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The Heart of a Chief
Chris Nicola's life is complicated. He lives on the Penacook Indian Reservation and goes to school in town. At school, things are going great--he's been selected to lead a group project on using Indian names for sporting teams. But it's another story at home. The Penacook are divided over whether or not to build a casino on a beautiful island Chris things of as his own. Is there anything one sixth-grade boy can do?
"Chris's compelling voyage of self-discovery is grounded in everyday events...allowing readers to see into the heart of this burgeoning chief." - Publishers Weekly
"Readers who see injustice in their own lives will admire how much Chris accomplishes with a simple message of respect." -Booklist
"Chris's compelling voyage of self-discovery is grounded in everyday events...allowing readers to see into the heart of this burgeoning chief." - Publishers Weekly
"Readers who see injustice in their own lives will admire how much Chris accomplishes with a simple message of respect." -Booklist
160 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
11 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Bruchac
287 books602 followersJoseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished. He, his younger sister Margaret, and his two grown sons, James and Jesse, continue to work extensively in projects involving the preservation of Abenaki culture, language and traditional Native skills, including performing traditional and contemporary Abenaki music with the Dawnland Singers.
He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.
He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 22, 2024
This is one of those rare instances where the book could easily have been longer, but as it is, it's probably easier for young readers to digest. My only nitpick here is that Chris doesn't have much of a visible arc. What is there is subtle and well done, but we don't get to see enough of his insecurity to feel the full impact of his later confidence.
I'm sure others take issue with the ending. I don't. and of course that doesn't reflect real life, particularly in today's political climate and tensions around race. But for a younger audience, it offers hope that they can make a difference; and for adults, perhaps an example of how things should be. And maybe we need more books that do just that.
I'm sure others take issue with the ending. I don't. and of course that doesn't reflect real life, particularly in today's political climate and tensions around race. But for a younger audience, it offers hope that they can make a difference; and for adults, perhaps an example of how things should be. And maybe we need more books that do just that.
May 18, 2019
Joseph Bruchac, a Native American of Abenaki descent, is one of my all-time favorite children's authors, and I am always amazed at the almost-comprehensive catalogue of genres he has mastered. From picture books to plays, folktale collections to nonfiction, as well as historical, contemporary, fantasy and horror fiction, his work is diverse in form, but consistent in both its quality, and its commitment to issues relevant to America's indigenous peoples.
Heart of a Chief is no exception. An engaging middle-grade novel, it follows the story of eleven-year-old Chris Nicola who, in addition to grappling with some very tough family issues, finds himself confronting the question of Indian mascots in his class at school, and the even thornier dilemma of gambling on his New Hampshire reservation. Bruchac handles these controversial subjects with sensitivity, particularly the issue of gambling, which has been very divisive among Native communities. Although it does address some serious problems, Heart of a Chief is a fairly optimistic book, and young readers will appreciate Chris's fair-minded, tolerant approach to life, as well as Bruchac's message that children can have a positive effect upon the world around them.
Heart of a Chief is no exception. An engaging middle-grade novel, it follows the story of eleven-year-old Chris Nicola who, in addition to grappling with some very tough family issues, finds himself confronting the question of Indian mascots in his class at school, and the even thornier dilemma of gambling on his New Hampshire reservation. Bruchac handles these controversial subjects with sensitivity, particularly the issue of gambling, which has been very divisive among Native communities. Although it does address some serious problems, Heart of a Chief is a fairly optimistic book, and young readers will appreciate Chris's fair-minded, tolerant approach to life, as well as Bruchac's message that children can have a positive effect upon the world around them.
April 2, 2010
As I was reading this, I tried really hard not to compare Joseph Bruchac to Sherman Alexie. That lasted about five minutes, and for the rest of the story I kept thinking, "Okay, this is nice and all, but Sherman Alexie did the same thing, and he did it better."
I think my problem with this book is that Bruchac's tone felt really condescending - like he thought that he couldn't write a book about Indian characters without having them speak in their native language and talk about their spiritual connection to Mother Earth every five pages. I'm sure there are people who really do think like this, and speak tribal languages, and sit around listening to their wise elders tell spiritually uplifting stories. But after Sherman Alexie, all of this felt fake and silly, like Bruchac was just pandering to his white audience. I kept expecting the characters to break out into a rousing chorus of "The Colors of the Wind." You know that old commercial with the Indian guy crying about pollution? This book felt kind of like that.
