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Red Bird Danced: A Lyrical Middle Grade Novel in Verse for Kids (Ages 8-12) About Urban Indigenous Hope and Connection
With lyrical verse and powerful emotion, Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe) tells the story of urban Native kids who find strength in connection with those who came before and in the hope that lets them take flight.
Ariel and Tomah have lived in the city’s intertribal housing complex all their lives. But for both of them, this Dagwaagin (Autumn) season is different than any before.
From his bench outside the front door of his building, Tomah watches his community move around him. He is better at making people laugh than he is at schoolwork, but often it feels like his neighbor Ariel is the only one who really sees him, even in her sadness.
Ariel has always danced ballet because of her Auntie Bineshiinh and loves the way dance makes her feet hover above the ground like a bird. But ever since Auntie went missing, Ariel’s dancing doesn’t feel like flying.
As the seasons change and the cold of winter gives way to spring’s promise, Ariel and Tomah begin to change too as they learn to share the rhythms and stories they carry within themselves.
This first middle grade novel by Dawn Quigley is a tour de force. She is known for her American Indian Youth Literature Award–winning Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series and young adult novel Apple in the Middle.
Give Red Bird Danced to readers who love Jasmine Warga and Christine Day!
Ariel and Tomah have lived in the city’s intertribal housing complex all their lives. But for both of them, this Dagwaagin (Autumn) season is different than any before.
From his bench outside the front door of his building, Tomah watches his community move around him. He is better at making people laugh than he is at schoolwork, but often it feels like his neighbor Ariel is the only one who really sees him, even in her sadness.
Ariel has always danced ballet because of her Auntie Bineshiinh and loves the way dance makes her feet hover above the ground like a bird. But ever since Auntie went missing, Ariel’s dancing doesn’t feel like flying.
As the seasons change and the cold of winter gives way to spring’s promise, Ariel and Tomah begin to change too as they learn to share the rhythms and stories they carry within themselves.
This first middle grade novel by Dawn Quigley is a tour de force. She is known for her American Indian Youth Literature Award–winning Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series and young adult novel Apple in the Middle.
Give Red Bird Danced to readers who love Jasmine Warga and Christine Day!
176 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2024
6 people are currently reading
2507 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
March 5, 2025
This was such a fascinating read and one definitely worth checking out. CW: death of family member, health complications of main character. 3.5 Stars
What Worked: I've read Dawn Quigley before so it's great getting the opportunity to explore her first middle grade novel. Red Bird Danced is a great introduction to the experiences of Native/Indigenous kids that live in urban areas. As stated by Quigley, there is a perception that all Native/Indigenous individuals live on a reservation which is untrue. Quigley utilizes this book to provide insight to their challenges, successes, and community support systems. Themes explored in this book include those related to MMIW, jingle dancing, learning disabilities, and the importance of community. It's a great primer for those younger middle grade readers who want to learn more about the experiences of other kids.
What Didn't Work: While I enjoyed both the characters, I wish that Quigley would have provided more space to get to know them. This is a rather short novel, so the exploration of the characters and the themes of the novel are only covered briefly. I think that this book could have afforded to be a little longer.
Overall, this was a solid reading experience and I can't wait to dive back into more of Quigley's works.
What Worked: I've read Dawn Quigley before so it's great getting the opportunity to explore her first middle grade novel. Red Bird Danced is a great introduction to the experiences of Native/Indigenous kids that live in urban areas. As stated by Quigley, there is a perception that all Native/Indigenous individuals live on a reservation which is untrue. Quigley utilizes this book to provide insight to their challenges, successes, and community support systems. Themes explored in this book include those related to MMIW, jingle dancing, learning disabilities, and the importance of community. It's a great primer for those younger middle grade readers who want to learn more about the experiences of other kids.
What Didn't Work: While I enjoyed both the characters, I wish that Quigley would have provided more space to get to know them. This is a rather short novel, so the exploration of the characters and the themes of the novel are only covered briefly. I think that this book could have afforded to be a little longer.
Overall, this was a solid reading experience and I can't wait to dive back into more of Quigley's works.
October 5, 2024
Too bare bones for my liking or enjoyment as it felt like a lot of important issues were glossed over when they should have been explored in greater depth. Then again, this is a middle-grade book so I'm not the target audience.
I usually enjoy free verse novels but don't think the format worked well in this case. I couldn't tell that there were 2 POVs and had to restart the book from the beginning when I realised. It also failed to convey the heaviness and complexity of topics such as grief and loss.
Overall, the book did not fully engage me nor tug at my heartstrings. I did not feel any emotional connection for the plot and characters. A rather forgettable read with no lasting impact.
I usually enjoy free verse novels but don't think the format worked well in this case. I couldn't tell that there were 2 POVs and had to restart the book from the beginning when I realised. It also failed to convey the heaviness and complexity of topics such as grief and loss.
Overall, the book did not fully engage me nor tug at my heartstrings. I did not feel any emotional connection for the plot and characters. A rather forgettable read with no lasting impact.
September 9, 2024
5 stars. Dawn is coming to Evergreen along with Cynthia Leitch Smith later this month. And this books is powerful and well worth the hour or so it takes to read. It's a novel in verse told in two voices. It's about a boy and girl who live in a Native project in a city. Their auntie has gone missing. She is one of many native women who are missing or murdered. Eventually, they find her body. Ariel and Tomah poetically describe the affect of their missing Auntie on the native community in such a profound and beautiful way without being overly dramatic or violent or angry. It's simply profound. Well worth the quick read. The symbol for the movement is a hanging red dress (MMIW). Louise Penny wrote a series of mysteries that touch on this also called Three Pines,
April 3, 2024
This middle grade novel in verse is such an important addition to any reading collection. Missing Indigenous women … wow. The awareness. The insights. The dual story lines. Absolutely stunning in content and images elicited. Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC!
February 3, 2025
Dancing and storytelling to remember the #mmiw, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Told as a novel in verse and through the voices of Ariel and Tomah. If you like novel in verse or are looking for a story about the Ojibwe or Oibwa, give this a try.
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June 17, 2024Narrated by two young neighbors from an indigenous housing community in “the city” (unnamed), RED BIRD DANCING walks through the seasons of a school year. Ariel’s auntie has gone missing, and her family can no longer afford the ballet lessons that give her life and joy. Meanwhile Tomah has had to repeat third grade due to his difficulty with reading, but he loves to tell stories, crack jokes, and sit on the bench outside to watch the birds.
They navigate the changes of the year—some devastating—with resilience. Ariel learns to jingle dance and researches #MMIW for her school project while Tomah learns to read from a canny teacher and helps his community to grieve for their losses.
My one small quibble with the book is one that’s common to “novels in verse.” It’s not really great verse.
Instead, it’s great page art.
Quigley deftly uses line shape, word arrangement, spacing, font, and size to communicate the experiences and feelings of her two young protagonists.
I couldn’t put this one down and will hold the image of that empty red dress moving through the housing complex for a long, long time.
Teacher thoughts: For younger students, pair with HOUSE ARREST to examine the use of voice/page art with protagonists who are hurting. For older students, pair with WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED for a tandem read on #MMIW.
They navigate the changes of the year—some devastating—with resilience. Ariel learns to jingle dance and researches #MMIW for her school project while Tomah learns to read from a canny teacher and helps his community to grieve for their losses.
My one small quibble with the book is one that’s common to “novels in verse.” It’s not really great verse.
Instead, it’s great page art.
Quigley deftly uses line shape, word arrangement, spacing, font, and size to communicate the experiences and feelings of her two young protagonists.
I couldn’t put this one down and will hold the image of that empty red dress moving through the housing complex for a long, long time.
Teacher thoughts: For younger students, pair with HOUSE ARREST to examine the use of voice/page art with protagonists who are hurting. For older students, pair with WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED for a tandem read on #MMIW.
January 21, 2024
This is a really lovely middle grade novel-in-verse told from the perspectives of two Ojibwe tweens who live in a Native American urban housing community. Ariel's aunt is missing, and she chooses to study the missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis for a school project. She's also learning how to dance the jingle dance, though part of her wants to learn ballet. Tomah has a reading disability and struggles to read in school, the he hides the problem. Words dance on the page. While he struggles to read, he's an excellent storyteller and a valued member of his Native community because of it. He also loves feeding the birds.
This is a really beautiful and accessible novel.
This is a really beautiful and accessible novel.
April 22, 2025
This short, but powerful, novel-in-verse switches between two points-of-view: Ariel, an 11-year-old Indigenous dancer whose aunt has gone missing, and Tomah, her neighborhood friend who is struggling with reading and has a strong desire to protect his people. Both of them share the human need to be seen and understood, but add to that Ariel's missing auntie and the feelings are more raw. I highly recommend this book to readers ages 9+ who enjoy poetry. #MMIW
May 7, 2025
#mmiw and coming of age identity
June 5, 2024
Dawn Quigley’s writing is heartbreaking in an almost nostalgic way. The poetry is lyrical and emotional with heavy characterization between each one that makes the story seamless. It is a beautiful piece to read alone or have a discussion about.
February 13, 2025
This could have been an email
February 9, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this very lyrical novel in verse, we meet Ariel and Tomah, who both face struggles in an Intertribal housing complex. Ariel, who lives with her baby brother Misko and mother who provides childcare for the community, are dealing with the fact that her Aunt Bineshiinh is missing. Tomah, who is bigger than many students his age, struggles with reading, and acts the role of class clown to get out of having to read aloud. His father, who works a security job, doesn't quite understand his son. Ariel loves taking ballet lessons, but money is too tight to continue them, and her mother encourages her to take up jingle dress dancing as a way to help her community heal, especially when her aunt's body is found. Tomah's learning disability is finally uncovered, and he is able to work with a teacher on coping strategies, but has a set back when a heart problem lands him in the hospital. When the community has its yearly pow wow, the children use it as an opportunity to contact their local representatives to highlight the plight of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, symbolized by the empty red dress.
Strengths: This short novel packs an emotional punch, and sheds some light on the important topic of #MMIW. The supportive Intertribal community was something I hadn't read about. There is a great author note about city dwelling Indigenous people, and the apartment complex was a setting I had not seen before. Ariel and Tomah support each other, and also get help from older members in their community. This will be a very informative book for many middle grade readers.
Weaknesses: There were many of the pages that were filled with vertical lines of text (one word per line) instead of horizontal text that I found hard to read. I wonder if the arrangement of the lines was meant to mirror the difficulties that Tomah had reading. I could have used a longer book, with more information about many facets of the story, since it was so interesting.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the portray of Indigenous culture in Day's We Still Belong or the role that music and dance play in Kim's Make a Move, Sunny Park!
In this very lyrical novel in verse, we meet Ariel and Tomah, who both face struggles in an Intertribal housing complex. Ariel, who lives with her baby brother Misko and mother who provides childcare for the community, are dealing with the fact that her Aunt Bineshiinh is missing. Tomah, who is bigger than many students his age, struggles with reading, and acts the role of class clown to get out of having to read aloud. His father, who works a security job, doesn't quite understand his son. Ariel loves taking ballet lessons, but money is too tight to continue them, and her mother encourages her to take up jingle dress dancing as a way to help her community heal, especially when her aunt's body is found. Tomah's learning disability is finally uncovered, and he is able to work with a teacher on coping strategies, but has a set back when a heart problem lands him in the hospital. When the community has its yearly pow wow, the children use it as an opportunity to contact their local representatives to highlight the plight of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, symbolized by the empty red dress.
Strengths: This short novel packs an emotional punch, and sheds some light on the important topic of #MMIW. The supportive Intertribal community was something I hadn't read about. There is a great author note about city dwelling Indigenous people, and the apartment complex was a setting I had not seen before. Ariel and Tomah support each other, and also get help from older members in their community. This will be a very informative book for many middle grade readers.
Weaknesses: There were many of the pages that were filled with vertical lines of text (one word per line) instead of horizontal text that I found hard to read. I wonder if the arrangement of the lines was meant to mirror the difficulties that Tomah had reading. I could have used a longer book, with more information about many facets of the story, since it was so interesting.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the portray of Indigenous culture in Day's We Still Belong or the role that music and dance play in Kim's Make a Move, Sunny Park!
July 13, 2024
I believe that readers of all ages will appreciate much about RBD. Quigley developed Ariel and Tomah with impressive skill. As their efforts to cope with the tragic disappearance of Ariel’s Aunt and Tomah with his difficulties with reading evolve over the course of the book I found myself fully engaged and caring about them deeply. Readers will learn about how Ojibwe family and social dynamics help them cope with life’s challenges. The empty red dress, the jingle dress dance, and the roles which birds in particular and nature more generally play in their spirituality are also nicely interwoven into the story.
The author added some things which enhanced the educational value of RBD. These include a glossary of the Ojibwe vocabulary used in a timely way throughout the book. Additionally, there are also notes at the end which explain how Quigley’s experiences teaching Native American youth informed her efforts to write the book and a brief explanation of the jingle dress dance.
I am not a fan of poetry because I all too often find its use of metaphor and stylistic differences from prose to be obstacles to my admittedly more literal perspective on life. But perhaps because Red was written for middle grade readers the verse employed by Quigley is quite direct and thus readily readable.
Despite the seriousness of the subject matter the book ended in a hopeful way. Thus, it will be encouraging to younger readers.
Ariel and Tomah are such great characters that I hope Quigley will write a sequel. One cannot praise a book much more highly than that.
Those who wish to learn more about the practice of the empty red dress can do so at the website of Jaime Black. She is a Native American artist who did an exhibition on this subject.
https://www.jaimeblackartist.com/exhi...
The author added some things which enhanced the educational value of RBD. These include a glossary of the Ojibwe vocabulary used in a timely way throughout the book. Additionally, there are also notes at the end which explain how Quigley’s experiences teaching Native American youth informed her efforts to write the book and a brief explanation of the jingle dress dance.
I am not a fan of poetry because I all too often find its use of metaphor and stylistic differences from prose to be obstacles to my admittedly more literal perspective on life. But perhaps because Red was written for middle grade readers the verse employed by Quigley is quite direct and thus readily readable.
Despite the seriousness of the subject matter the book ended in a hopeful way. Thus, it will be encouraging to younger readers.
Ariel and Tomah are such great characters that I hope Quigley will write a sequel. One cannot praise a book much more highly than that.
Those who wish to learn more about the practice of the empty red dress can do so at the website of Jaime Black. She is a Native American artist who did an exhibition on this subject.
https://www.jaimeblackartist.com/exhi...
October 5, 2024
Quigley’s newest book is both heartbreaking and encouraging.
Eleven-year-old Ariel and twelve-year -old Tomah are Ojibwe tweens in an intertribal community complex in an urban setting. Ariel and Tomah are good friends. Ariel loves ballet, something she shared with her Aunt Bineshiinh, but her mother can’t afford the ballet lessons anymore. Even worse, her aunt is missing. Tomah loves telling stories and watching the birds, however he struggles in school. Reading is especially difficult for him. He hides that problem by being the class clown. When her aunt is found dead, Ariel and her mother really struggle with the loss. Ariel decides to do a school project on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). A community member encourages Ariel to learn the jingle dress dance, a tribal healing dance. Tomah’s teacher begins helping Tomah find reading strategies. Both Ariel and Tomah find healing in the tribal traditions and community.
Quigley tells the story in lovely, powerful verses. Ariel and Tomah narrate their stories, feelings and fear. Their pain and hope shine through the verse. Readers will sympathize with the tweens as they face their fears and problems. Quigley provides a lot of information about urban indigenous people, the Ojibwe language and traditions, and the jingle dress dance.
The book would be a wonderful addition to indigenous people units or collections. I Highly Recommend this title for school and public libraries serving grades five and up.
M.A.C.
Retired School Librarian
Eleven-year-old Ariel and twelve-year -old Tomah are Ojibwe tweens in an intertribal community complex in an urban setting. Ariel and Tomah are good friends. Ariel loves ballet, something she shared with her Aunt Bineshiinh, but her mother can’t afford the ballet lessons anymore. Even worse, her aunt is missing. Tomah loves telling stories and watching the birds, however he struggles in school. Reading is especially difficult for him. He hides that problem by being the class clown. When her aunt is found dead, Ariel and her mother really struggle with the loss. Ariel decides to do a school project on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). A community member encourages Ariel to learn the jingle dress dance, a tribal healing dance. Tomah’s teacher begins helping Tomah find reading strategies. Both Ariel and Tomah find healing in the tribal traditions and community.
Quigley tells the story in lovely, powerful verses. Ariel and Tomah narrate their stories, feelings and fear. Their pain and hope shine through the verse. Readers will sympathize with the tweens as they face their fears and problems. Quigley provides a lot of information about urban indigenous people, the Ojibwe language and traditions, and the jingle dress dance.
The book would be a wonderful addition to indigenous people units or collections. I Highly Recommend this title for school and public libraries serving grades five and up.
M.A.C.
Retired School Librarian
July 10, 2025
Ariel and Tomah are good friends living in a Native (mixed nations) housing complex - they love their community, their culture, and each other, but it's been a tough few months: Ariel's aunt is missing and the police don't seem to care; Ariel's family can't afford for her to continue ballet; and Tomah, who's always had trouble with learning at school, is really feeling frustrated and even stupid. Luckily, they are far from alone; their community is going through this with them, feeling their pain and celebrating their joys, and Ariel and Tomah realize that they don't need to world to see them: they're already seen and loved and hear and valued, right there at home.
I was really looking forward to this; there's been so many positive reviews talking in glowing terms about the language and the poems and the strength of emotion, and there's a desperate need for more diverse authentic Native representation in fiction. And there's obviously lots of strong feelings, emotions, and culture in this story, but I'm not sure I can put my finger on why it fell flat for me. While Ariel talks about missing her aunt, and the righteous indignity she feels when learning about MMIW, I don't actually feel it; there's nothing there to back it up (I don't think we even hear about her aunt until a little while in). There isn't much of a plot here, either; it's very character-focused and internal.
I tend to forget that I'm not a fan of verse OR realistic fiction (or I live in hope - I've been surprised before!), so that could bee a large part of this.
I was really looking forward to this; there's been so many positive reviews talking in glowing terms about the language and the poems and the strength of emotion, and there's a desperate need for more diverse authentic Native representation in fiction. And there's obviously lots of strong feelings, emotions, and culture in this story, but I'm not sure I can put my finger on why it fell flat for me. While Ariel talks about missing her aunt, and the righteous indignity she feels when learning about MMIW, I don't actually feel it; there's nothing there to back it up (I don't think we even hear about her aunt until a little while in). There isn't much of a plot here, either; it's very character-focused and internal.
I tend to forget that I'm not a fan of verse OR realistic fiction (or I live in hope - I've been surprised before!), so that could bee a large part of this.
July 11, 2024
11-year-old Ojibwe girl Ariel loves to dance ballet, but now that her Auntie Bineshiinh is missing, Ariel can't dance anymore. Not only does it not feel the same, but her parents tell her all of their extra money needs to go to trying to find Auntie. 12-year-old Tomah, Ariel's neighbor in their Intertribal Housing Complex, misses Auntie Bineshiinh too -- she was his babysitter. At school, Tomah acts like a class clown to hide the fact that he struggles to read. Ariel decides to do a school project on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in order to raise awareness of people like Auntie Bineshiinh. She also learns to perform the Jingle Dance from Tomah's grandmother which helps her think how her love of dancing can help heal her and her community.
This intricately woven novel in verse shows two Indigenous tweens who find ways to persevere despite their challenges. The verse switches between Ariel and Tomah's perspective seamlessly and incorporates Ojibwe language throughout. This book is emotional, and sensitive readers will be able to connect with the protagonists easily. This book is beautifully written and filled with heartbreak and hope in equal measure.
This intricately woven novel in verse shows two Indigenous tweens who find ways to persevere despite their challenges. The verse switches between Ariel and Tomah's perspective seamlessly and incorporates Ojibwe language throughout. This book is emotional, and sensitive readers will be able to connect with the protagonists easily. This book is beautifully written and filled with heartbreak and hope in equal measure.
September 19, 2024
I know it's getting a lot of hype but I don't think the audience matches the writing and in reading it, the vagueness of the story from start to finish made me frustrated. I wanted more substance because it felt more ethereal than real though Quigley's message is one of taking back power and showcasing Indigenous folks who don't live on reservations in the middle of the United States but in urban areas like Tomah and Ariel, the two characters from the story. Ariel is struggling because her auntie is a missing woman. There's a lot of past and present to unpack and uncertainty about the future that maybe Tomah and Ariel can band together to help muddle their way through.
The verse works for the concept but I wish it was more literal than figurative to drive home the point of missing women in the community for a younger audience. I don't know if readers would come away with the knowledge and understanding if they didn't already have it before.
One of the last chapters "Survive and Breathe" in Tomah's words was one of my favorites.
The verse works for the concept but I wish it was more literal than figurative to drive home the point of missing women in the community for a younger audience. I don't know if readers would come away with the knowledge and understanding if they didn't already have it before.
One of the last chapters "Survive and Breathe" in Tomah's words was one of my favorites.
February 2, 2025
🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶
“Red Bird Danced” by Dawn Quigley was a poignant tribute to her Ojibwe community, former students, and to the MMIWG2S (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people). This middle grade book was beautifully crafted through verse with subtle details and soft, but powerful, emotion.
The story is told through the perspectives of two young Indigenous kids, Ariel and Tomah. This year has a heavy weight blanketing them with Ariel’s missing auntie, Bineshiinh, and Tomas’ secret learning disability. While the writing itself is uncomplicated, especially considering the age of the characters, and intended audience, it’s quite impactful when wading through such difficult topics.
Quigley’s delicate voice makes this an important and kid friendly novel for young readers, but also for adults too. There’s an additional educational element that is essential too. I really enjoyed this short story, and anticipate reading it again.
Content warning for those touched by the loss of a loved one, especially under painful circumstances.
🪶🫶
“Red Bird Danced” by Dawn Quigley was a poignant tribute to her Ojibwe community, former students, and to the MMIWG2S (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people). This middle grade book was beautifully crafted through verse with subtle details and soft, but powerful, emotion.
The story is told through the perspectives of two young Indigenous kids, Ariel and Tomah. This year has a heavy weight blanketing them with Ariel’s missing auntie, Bineshiinh, and Tomas’ secret learning disability. While the writing itself is uncomplicated, especially considering the age of the characters, and intended audience, it’s quite impactful when wading through such difficult topics.
Quigley’s delicate voice makes this an important and kid friendly novel for young readers, but also for adults too. There’s an additional educational element that is essential too. I really enjoyed this short story, and anticipate reading it again.
Content warning for those touched by the loss of a loved one, especially under painful circumstances.
🪶🫶
November 6, 2024
“And in the middle of the circle, a red bird danced.”
🩰
Best friends Ariel and Tomah are both grappling with different issues. Ariel’s Auntie Bineshiinh, the reason she loves dance so much, is missing and so is Ariel’s joy in dance. Tomah has always been the class clown, using humor to divert attention from the fact that he struggles in school. As the seasons change, both kids learn how to cope with grief, loss, as well as finding joy and hope again.
🐦🔥
WOW. This MG novel in verse by Dawn Quigley was phenomenal. Perfect for this age group. It had such depth and challenging topics that will generate amazing conversations, particularly around learning disabilities and #MMIW Don’t sleep on this one for #indigenouspeoplesmonth The Author’s Note and information at the end were particularly enlightening. Pair with We Still Belong or Warrior Girl Unearthed for older readers.
CW: death, missing person, grief, learning disability, MMIW
🩰
Best friends Ariel and Tomah are both grappling with different issues. Ariel’s Auntie Bineshiinh, the reason she loves dance so much, is missing and so is Ariel’s joy in dance. Tomah has always been the class clown, using humor to divert attention from the fact that he struggles in school. As the seasons change, both kids learn how to cope with grief, loss, as well as finding joy and hope again.
🐦🔥
WOW. This MG novel in verse by Dawn Quigley was phenomenal. Perfect for this age group. It had such depth and challenging topics that will generate amazing conversations, particularly around learning disabilities and #MMIW Don’t sleep on this one for #indigenouspeoplesmonth The Author’s Note and information at the end were particularly enlightening. Pair with We Still Belong or Warrior Girl Unearthed for older readers.
CW: death, missing person, grief, learning disability, MMIW
November 29, 2024
I'm always surprised by how much story and emotion authors manage to pack into the most feather-light web of words. This novel in verse is sparse and spare and weighs almost nothing at all. But the topics are heavy and important: embracing one's cultural heritage, tackling learning disabilities, the loss of a loved one, the disproportionate loss of indigenous women, neighborliness and community.
My biggest complaint had nothing to do with the author or the story, but because I read this in ebook format, the shape of the verse was sometimes too difficult to see. It was impossible to tell if it was intentional or if the ebook formatting was just haphazard. Some of the words within the poems would be artistically spaced in ways that were clearly meant to convey visual information. But there were several times when the words would be guttered into the next page swipe, or the single letters would be completely unfindable.
My biggest complaint had nothing to do with the author or the story, but because I read this in ebook format, the shape of the verse was sometimes too difficult to see. It was impossible to tell if it was intentional or if the ebook formatting was just haphazard. Some of the words within the poems would be artistically spaced in ways that were clearly meant to convey visual information. But there were several times when the words would be guttered into the next page swipe, or the single letters would be completely unfindable.
December 19, 2024
"Red Bird Danced" is a beautifully crafted middle-grade novel that resonates with lyrical prose and emotional depth. The story explores the lives of Ariel and Tomah, two urban Native kids navigating personal struggles and finding solace in their shared community and cultural connections.
Ariel’s journey through grief and her rediscovery of joy in dance, alongside Tomah’s attempts to find his place and purpose, are heartfelt and moving. The book delicately tackles heavy themes like loss, resilience, and the strength found in cultural heritage, weaving them into a narrative that feels authentic and accessible for young readers.
Despite its brevity, the novel leaves a lasting impact, offering both insight and hope. The representation of Native experiences, combined with a poetic writing style, makes this a standout story. 5 out of 5 and only wish there had been more of it to savor.
Ariel’s journey through grief and her rediscovery of joy in dance, alongside Tomah’s attempts to find his place and purpose, are heartfelt and moving. The book delicately tackles heavy themes like loss, resilience, and the strength found in cultural heritage, weaving them into a narrative that feels authentic and accessible for young readers.
Despite its brevity, the novel leaves a lasting impact, offering both insight and hope. The representation of Native experiences, combined with a poetic writing style, makes this a standout story. 5 out of 5 and only wish there had been more of it to savor.
March 9, 2024
This MG Novel In Verse features two ojibwe teens who live in an urban Native American community.
Ariel and Tomah shine in their poetic setting. The theme of dancing, whether it be Ariel learning to jingle dance or Tomah struggling to read as the words 'dance' on the page, is beautiful and very symbolically representative of Native dancing.
There is a deep touch on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (#MMIW) issues as Ariel's aunt has gone missing. It explores the effect this has on the community and the way the community comes together for it.
This is an exceptional story grounded in what life is like for modern urban Native Americans, we do not exist in stereotype western form, and would be a good addition to any school library for that fact alone, but it also has a heart and depth to it that is easy to find inspiring for any reader.
Ariel and Tomah shine in their poetic setting. The theme of dancing, whether it be Ariel learning to jingle dance or Tomah struggling to read as the words 'dance' on the page, is beautiful and very symbolically representative of Native dancing.
There is a deep touch on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (#MMIW) issues as Ariel's aunt has gone missing. It explores the effect this has on the community and the way the community comes together for it.
This is an exceptional story grounded in what life is like for modern urban Native Americans, we do not exist in stereotype western form, and would be a good addition to any school library for that fact alone, but it also has a heart and depth to it that is easy to find inspiring for any reader.
July 6, 2024
This book focuses on #mmiw 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣
A middle-grade, coming-of-age lyrical novel about a girl who has Dance in her heart. First ballet, then she discovers the fire of dancing her culture.
"Our community needs healing."
"Our community needs hope."
They need her to dance and heal them. The jingle dance is a form of dance at a powwow. It has a lot of metal cones or jingles attached to ribbons.
Dancing brings her joy, but she feels guilty because her Aunt is missing and not much the authorities do about it.
But she dances... dances... dances...
Her friend Thomas shares her grief and helps.
"TOGETHER, IN COMMUNITY WE SAY
I see each ancestor's
Light
Breathing
Life
Into
Our
Native hearts.
We
Will
We
Must.... survive."
A two POVs verse novel about loss and healing. Don't miss this one. Includes extra pages at the end with relevant info.
A middle-grade, coming-of-age lyrical novel about a girl who has Dance in her heart. First ballet, then she discovers the fire of dancing her culture.
"Our community needs healing."
"Our community needs hope."
They need her to dance and heal them. The jingle dance is a form of dance at a powwow. It has a lot of metal cones or jingles attached to ribbons.
Dancing brings her joy, but she feels guilty because her Aunt is missing and not much the authorities do about it.
But she dances... dances... dances...
Her friend Thomas shares her grief and helps.
"TOGETHER, IN COMMUNITY WE SAY
I see each ancestor's
Light
Breathing
Life
Into
Our
Native hearts.
We
Will
We
Must.... survive."
A two POVs verse novel about loss and healing. Don't miss this one. Includes extra pages at the end with relevant info.
August 1, 2024
This is a powerful exploration of the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women interwoven into a poignant coming-of-age story. The voices of Tomah and Ariel are raw and authentic, and their struggles are real. The novel's skillful use of verse is both innovative and effective. I often feel that books are labeled as novels-in-verse when they don't really fit that description, but this is a great example of the form. The exploration of Indigenous culture and history, particularly the significance of the red dress and the jingle dress, was especially interesting. I was intrigued to learn that the history of the jingle dress is connected to the 1918 flu. It's a great story and an important book! I also love the artwork on the cover.
August 25, 2024
Short and sweet, loved the style as written in verse, and I loved how it tackled topics big and small in the characters’ community. Great representation for dyslexia and the shame it makes those who have this learning disability feel the need to hide. And an outstanding introductory level piece to highlighted the importance of MMIW, the movement for acknowledgement and attention to be brought to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women throughout the nation. I was captivated through the emotional turmoil, but also great Joy in community felt by both Ariel and Tomah, and feel privileged to have been allowed to share in their story.
September 14, 2024
At first glance this thin novel in verse appears to be written very simply, but there is so much to unpack on each page! This is such a beautiful novel told from alternating perspectives that celebrates Native American communities while also raising awareness about missing and murdered indigenous women. The author's decision to tell this story in verse- from the physical layout on the page to the boldness and faintness of ink-adds so many layers of meaning to each of the poems. This novel would be a treasure to teach in any secondary ELA classroom. Don't miss the extra author goodies at the end- glossary, author's note and extra info.
February 1, 2025
This brief novel packs quite a lot into it's few pages. Ariel and Tomah, two urban Native kids living in a tribal housing complex, give their differing perspectives on their life. Ariel has always done ballet but her family can't afford it anymore and her mom is trying to persuade her to try traditional dancing. Tomah struggles in school because he has a reading disability that he has concealed from everyone by being a class clown. Both of them are dealing in their different ways with the disappearance of Ariel's Auntie Bineshiinh, who was close to many of the kids in the community. The issue of MMIW takes center stage here, as well as the comfort in traditional practices.
September 20, 2024
Novel-in-verse told in the voices of Ariel and Tomah who live in a Native American city housing complex. Ariel wants to continue to learn ballet but money is tight since her beloved Aunt disappeared. Ariel does her research project on #MMIW – Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women – hoping to solve her Aunt’s disappearance and takes up jingle dress dancing. Tomah watches over the birds and the people in the housing complex. Although he struggles academically, he is a gifted storyteller and uses his gift to help tell the story of Ariel’s missing Aunt.
November 18, 2024
This powerful novel-in-verse is about seeing and being seen. Told in alternating perspectives, Ariel and Tomah often see what others do not in their intertribal housing complex. Together they shed light on a variety of issues including the ever growing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. While heart-wrenching, their story is shared in a way that will be accessible even to upper elementary students. With the support of their parents, teachers, and community, Ariel and Tomah find ways to continue. Highly recommended for grades 5 & up.
eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
February 6, 2025
A moving story told in verse, Red Bird Danced touches on the lives of two Native youths as they learn to navigate the unexpected in ways that honor their culture. Very much enjoyed this book and will remember it every time I see a cardinal or a red dress.
A note about how I rate books: 5 Stars - It was life-touching amazing; 4 Stars - I liked it so much I will recommend it to others without being asked; 3 Stars - It was a good read that I will recommend to members of the target audience; 2 - It was okay; 1 - It was not for me, but that doesn't mean it's not for others.
A note about how I rate books: 5 Stars - It was life-touching amazing; 4 Stars - I liked it so much I will recommend it to others without being asked; 3 Stars - It was a good read that I will recommend to members of the target audience; 2 - It was okay; 1 - It was not for me, but that doesn't mean it's not for others.
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