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Who Will Tell My Brother?
International Reading Association Children's Book Award Winner Determined to sway high school officials to remove disparaging Indian mascots, Evan assumes a struggle that spirals him onto a soul-searching journey and exposes him to a barrage of bullying, taunts, and escalating violence. Marlene Carvell's striking first novel is a timely look at a true story of a mixed-race teen caught up in an exploration of his past, his culture, and his identity.
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 4, 2020
I can't say that I loved this book, but I did enjoy it. It was sad, because it has bullying in it.
December 6, 2018
This book is very deep when it comes to the idea of racism. It is hard to read in some cases and makes you really think about what people go through. Just the fact that a bunch of racist kids had the nerve to kill the main character's dog just because he has Indian ancestors just makes me sick. You have to really be strong to be able to read this book. I even had to read the chapter where the dog died for my class because the teacher was so mortified by it. I almost cried. Read at your own discretion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 15, 2018It was a very interesting book to read and had a lot of main points and concepts. It was a little difficult for me to follow along with but after a while, the concept did become more clear. It is not the type of book I would normally pick up but I enjoyed the story and I feel even though the story was based to be older it still represents events we deal with in our time right now.
December 3, 2018
This book was a book I will never forget. It hit me hard some of the things it talked about. Some of the events that happened I could never imagine happening in my school or hometown. I felt that this book should be way more famous then it is. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for an inspirational book.
November 26, 2018
We read this book in class. I thought this book was hard to understand at times but sent a good message. This book was based on a true story. I liked this book.
February 3, 2017
3.5 stars. Picked this as my #diversathon read because a) I need to go back to peppering YA in my book diet more often and b) I'm drawn to contemporary First Nations stories. Very glad this crossed my path.
The premise of a mixed-heritage teen battling to have the offensive school mascot changed is striking. The free verse form is well-utilized, keeping the language spare and evocative, yet widely accessible. The ultra-brief chapters can be gulped quickly, but it is often in the pause between them that the emotion resonates.
The pushback from the school and community is all-too-believable, but most notable was a refrain from the school board appearances: "Racism is a matter of opinion." Wow. That statement would draw blood upon any reading, but in the context of current events, I found myself aghast at the impact.
This is meant to be a quieter, more thoughtful book and for the reader to fill in the blanks. Still, I wish more time had been devoted to the campaign itself. Also, this book needs a more dynamic cover. The graphic design represents the text in tone, but it doesn't do anything to capture the attention of the potential reader.
The title seems misguided until the reveal of the scenes which lead to its appearance in the book. It suddenly transforms from inane to poignant. Ache.
The premise of a mixed-heritage teen battling to have the offensive school mascot changed is striking. The free verse form is well-utilized, keeping the language spare and evocative, yet widely accessible. The ultra-brief chapters can be gulped quickly, but it is often in the pause between them that the emotion resonates.
The pushback from the school and community is all-too-believable, but most notable was a refrain from the school board appearances: "Racism is a matter of opinion." Wow. That statement would draw blood upon any reading, but in the context of current events, I found myself aghast at the impact.
This is meant to be a quieter, more thoughtful book and for the reader to fill in the blanks. Still, I wish more time had been devoted to the campaign itself. Also, this book needs a more dynamic cover. The graphic design represents the text in tone, but it doesn't do anything to capture the attention of the potential reader.
The title seems misguided until the reveal of the scenes which lead to its appearance in the book. It suddenly transforms from inane to poignant. Ache.
June 9, 2015
A contemplative, quiet novel in verse about one teen's attempt to convince officials at his high school to remove their offensive Indian mascot. This is a solid (albeit uneven) story about confronting prejudice, enduring bullies, and attempting to make change. I appreciated the warm portrait of Evan's family, who are in the process of reconnecting with their Native relatives, and in particular Evan's brother, who previously attempted to wage this same war against racism but was unsuccessful. Evan's efforts teach all of them that change may be slow to come, but that it can happen -- one determined person at a time.
An author's note at the end of the book explains that the story was inspired by the experiences of the author's son, which adds a great note of authenticity to the story and demonstrates that change of this kind doesn't happen only in fiction. Real people can make change, and do.
Two complaints:
1.) The book assumes that the reader fully understands WHY the school's Indian mascot is offensive to Evan and to others. I would have liked it to include more arguments/examples to help readers not yet educated on the subject understand why mascots like these are racist. While I suspect some will argue that it should be obvious, if it were obvious to everyone we would not still have such mascots!
2.) Because the kid in the cover photo looks young, I assumed for many years that this book was for elementary school, but the tone and sophistication of Evan's voice and Evan's own age (he's a senior in high school) make this far better suited to use in middle school. I dearly wish it had a cover that was better reflective of and appealing to its intended audience.
An author's note at the end of the book explains that the story was inspired by the experiences of the author's son, which adds a great note of authenticity to the story and demonstrates that change of this kind doesn't happen only in fiction. Real people can make change, and do.
Two complaints:
1.) The book assumes that the reader fully understands WHY the school's Indian mascot is offensive to Evan and to others. I would have liked it to include more arguments/examples to help readers not yet educated on the subject understand why mascots like these are racist. While I suspect some will argue that it should be obvious, if it were obvious to everyone we would not still have such mascots!
2.) Because the kid in the cover photo looks young, I assumed for many years that this book was for elementary school, but the tone and sophistication of Evan's voice and Evan's own age (he's a senior in high school) make this far better suited to use in middle school. I dearly wish it had a cover that was better reflective of and appealing to its intended audience.
November 7, 2018
Who Will Tell My Brother was a book about a young kid about our age who did not know who he really was and was trying to find out if his school's mascot was offensive to him and his family. He tries to make a big impact on his school but the kids at his school are not very supportive even his best friend. Then a few years later the school finally change the mascot. I recommend this to everyone and think everyone should read it.
November 9, 2018
It was a pretty good book, it had many valuable lessons
November 7, 2018
This is a book that will never leave my mind. So many topics hit me hard. The way they described some of the characters were jus unreal. Why would an author put those words in a book. Especially towards a person. This was a great book and I would definitely read it again.
June 14, 2014
My favorite part of was the very beginning.
The most interesting parts of the book are those where Evan Hill, a mixed race high school senior, questions his heritage and seeks to answer who he is. This becomes the side story, never really answered. Instead the main story is about a year long struggle to try and change a mascot he finds offensive.
I also found myself obsessing with some of the plot holes.
At a pep rally it is easy to view the way the school used their indian mascot and their portrayal of Native Americans as being offensive. One problem, this should not have been Evan's first encounter with this. This was not his first year at the school, and we find out that his older brother had also spoken out against the school mascot. Missing is why did he tolerate the mascot before and why did he now feel the need to act.
We get insight into his struggles with identity and only explanations of actions when it comes to his deeds in fighting to change the school mascot. Interactions between Evan and his family are heartfelt and moving, interaction at school just moves the story along. The disappointment with this book is that it would not have taken much work to elevate this from an average book to a great book.
When I filled out the form
for the test --
the dreaded "you are labeled for life" test
the "who are you? -- what are you? --why are you?" test,
I wrote my name,
I wrote where I lived.
I stopped,
I did not answer
Who was I?
What am I?
The most interesting parts of the book are those where Evan Hill, a mixed race high school senior, questions his heritage and seeks to answer who he is. This becomes the side story, never really answered. Instead the main story is about a year long struggle to try and change a mascot he finds offensive.
I also found myself obsessing with some of the plot holes.
At a pep rally it is easy to view the way the school used their indian mascot and their portrayal of Native Americans as being offensive. One problem, this should not have been Evan's first encounter with this. This was not his first year at the school, and we find out that his older brother had also spoken out against the school mascot. Missing is why did he tolerate the mascot before and why did he now feel the need to act.
We get insight into his struggles with identity and only explanations of actions when it comes to his deeds in fighting to change the school mascot. Interactions between Evan and his family are heartfelt and moving, interaction at school just moves the story along. The disappointment with this book is that it would not have taken much work to elevate this from an average book to a great book.
January 25, 2013
Who will tell my brother?
By: Marlene Carvell
Price: $5.99
ISBN: 0-7868-1657-0
This is about racism and stereotypes. Its about a teenager, in high-school and he wants the school to get ride of Indian mascots. He gets offended from these actions. The main character is Evan. These actions would be bullying, teasing and getting into violence. He's standing up for himself and not giving up his pride.
This book was a BOMB. I'm standing side by side to Evan! I hate racism, stereotypes, bullying, violence, and teasing. I hate it when people think there better than others. This is life, everyone is equal. If I was Evan, I would do the same. I wouldn't be a weakling, being humiliated. I would stand up, object, and find a way to succeed my goal.
By: Marlene Carvell
Price: $5.99
ISBN: 0-7868-1657-0
This is about racism and stereotypes. Its about a teenager, in high-school and he wants the school to get ride of Indian mascots. He gets offended from these actions. The main character is Evan. These actions would be bullying, teasing and getting into violence. He's standing up for himself and not giving up his pride.
This book was a BOMB. I'm standing side by side to Evan! I hate racism, stereotypes, bullying, violence, and teasing. I hate it when people think there better than others. This is life, everyone is equal. If I was Evan, I would do the same. I wouldn't be a weakling, being humiliated. I would stand up, object, and find a way to succeed my goal.
March 29, 2017
The book was nice it was mostly about her trying to see who she really was. She went through a lot and met her dads side of the family for the first time, because their Native Americans. In her school when people noticed that she was native american they started to be in disbeilfe because she didn't look like one and so they started to make fun of her almost everyday, they gave her threats and someone even killed there dog and so then she made a speech won awards it was nice but the thing that she really strived for is to find out who she truly is.
July 1, 2010
Nice use of free verse to tell the tale of Evan's quest to have his school stop using a mascot he finds offensive. This book was really interesting, both in its ability to tell a story with a remarkable economy of words and in the story itself. With FSU still having Chief Osceola, the Redskins still having both their name and their mascot, etc., I imagine there are quite a few kids like Evan, struggling to have their voice heard as they protest the use of their heritage in a hurtful way.
May 18, 2017
A novel in verse, based on the experiences of the author's son. Deals with school mascots being named after Indians, which has been controversial here in New York State.
November 20, 2009
Appropriate 9-12, Through lyrical free-verse poems that span his senior year, readers come to know Evan Hill, an artistic, articulate student who embarks on a crusade begun by his older brother to remove the Indian as their high school's mascot. He shares a Native American heritage with his father, who embodies patience and quiet strength and who draws the teen into his once estranged Mohawk family circle. Evan encounters a mix of hostility, indifference, and silent support for his cause from his classmates. Intolerance and brutality erupt when long-haired Evan is cornered in the hall by scissors-wielding classmates and when his mother discovers the beloved family dog lying dead atop a paper feather headdress. The young man's repeated visits to the school board generate annoyance, frustration, and intransigence, and it votes to ignore his request and to uphold the status quo. But at graduation, when an Indian mascot banner is displayed, cheers fade as sympathizers join Evan in a silent, seated protest. Carvell's first novel carries a clear, thought-provoking message about both intolerance and cultural pride. The protagonist's first-person experiences and insights are affecting. His objection to the shallow, stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans emerges from a spiritual and cultural need to be understood, recognized, and appreciated. Through his campaign, Evan learns a lesson in integrity, perseverance, and courage.
July 18, 2010
To date, this is the most amazing book I have ever read. The author writes this book through a series of sequenced, free-verse poems. The poems take Evan, the main character, through his senior year of high school, and through his efforts to change the school's mascot. Evan, even though on the surface do not appear to be, is half Native American. The school he attends has an Indian for a school mascot. Evan is faced with this image when walking the halls and while attending school events. The image deeply hurt Evan for many reasons. Throughout the school year, Evan meets with the principal and attends school board meetings to try and have the mascot changed. The more persistent Evan becomes the more alienated he becomes by his classmates.
This book would be a great read for middle school and high school students. It has many teachable connections for teachers to draw from. This book could be tied to any unit that incorporates bulling or racism. It also lends itself to any unit that touches on perseverance.
This book would be a great read for middle school and high school students. It has many teachable connections for teachers to draw from. This book could be tied to any unit that incorporates bulling or racism. It also lends itself to any unit that touches on perseverance.
August 9, 2011
What should we do when faced with injustice? In YA problem novels, the hero often has to 'do' something; take action to make a difference. Yet, reality isn't so simple; actions go unheeded, inaction is the default for too many of us all too often. "Who Will Tell My Brother" does a fine job of showing how facing injustice takes time, goes slowly, and is rarely completed, success being measured in inches rather than miles.
As verse novels go, this one took me a long time to connect with. The pace is slow as Evan - thoughtful, artistic, philosophic Mohawk - moves through his senior year trying to convince the school board at every monthly meeting that the school's Indian mascot has outlived its era. There's a smattering of family history, the importance of roots, ancestors, of brotherly love and filial duty.
Then, somewhere around page 100, Carvell connected and I engaged with the last third of the story. This isn't a clear-cut triumph, but a personal story of a small, yet significant, victory. Worth reading for the right audience.
As verse novels go, this one took me a long time to connect with. The pace is slow as Evan - thoughtful, artistic, philosophic Mohawk - moves through his senior year trying to convince the school board at every monthly meeting that the school's Indian mascot has outlived its era. There's a smattering of family history, the importance of roots, ancestors, of brotherly love and filial duty.
Then, somewhere around page 100, Carvell connected and I engaged with the last third of the story. This isn't a clear-cut triumph, but a personal story of a small, yet significant, victory. Worth reading for the right audience.
October 19, 2015
For Sykes 3307****
This contemporary realistic fictional novel, based on a true story, is about a multi-racial teenager, Evan, who decides to conquer the task of having his high-school officials remove/replace their Indian mascots due to their offensive nature. Evan faces bullying, harassment, and violence throughout this journey. This novel is a tale of Evan's exploration of his culture, identity, and ancestry. This novel would work well in an 8th grade curriculum and would be of supplemental value to certain learning standards seen in Social studies. It also provides insight to character values such as understanding diversity, facing adversity, and the importance of loyalty to family and friends. This novel would appeal to readers interested in mystery and suspense, as well as poetry as it is written in a free verse poetry style. The book presents itself as serious and insightful from the cover, and that is complemented by the author's writing style. In addition, this novel is a winner of the International Reading Association Children's Book Award.
This contemporary realistic fictional novel, based on a true story, is about a multi-racial teenager, Evan, who decides to conquer the task of having his high-school officials remove/replace their Indian mascots due to their offensive nature. Evan faces bullying, harassment, and violence throughout this journey. This novel is a tale of Evan's exploration of his culture, identity, and ancestry. This novel would work well in an 8th grade curriculum and would be of supplemental value to certain learning standards seen in Social studies. It also provides insight to character values such as understanding diversity, facing adversity, and the importance of loyalty to family and friends. This novel would appeal to readers interested in mystery and suspense, as well as poetry as it is written in a free verse poetry style. The book presents itself as serious and insightful from the cover, and that is complemented by the author's writing style. In addition, this novel is a winner of the International Reading Association Children's Book Award.
January 11, 2015
Who Will Tell My Brother was a book that I regret reading. It describes a story about a boy named Evan who part of his heritage is Mohak, when he tries to change his school mascot from a disrespectful indian face he is faced with many types of bullying. The intention of Evan was brave and the right thing to do something that I could have never done, it wasn't that part that I disliked I guess that I just didn't like the sadness of this book. Infact the students go to extreme violence, which kind of scared me, I guess Im just not into sad realistic fiction. When Evan spoke out like that it reminded me of historical figures like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King and how changing what is wrong is not always easy as it sounds, and if we do change things that are wrong one step at a time we can make a huge difference. To conclude, I think I would recommend this book to readers who want a challenging book , but not to readers who are looking for a happy book.
May 17, 2015
Another win for the verse novel. I really love this style of writing. I don't read nearly enough verse novels. Its pretty clear throughout the novel that Evan knows who he is and where he comes from and is wants to fight to these things respected. This story was about Evan finding the strength (from his parents and his culture) inside himself to fight even when its easier to give up. This next part is a little spoliery but when I first saw the cover I wondered about the dog on the picture. The blurb on the back doesn't mentioned anything about a dog, so it got me kinda curious. All I'm going to say is no, nononononono. The dog isn't even much of a character in this story, and I was so close to losing it. The story isn't about the dog and honestly he doesn't really matter, but as a reader who is absolutely crazy for her dog, the author should've made this dog more than a little side note to push things along.
November 25, 2009
This novel written in free verse clearly connected with me given that I lived in a university town (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) where much racism toward Native Americans occurred. This was particularly evident in the use of the dancing "Chief" at University-sponsored sports' events and in images "proudly" displayed in stores and homes in that community, and even across the state. At the same time, I recognize that the protagonists' thinking and actions may be a bit more mature than most high school students. However, I believe the response of the community to his activism is quite realistic. The free verse format to this book allows the reader to absorb the emotional impact of such racism at a deeper level.
October 11, 2016
Read for 5427 class
Told in verse, this novella chronicles a boy's senior year of high school, during which he patiently and groundedly champions to have the school's mascot changed from the profile of an Indian. While he is not successful in that endeavor, he is successful in going from a singular protester to a number of allies from his friends. These allies start to realize the hatred and racism the majority of the community, school, and school board have for Native Americans when Evan's family dog, Butch, is brutally murdered in a crime of hate. This story is based on author Carvell's own sons' experiences with Indian school mascots.
Told in verse, this novella chronicles a boy's senior year of high school, during which he patiently and groundedly champions to have the school's mascot changed from the profile of an Indian. While he is not successful in that endeavor, he is successful in going from a singular protester to a number of allies from his friends. These allies start to realize the hatred and racism the majority of the community, school, and school board have for Native Americans when Evan's family dog, Butch, is brutally murdered in a crime of hate. This story is based on author Carvell's own sons' experiences with Indian school mascots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2012
This was a recommended title from my multicultural children's lit class that I finally got around to reading. It tackles the hot-button issue of Native American stereotyped images or icons as mascots for high schools and sports teams through the eyes of an "insider" - a biracial high school boy. It's written in poetry form, so an easy read, but definitely a loaded one, especially as this is a fictional narrative based on the author's two son's experiences in their own high school. The search for identity and cultural honor are major themes in this book. Definitely a recommended read!
October 15, 2014
This one was recommended by a teacher friend. I am so glad I read it. It is the story of Evan, a teenager who takes on the school mascot issue at his high school. Evan is of Mohawk descent but knows little of his heritage. He deals with hostility and indifference from classmates and school officials. The book is written in free verse and the author is able to capture the range of emotions of the man character. This will be used by a 7th grade teacher to began discussion around the use of Native American mascots in sports. One of my favorite reads on this shelf.
April 4, 2010
Great book - actually written in Free Verse. Evan decides during this school year he will try to accomplish what his brother started a few years ago...get the school board to agree to change the school mascot. The school mascot is a fighting warrior and Evan being a Native American feels very uncomfortable with this choice of mascot. During his mission, Evan is shown a whole new side of his classmates and people in town.
January 26, 2011
this is the first poetry/novel book i've read. it was really great, although i'm not sure how it's poetry.
it's a moving, simple, powerful story about a high school senior working to change the Indian mascot of his school because it is raciest and outdated.
this would be a great book to read while learning about the treatment of native americans in early american history. it also addresses bullying and the power of one person.
it's a moving, simple, powerful story about a high school senior working to change the Indian mascot of his school because it is raciest and outdated.
this would be a great book to read while learning about the treatment of native americans in early american history. it also addresses bullying and the power of one person.
April 28, 2016
This is a new book about Evan, who is half native-american and his personal struggle with his identity. When he decides to challenge his school because he finds their mascot to be offensive to his culture, he is met with resistance from every level. This book highlights how people are oblivious as to how there actions can negatively affect other people and their cultural beliefs. this book is written in free verse and the story flows very smoothly.
June 15, 2011
This book was very sad to read because Evan, who sticks up for what was right, is left to be bullied and taunted. I was really mad when I read this book because I don't think it was fair that he was the one being bullied when he was trying to do something that was right by telling his school officials to remove offensive Indian mascots. Although this book was really moving, I wasn't really that into it because I've already read a lot of books with a similar plot.
March 13, 2014
I haven't read many novels in verse, but i liked this and found it easy to follow. I really felt for Evan, and felt like his "cause" and the reactions to it were realistic though heartbreaking. I'm really glad the author included the note at the end, so there was some hope;)
Trigger warning:
Trigger warning:
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews