2021), 320 pages
Original language
English
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Booktalk: One of the biggest Indian powwows in the country is taking place in Michigan. Native American kids are coming from all over: Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, even Canada. They are from tribes such as the Cherokee, Choctaw, Cree, Navajo, Ojibwe, and Seneca. They have come
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to celebrate their native culture and participate in the dance competitions: smoke dance, jingle dress, fancy dance and grass dance. In this collection of short stories, all kinds of things happen at the powwow. Some kids are nervous about dancing for the first time. Other kids are helping their families sell art, books, t-shirts, and of course, food--including the World’s Best Fry Bread. New friends are made and one kid even solves a crime. If you’ve never been to a powwow, reading these stories will make you want to go to one. And if you do, look out for the little dog wearing a t-shirt that says ANCESTOR APPROVED... Show Less
LibraryThing member jennybeast
Really strong collection of stories, and a really beautiful group effort in the writing. I love how the stories speak to one another -- there are little shout-outs -- like the book Skeleton Man (by Joseph Burchac) in one of the other stories, or the recurring rez dog in a t-shirt that says
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"Ancestor Approved" on it, or the way the characters see each other as part of the larger tapestry of the pow-wow. It could be laborious and heavy-handed, but with these stellar authors it becomes a brightly woven tale. There are some characters with larger stories out in the world, there are some new ones we will only meet for the space of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
This collection of short stories by indigenous authors all across the U.S. tell the stories of several Native children, generally between the ages of 9 and 12, who are all going to a powwow in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The stories really showcase the depth and breadth of the experiences of Native people
The stories really showcase the depth and breadth of the experiences of Native people
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today. Some kids live in a tribal community, some do not. The shared space of the powwow allows some overlap in the stories, and it was fun to see a character from one pop up in the other. The quality of stories varied - none were bad, but some had the stilted sort of writing of an adult not sure how to write for kids, or someone used to novels unsure with a short story format. My favorites were "Rez Dog Rules" by Rebecca Roanhorse, in which the main character was indeed the dog, and "Bad Dog" by Joseph Bruchac, in which a boy named Wendell has an encounter with an older man who imparts some wisdom. I'll look forward to checking out some of the longer works by the authors included here. Show Less
LibraryThing member streamsong
Eighteen Native American writers each write a story about a child and their family heading towards a pow wow in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since the eighteen authors are from a variety of tribes spanning the US and Canada, the stories include kids from many indigenous nations.
Many of the stories are
My favorite was “Little Fox and the Case of the Missing Regalia” by Erika T. Wurth. In it, a young detective solves a series of thefts and deals with the wrongdoer in a very Indian way.
These stories highlight the differences and similarities in various tribes and families. All are uplifting and positive – there is none of the uncomfortable grit that characterizes many books by Native authors written for adults. And although, I’ve never been quite certain if white people are welcomed at powwows, while this book does address cultural appropriation, it also makes clear that everyone is invited to attend and participate in particular ways.
The front of the library book I borrowed is marked Grade 4 reading level; grade 4-7 interest level.
Many of the stories are
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somewhat alike as a young person gets ready to compete in dance contests, help their family sell items at the pow-wow, meet far away family members and meet new friends. Sometimes the characters, especially a dog wearing a tee shirt that says ‘Ancestor Approved” are recurring. A few include a supernatural encounter. My favorite was “Little Fox and the Case of the Missing Regalia” by Erika T. Wurth. In it, a young detective solves a series of thefts and deals with the wrongdoer in a very Indian way.
These stories highlight the differences and similarities in various tribes and families. All are uplifting and positive – there is none of the uncomfortable grit that characterizes many books by Native authors written for adults. And although, I’ve never been quite certain if white people are welcomed at powwows, while this book does address cultural appropriation, it also makes clear that everyone is invited to attend and participate in particular ways.
The front of the library book I borrowed is marked Grade 4 reading level; grade 4-7 interest level.
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ISBN
0062869949 / 9780062869944