Read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie instead. It's better written, the characters are real people and not cartoon characters, and the story is still beautiful without feeling like a Hallmark card.
Read for: Social Justice in Young Adult Literature
I think my problem with this book is that Bruchac's tone felt really condescending - like he thought that he couldn't write a book about Indian characters without having them speak in their native language and talk about their spiritual connection to Mother Earth every five pages. I'm sure there are people who really do think like this, and speak tribal languages, and sit around listening to their wise elders tell spiritually uplifting stories. But after Sherman Alexie, all of this felt fake and silly, like Bruchac was just pandering to his white audience. I kept expecting the characters to break out into a rousing chorus of "The Colors of the Wind." You know that old commercial with the Indian guy crying about pollution? This book felt kind of like that.
Read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie instead. It's better written, the characters are real people and not cartoon characters, and the story is still beautiful without feeling like a Hallmark card.
Read for: Social Justice in Young Adult Literature
September 18, 2021
Book Review September 2021
The Heart of a Chief is a novel but is based on the realities of contemporary Indian America about a kid named Chris who lives in Cook India Reservation and lives with his dad at a simple house. At school things is going great for Chris he’s been selected to lead a group project on using Indian names for sports team.
One emotion that I got from the book was that when Chris said “The heart of a true chief beats with the hearts of the people” that got me a little bit of my eyes to tiers when reading that statement. This book may apple to people who may what to see a indian person point of view and how he needs to deal with school problems because of their mascot but also his family problems since his mom passed away and how his dad is an alcohol. In conclusion The heart of a chief is a great book to read when every you want to read it. I give it a 4 out 5 stars because of how the author Joseph Bruchac did such a great job of the book and the writings and emotions to this book has.
The Heart of a Chief is a novel but is based on the realities of contemporary Indian America about a kid named Chris who lives in Cook India Reservation and lives with his dad at a simple house. At school things is going great for Chris he’s been selected to lead a group project on using Indian names for sports team.
One emotion that I got from the book was that when Chris said “The heart of a true chief beats with the hearts of the people” that got me a little bit of my eyes to tiers when reading that statement. This book may apple to people who may what to see a indian person point of view and how he needs to deal with school problems because of their mascot but also his family problems since his mom passed away and how his dad is an alcohol. In conclusion The heart of a chief is a great book to read when every you want to read it. I give it a 4 out 5 stars because of how the author Joseph Bruchac did such a great job of the book and the writings and emotions to this book has.
June 19, 2019
Things I loved about this book: contemporary native american kid, being a contemporary kid. Sensitive depiction of the Reservation -- the safety and comfort it represents to residents vs what it looks like to outsiders. Chris' strength and articulate self-expression. The fearless tackling of large issues -- the use of Native American stereotypes for sports teams, the debates over what a casino brings to a community/takes from a community, the pain of alcoholism and how it affects entire families (this is not a Native American specific issue by any means, but it is handled very well here). The way community support really makes a difference in the lives of all of the kids depicted, from the families on the rez to the school staff. The beauty of Penacook rules for meetings and coming to consensus rather than majority rules.
lots. I loved lots of things about this book.
lots. I loved lots of things about this book.
July 13, 2017
This is a great book about being an Native American in the Northeast (US) written by a Native American author. It's contemporary and addresses issues affecting our American Indian students today. It's a little cerebral in the sense that most of the main character's conflicts to overcome are in how he thinks of his family, his heritage, and fellow students in school. On the other hand, the main character's a junior high student and that's the age where we're pretty much getting in our own way anyway. It's very well written and I enjoyed both the point of view (which I need to expose myself to more) and the storyline.
April 30, 2019
I like this book it really stuck out to me as it just shows the life of a young boy (Chris) who lives in a Native American Reservation that is going to be taken down for a casino. This book showed me that everyone has a voice and that one person can change peoples mind with help of friends and family. Chris took leadership and Pride in his tribe! This book was good 7/10 from me I recommend it though!
July 6, 2017
Manages to remain an authentic-feeling account of life on the reservation without resorting to inappropriate language or content. Ending doesn't feel earned, though -- a little cute, somewhat "after school special" tone.
June 2, 2022
Listen to the audio book. Interesting book about Indian reservation and how they perceive the use of Indian names for Sports team. Now I understand why so many sports teams are moving away from previous Indian names.
October 25, 2022
A good story! I liked that it convinced me that a middle schooler was telling the story. Certainly not very complex, but a good jumping off point for kids to start understanding the perspectives of Native Americans.
November 19, 2022
The Heart of a Chief is a great novel for elementary or middle school aged kids in starting or progressing discussions around racism, colonialism, privilege, power, and identity.
You can hear about actual issues plaguing Indigenous communities from an actual Indigenous person. No more white-westernized perspectives (at least not at the forefront)! The book felt like a non-fictional piece with how realistic everything was written. From the little habits of a young boy and his friends down to language inclusion, Heart of a Chief feels real.
You can hear about actual issues plaguing Indigenous communities from an actual Indigenous person. No more white-westernized perspectives (at least not at the forefront)! The book felt like a non-fictional piece with how realistic everything was written. From the little habits of a young boy and his friends down to language inclusion, Heart of a Chief feels real.
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October 8, 2019Good book that sheds light onto culture that isn't familiar to everyone.
November 4, 2024
Great lessons, and I found it very well structured for its middle grade audience.
February 28, 2023
I had fun reading the book😋 It was a nice read!!
March 13, 2017
Chris lives on a Penacook reservation, but attends school in town. He lives with his grandfather and great Aunt after the death of his mother and the alcoholic problems of his father. Chris misses his father terribly and longs for his return. Especially since the reservation is facing the serious difficulties of unemployment and the possibility of a casino being built on their island. Meanwhile, at school, language arts class presents Chris with the opportunity of taking on another issue: using Indians as mascots for athletic teams. With Chris leading the way, his group researches a topic close to home and present their argument before their class, the principal and the school board.
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September 19, 2016This book is about Chris, a young boy who lives on a Native American reservation. He is in the middle of a discussion as to whether or not their tribe should build a casino.
February 27, 2010
Chris is Penacook. The native people who live on his reservation are divided over building a casino to help ease the economic stress of life on the reservation. Chris has strong feelings on the issue but he has been raised to be respectful of all opinions, and to abide by the will of the group. New at the local middle school, his first experience on at off-reservation school, Chris discovers that his calm manner and soft spoken ways are appreciated by his teachers and his classmates. When they choose him to be the leader on a class project, Chris further stirs things up when the group decides to focus their project on sports mascots and team names. Since the school team is named the Chiefs, many students are angered by the threat to their "traditions."
Throughout the book, Chris reflects on the teachings of his father and Grandparents. In order to discover who he is and what he stands for, Chris must align his emotions with his feelings and his thoughts- not an easy task for a sixth grader, but essential if he is to make a difference for his people.
In the book we learn a great deal about Native culture and the values from which the "noble" label derives. We also learn about the issue of sports team names and why Native People resent their use. Some of the positive and negative aspects of casinos are presented, though in a very simplified way, but overall, Bruchac has successfully crafted a realistic picture of life on a reservation in contemporary times. Or at least he's opened the door to our understanding, and invited us to learn more...
Throughout the book, Chris reflects on the teachings of his father and Grandparents. In order to discover who he is and what he stands for, Chris must align his emotions with his feelings and his thoughts- not an easy task for a sixth grader, but essential if he is to make a difference for his people.
In the book we learn a great deal about Native culture and the values from which the "noble" label derives. We also learn about the issue of sports team names and why Native People resent their use. Some of the positive and negative aspects of casinos are presented, though in a very simplified way, but overall, Bruchac has successfully crafted a realistic picture of life on a reservation in contemporary times. Or at least he's opened the door to our understanding, and invited us to learn more...
October 3, 2016
Bruchac's novel is moving and persuasive. He offers many issues for young readers to discuss regarding the Native American community, especially the issue of using the names of tribes for sports teams. He addresses the false tendency to think of the names as honoring the pride and strength of a native nation’s heritage. The examples and the personalizing of the issue through the eyes of young Chris Nicola will engage young readers as they come to understand how even if the names intend on harm, they still do cause a deep degree of hurt. Bruchac explains how using the names of tribes degrades and makes a "joke" of them. This puts the issue in a quandary, but the people who experience the hurt should not be dismissed. Bruchac provides a clear picture of the need for awareness. He states that understanding “isn't just what was done in the past that's important; it's also what we do now.” The book presents insight into native cultures and gives readers an idea of the hardships on a reservation. The issue of native casinos is also dealt with. Mito's words in the letter Chris reads at the meeting resonate with wisdom: “to build that casino on a place in the heart of our land has been like a decision to cut out the heart of our people.” Bruchac’s book does an excellent job of showing the importance of preserving the past and viewing nature as a cycle that is disrupted when its balance is offset. He also addresses the pros and cons to the issue of money. It gives the tribe a chance to elevate itself while at the same time they can still honor the heart of their land.
April 2, 2013
Heart of a Chief by Joseph Bruchac is about a boy named Chris. Chris is entering middle school but the middle school is located outside the reservation. Chris deals with his fathers alcoholism while maintaining strong ties to his family, the threat of a casino being built in the middle of the reservation, and the controversy over middle school mascot, the Chiefs. Chris is struggling with discovering who he is and where he belongs. This is a good coming of age story that highlights changes from elementary school to middle school.
I thought that the book was okay. It was nothing spectacular. It was a quick read but nothing that I hadn't heard before. This book reminded me of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian but dramatic in different ways. I thought that this book was more serious than the True Diary was. The one thing I liked about it was the mix of English and Penacook. If I were to pick between the two books for my class, I would pick the True Diary. I thought that Heart of a Chief was almost boring at parts.
If I were to recommend this book, I would recommend it to late elementary to early middle school students. They would relate the most to the coming of age struggles that Chris faces throughout the novel. I think that high school students would think that this book is for little kids and would rather read True Diary instead.
I thought that the book was okay. It was nothing spectacular. It was a quick read but nothing that I hadn't heard before. This book reminded me of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian but dramatic in different ways. I thought that this book was more serious than the True Diary was. The one thing I liked about it was the mix of English and Penacook. If I were to pick between the two books for my class, I would pick the True Diary. I thought that Heart of a Chief was almost boring at parts.
If I were to recommend this book, I would recommend it to late elementary to early middle school students. They would relate the most to the coming of age struggles that Chris faces throughout the novel. I think that high school students would think that this book is for little kids and would rather read True Diary instead.
May 16, 2016
I really liked the theme and message that this book gives. I think that no school or sports teams should have a Native American (or anything related to) as their mascot, because it is just very disrespectful. I'm very happy that my school changed their mascot from the Redskins to Red Hawks, because I don't want to be grouped into a race/culture that I am not. Plus, I don't see how my school was promoting Native Americans in any way, and it ticks me off when I see people from my school dress up as stereotypical Indians to promote or cheer for the athletes.
At first I was confused and frustrated because I thought my teacher was making us read a lame book, but I was wrong (I'm now very thankful that she made our class read it & now I also know why). The main character in this story is Native American (both his parents are) and shares his culture and opinions about certain topics that I completely agree with (and can somewhat related to). I'm happy that I'm now a little more educated about native Americans and what they have to say about their culture being abused, mistreated, and stereotyped. I highly recommend this book for ignorant people who stereotype everything, and for those who want to be more educated in other cultures.
At first I was confused and frustrated because I thought my teacher was making us read a lame book, but I was wrong (I'm now very thankful that she made our class read it & now I also know why). The main character in this story is Native American (both his parents are) and shares his culture and opinions about certain topics that I completely agree with (and can somewhat related to). I'm happy that I'm now a little more educated about native Americans and what they have to say about their culture being abused, mistreated, and stereotyped. I highly recommend this book for ignorant people who stereotype everything, and for those who want to be more educated in other cultures.
February 4, 2008
I really enjoyed this story. It tackled not one, but many social struggles that could be facing a young American Indian. Learning about the Penacook culture and language was inspiring as was following Chris as he grew throughout the story. The issue of racist sport team names is a great topic to present to younger readers as some teams remove certain names and figures while others fight to maintain others. Excellent class debates could be held after reading this book. It will also keep students alert to similar racist themes in costumes, clothing, and speech that they may come across and feel a need to stand up against. In 2002 Abercrombie and Fitch had a series of t-shirts depicting Asian Americans as 1900’s slant-eyed cartoons with sayings like “Wong Brothers Laundry Service -- Two Wongs Can Make It White”. This book may well help students be much more sensitive to these demeaning items.
February 9, 2009
Joseph Bruchac created a well-written and thoughtful story in The Heart of a Chief. This book offers students a different perspective as the story is told by a pre-teen Native American boy, which allows students to see and feel what he does throughout the story. The main character, Chris, shares his “two sides” throughout the story as seen, for example, in the first chapter when Chris shares information about his name in both Christian terms and beliefs and in Penacook terms and beliefs. A varied perspective is also offered when Chris and his friend Katie share their view on the holiday Thanksgiving.
This text can also give rise to critical inquiry. One example being the discussion that Chris and his classmates get into of giving Indian names to sports teams. The other issue that divided the Penacook tribe was the building of a casino on their reservation. Students could initiate a discussion of casinos and the pros and cons of having one in their community.
This text can also give rise to critical inquiry. One example being the discussion that Chris and his classmates get into of giving Indian names to sports teams. The other issue that divided the Penacook tribe was the building of a casino on their reservation. Students could initiate a discussion of casinos and the pros and cons of having one in their community.
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April 14, 2016Historical- Fiction Book #1
This book was about a boy named Chris who lived in an Indian Reservation. His small tribe is known as the Penacook. His mother passed away in a fire and his dad is in rehab for alcohol. So, he is living with his extended family. The tribe wants to put a casino on their special island and it causes a lot of controversy, in the end, Chris' dad, Mito, writes a letter and gives them their land where their trailer used to be (and where the mother passed away). Another big portion of the story was about Chris and his project in his language arts class. His project is that there should be no mascots affiliated with Indians, this gets the whole city talking and they vote on a new name, which was not told in the book.
This book was about a boy named Chris who lived in an Indian Reservation. His small tribe is known as the Penacook. His mother passed away in a fire and his dad is in rehab for alcohol. So, he is living with his extended family. The tribe wants to put a casino on their special island and it causes a lot of controversy, in the end, Chris' dad, Mito, writes a letter and gives them their land where their trailer used to be (and where the mother passed away). Another big portion of the story was about Chris and his project in his language arts class. His project is that there should be no mascots affiliated with Indians, this gets the whole city talking and they vote on a new name, which was not told in the book.
April 10, 2007
I really enjoyed reading The Heart of a Chief by Joseph Bruchac. The voice of the narrator is very strong. I can see what he is seeing and feel what he is feeling. Throughout the book I was taken back to middle school and I recognized similarities, such as how friends in elementary school are no longer your friends in middle school and how difficult that is sometimes to deal with. I liked how Chris grew and at the end of the book I cried when Chris says that, “the heart of a true chief beats with the hearts of the people” (153). That was such a profound statement to me; it showed how much Chris understands at his young age.
October 12, 2009
Chris lives on a fictional reservation, the Penacook reservation in New Hampshire. However, the issues he has to deal with, like the alcoholism of his father, the potential building of a lucrative casino on a sacred island, and most of all, fitting in in the sixth grade at Rangerville Junior High, are real issues facing Indian children today. He unexpectedly takes a leadership role in a group project in social studies class involving protesting the name of the school team, the Chiefs, that is disrespectful to the Indians, and learns a lot about dealing with people in authority to promote the goals of his tribe: developing the heart of a Chief.
October 15, 2014
In my search for young adult books with strong Native American characters, I came across this Joseph Bruchac novel. It was written in 1998 but its themes are those that are still being addressed in Native communities today. The main character is a 6th grader living on a fictitious reservation in the northeast. Issues that are confronted alcohol abuse, tribal leadership, casino gambling and Native American mascots. While it doesn't delve deeply into any of these, it is a great starting point. It is a quick read and the readability is probably somewhere near the 5th grade. I would definitely recommend this to my 6th grade students.
October 6, 2011
I think that Chris has cool nicknames for his friends. I do think Belly Button is a little inappropriate. I do like Gartersnake and Pizza. I feel sorry for them because their island is going to be ruined. I predict that they will get in trouble and be proud for trying to protect the island.
May 27, 2015
I thought that this was a okay book, it had me hanging' from a cliff at times with suspense, which was cool. It was very interesting too I thought, it was funny when he burnt the stuff down though, so all in all it was okay.
February 28, 2008
This is such a powerful book. It sends a wonderful message to kids that they really have the power to change the world.
September 24, 2010
it tries too hard to be "cultural"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews