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Brave Bird at Wounded Knee: A Story of Protest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
It’s 1973, and in Denver, Colorado, Patsy Antoine doesn’t usually give much thought to her relatives living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. After all, her classmates don’t even know she’s part Lakota. Then she learns the tiny town of Wounded Knee has been occupied. Now Patsy’s relatives are stuck amid the conflict between American Indian Movement activists and Oglala Lakota tribe members on the one side, and federal marshals and FBI agents on the other. When Patsy visits her relatives on Pine Ridge, she learns more about her heritage and the clashing perspectives on the Wounded Knee occupation. As she connects with her roots, Patsy must grapple with the complexities of the conflict and of being biracial. It’s the storytellers that preserve a nation’s history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events about people whose voices have been excluded, lost, or forgotten over time.
160 pages, Paperback
Published December 31, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 22, 2024
When the occupation and siege at Wounded Knee hits the news, Patsy’s classmates are annoyed or dismissive, but Patsy is worried for her aunt’s family, who live nearby on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
When I was younger I was completely hooked on those Dear America diaries about girls living through turbulent eras of American history. There was something about getting an average girl’s perspective of historic events that really immersed me in the story. Brave Bird at Wounded Knee follows a similar format, though it blends diary entries with traditional narration from Patsy’s perspective.
In this short book we cover a lot of ground. Patsy is white-passing and doesn’t have much connection with her Lakota heritage, but over the course of the book she comes to become more interested in connecting with her roots and gains the confidence to talk openly about being half-Lakota. I liked how a young reader would learn about the importance of witnessing and recording history alongside Patsy, and how we got to see a plethora of perspectives on the occupation through various supporting characters.
However I did think that the story took a little while to get going, with Patsy not even leaving to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation until about the halfway point. While we learn plenty about the history of the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890 and the events on the reservation that led up to the occupation, Patsy and the reader remain rather removed from the whole situation. As such, this book felt like it was more about how the protest sparked Patsy’s increased interest in her Lakota heritage than about the protest itself – which is not a bad thing, but not what I was expecting from the story going in either.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
When I was younger I was completely hooked on those Dear America diaries about girls living through turbulent eras of American history. There was something about getting an average girl’s perspective of historic events that really immersed me in the story. Brave Bird at Wounded Knee follows a similar format, though it blends diary entries with traditional narration from Patsy’s perspective.
In this short book we cover a lot of ground. Patsy is white-passing and doesn’t have much connection with her Lakota heritage, but over the course of the book she comes to become more interested in connecting with her roots and gains the confidence to talk openly about being half-Lakota. I liked how a young reader would learn about the importance of witnessing and recording history alongside Patsy, and how we got to see a plethora of perspectives on the occupation through various supporting characters.
However I did think that the story took a little while to get going, with Patsy not even leaving to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation until about the halfway point. While we learn plenty about the history of the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890 and the events on the reservation that led up to the occupation, Patsy and the reader remain rather removed from the whole situation. As such, this book felt like it was more about how the protest sparked Patsy’s increased interest in her Lakota heritage than about the protest itself – which is not a bad thing, but not what I was expecting from the story going in either.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
October 31, 2022
I am ashamed to say that I knew next to nothing about the protest at Pine Ridge, South Dakota, in 1973. Thanks to this book, I learned a lot.
This book would be an excellent tool to use in middle-grade classrooms; it could really inspire students to research more about Pine Ridge. I’m certainly going to research this fascinating topic for myself!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
This book would be an excellent tool to use in middle-grade classrooms; it could really inspire students to research more about Pine Ridge. I’m certainly going to research this fascinating topic for myself!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
January 3, 2023
Brave Bird at Wounded Knee is the story of Patsy, a young girl who is part Lakota and lives in Colorado, who becomes interested in her heritage after hearing about the occupation of Wounded Knee. Patsy also has family near Wounded Knee, and she eventually finds herself at the heart of the action when her father is called to return home.
This book is very accessible for early readers - the historical information is laid out clearly and is well-integrated into the story. More importantly, Patsy herself is a well-rounded and engaging character, and the plot easily pulls you into the story and leaves you wanting to know what happens nest. At 160 pages, the books is relatively short, but still well worth the read. There's tons of heart packed into this little book, and I'll definitely be taking a look at the other books in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.
This book is very accessible for early readers - the historical information is laid out clearly and is well-integrated into the story. More importantly, Patsy herself is a well-rounded and engaging character, and the plot easily pulls you into the story and leaves you wanting to know what happens nest. At 160 pages, the books is relatively short, but still well worth the read. There's tons of heart packed into this little book, and I'll definitely be taking a look at the other books in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.
December 20, 2022
Brave Bird at Wounded Knee: A Story of Protest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
By: Rachel Bithell
Publish Date: 01 Jan 2023
Publisher: North Star Editions, Jolly Fish Press
Historical Fiction/Middle Grade
#BraveBirdatWoundedKnee#NetGalley
100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader
I would like to thank both NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.
Good Reads Synopsis:
It’s 1973, and in Denver, Colorado, Patsy Antoine doesn’t usually give much thought to her relatives living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. After all, her classmates don’t even know she’s part Lakota. Then she learns the tiny town of Wounded Knee has been occupied. Now Patsy’s relatives are stuck amid the conflict between American Indian Movement activists and Oglala Lakota tribe members on the one side, and federal marshals and FBI agents on the other. When Patsy visits her relatives on Pine Ridge, she learns more about her heritage and the clashing perspectives on the Wounded Knee occupation. As she connects with her roots, Patsy must grapple with the complexities of the conflict and of being biracial. It’s the storytellers that preserve a nation’s history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events about people whose voices have been excluded, lost, or forgotten over time.
Book Review:
I gave this book 4 stars. It was a quick read and hard to put down. This is a great way for children to learn about history because it is simple and brought to them in a real-life context. I would also recommend this book for adults if you wanted to brush up on some history in a simple and easy way.
This event really happened but the main people are made up. I really liked the way that Patsy wasn’t sure of herself when it came to her heritage and feared how her peers saw her. I enjoyed the family stood behind and taught her things that she didn’t know. Once things came out, they didn’t hold back telling her.
In the end she learns about her heritage and wants to continue to learn so she can maybe share it with those she cares about.
By: Rachel Bithell
Publish Date: 01 Jan 2023
Publisher: North Star Editions, Jolly Fish Press
Historical Fiction/Middle Grade
#BraveBirdatWoundedKnee#NetGalley
100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader
I would like to thank both NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.
Good Reads Synopsis:
It’s 1973, and in Denver, Colorado, Patsy Antoine doesn’t usually give much thought to her relatives living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. After all, her classmates don’t even know she’s part Lakota. Then she learns the tiny town of Wounded Knee has been occupied. Now Patsy’s relatives are stuck amid the conflict between American Indian Movement activists and Oglala Lakota tribe members on the one side, and federal marshals and FBI agents on the other. When Patsy visits her relatives on Pine Ridge, she learns more about her heritage and the clashing perspectives on the Wounded Knee occupation. As she connects with her roots, Patsy must grapple with the complexities of the conflict and of being biracial. It’s the storytellers that preserve a nation’s history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events about people whose voices have been excluded, lost, or forgotten over time.
Book Review:
I gave this book 4 stars. It was a quick read and hard to put down. This is a great way for children to learn about history because it is simple and brought to them in a real-life context. I would also recommend this book for adults if you wanted to brush up on some history in a simple and easy way.
This event really happened but the main people are made up. I really liked the way that Patsy wasn’t sure of herself when it came to her heritage and feared how her peers saw her. I enjoyed the family stood behind and taught her things that she didn’t know. Once things came out, they didn’t hold back telling her.
In the end she learns about her heritage and wants to continue to learn so she can maybe share it with those she cares about.
October 25, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Patsy Antoine lives in Denver with her expectant mother and father, who are hoping to buy a house before her new sibling is born. Her father is originally from South Dakota, but took advantage of a 1950s program that awarded money to Native Americans who wanted to do to school and relocate away from reservations. While he had hoped to return to Pine Ridge, he met Patsy's mother, who was training to be a nurse along with his sister, and he stayed in the Denver area. As her teacher is having students talk about current events in 1973, Patsy is hurt when people say unkind and untrue things about the AIM (American Indian Movement) protests at Wounded Knee. Since her grandmother, aunt, and cousin still live very near the protests, she is concerned, and her teacher encourages her to research what is going on. She also talks to her father about this, and realizes that she doesn't know very much about her Lakora culture. When her aunt asks her father to return home to repair the electrical system that runs their indoor plumbing, Patsy goes along with him, since it is her spring break. She learns a lot about what is happening with the protests, and realizes that Native interests have long been ignored by the federal government. She enjoys spending time with her grandmother and learning some traditional dishes and needlework. When she overhears her father being asked to drop supplies off for the protestors, she is worried, and hides in his truck before he heads out. When her father is shot, she is able to help him drive back to her aunt's house. The two finally return home to find out what has happened at Wounded Knee, and her experiences encourage her to share these experiences with her classmates.
Strengths: This was very carefully researched, and the details about ordinary life (food, clothing, means of communication) were very solid. There is a consultant listed on the title page: Royal Lost His Blanket-Stone, Jr., Director of Lakota Studies at Sinte Gleska University. There are good notes about the names used in 1973, compared to the names preferred today, as well as the advice to ask individuals and groups which names they prefer. I thought it was very helpful that Patsy's classmates opinions about the AIM protest are shared, and their teacher instructs them to back up their opinions with facts. She is very sensitive about dealing with Patsy's feelings about the protests and her classmates' comments, and doesn't push her to identify as part Native American. Patsy does confide in a supportive friend about her relatives. Her grandmother's house is depicted as having amenities different from the ones Patsy is used to in Denver, but these are not treated as "less than", other than a comment about how cold it is to go to the outhouse first thing in the morning. There is a wealth of detail about the AIM protest; details are laid out in a very clear way, and backed up by facts. One common complaint about Native American books is that inaccurate tropes are used, and this very carefully steers clear of these. I learned a lot reading this, and found it particularly interesting that the author wanted to write this book because her son is half Lakots.
Weaknesses: This felt a little deliberate at times, but the story did move along quite nicely and was very enjoyable. I thought that there might be one historical point that was a bit off, but "cool beans" apparently came into the vernacular earlier than I thought. I'm okay with deliberate when I can feel that every detail has been checked and double checked.
What I really think: I'm a big fan of this Jolly Fish Press I am America series; it's a good replacement for the Scholastic My Name is America Series. This new series covers a lot of important but often uncovered history of marginalized people. They are also short, and have great notes about the events covered. I buy them in prebind from Follett, since the library bindings are very expensive.
Patsy Antoine lives in Denver with her expectant mother and father, who are hoping to buy a house before her new sibling is born. Her father is originally from South Dakota, but took advantage of a 1950s program that awarded money to Native Americans who wanted to do to school and relocate away from reservations. While he had hoped to return to Pine Ridge, he met Patsy's mother, who was training to be a nurse along with his sister, and he stayed in the Denver area. As her teacher is having students talk about current events in 1973, Patsy is hurt when people say unkind and untrue things about the AIM (American Indian Movement) protests at Wounded Knee. Since her grandmother, aunt, and cousin still live very near the protests, she is concerned, and her teacher encourages her to research what is going on. She also talks to her father about this, and realizes that she doesn't know very much about her Lakora culture. When her aunt asks her father to return home to repair the electrical system that runs their indoor plumbing, Patsy goes along with him, since it is her spring break. She learns a lot about what is happening with the protests, and realizes that Native interests have long been ignored by the federal government. She enjoys spending time with her grandmother and learning some traditional dishes and needlework. When she overhears her father being asked to drop supplies off for the protestors, she is worried, and hides in his truck before he heads out. When her father is shot, she is able to help him drive back to her aunt's house. The two finally return home to find out what has happened at Wounded Knee, and her experiences encourage her to share these experiences with her classmates.
Strengths: This was very carefully researched, and the details about ordinary life (food, clothing, means of communication) were very solid. There is a consultant listed on the title page: Royal Lost His Blanket-Stone, Jr., Director of Lakota Studies at Sinte Gleska University. There are good notes about the names used in 1973, compared to the names preferred today, as well as the advice to ask individuals and groups which names they prefer. I thought it was very helpful that Patsy's classmates opinions about the AIM protest are shared, and their teacher instructs them to back up their opinions with facts. She is very sensitive about dealing with Patsy's feelings about the protests and her classmates' comments, and doesn't push her to identify as part Native American. Patsy does confide in a supportive friend about her relatives. Her grandmother's house is depicted as having amenities different from the ones Patsy is used to in Denver, but these are not treated as "less than", other than a comment about how cold it is to go to the outhouse first thing in the morning. There is a wealth of detail about the AIM protest; details are laid out in a very clear way, and backed up by facts. One common complaint about Native American books is that inaccurate tropes are used, and this very carefully steers clear of these. I learned a lot reading this, and found it particularly interesting that the author wanted to write this book because her son is half Lakots.
Weaknesses: This felt a little deliberate at times, but the story did move along quite nicely and was very enjoyable. I thought that there might be one historical point that was a bit off, but "cool beans" apparently came into the vernacular earlier than I thought. I'm okay with deliberate when I can feel that every detail has been checked and double checked.
What I really think: I'm a big fan of this Jolly Fish Press I am America series; it's a good replacement for the Scholastic My Name is America Series. This new series covers a lot of important but often uncovered history of marginalized people. They are also short, and have great notes about the events covered. I buy them in prebind from Follett, since the library bindings are very expensive.
January 9, 2023
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rachel Bithell for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Brave Bird at Wounded Knee coming out January 1, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Patsy Antoine is a young mixed race girl growing up in Denver, Colorado in 1973. Her mother is white and her father is Lakota. Her classmates don’t know she’s part Lakota. At school she learns about the battle of Wounded Knee. She realizes it happened near Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota where her relatives live.
Patty’s extended family needs her father’s help in South Dakota, so Patty accompanies him on the trip. While they’re there, they find themselves caught up in the protests. The American Indian Movement (AIM) activists and Oglala Lakota tribe members are on one side, and the US government is on the other side. Will Patty be able to connect to her roots and find a place in the world?
I really loved this book! It reminds me a lot of the Dear America series I read when I was a child.
I love that there was a connection made to Wounded Knee. It’s a conflict I’m really interested in learning more about. I don’t know a lot about the Pine Ridge protests, so it was interesting to learn more about it. I thought Patty making the connection to her ancestors in the past was profound. I love that she saw the parallels to her present time.
I’m not Native American, but I’m mixed race. So I somewhat understand Patty’s struggles with fitting in and finding your roots, especially when they’re two different cultures. It’s easy to try and blend in at school when you look a certain way. Because you think people will make fun if they knew, but I really loved the journey Patty took in discovering her heritage and learning from her family. She spent time with her aunt and grandma to learn from them. She tried learning the language and how to make fry bread. She learned beadwork. Then she was able to share that part of herself with her class and while they didn’t understand completely, they still accepted her.
I would recommend this to middle school age teens or anyone wanting to learn more about Lakota and US history.
Patsy Antoine is a young mixed race girl growing up in Denver, Colorado in 1973. Her mother is white and her father is Lakota. Her classmates don’t know she’s part Lakota. At school she learns about the battle of Wounded Knee. She realizes it happened near Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota where her relatives live.
Patty’s extended family needs her father’s help in South Dakota, so Patty accompanies him on the trip. While they’re there, they find themselves caught up in the protests. The American Indian Movement (AIM) activists and Oglala Lakota tribe members are on one side, and the US government is on the other side. Will Patty be able to connect to her roots and find a place in the world?
I really loved this book! It reminds me a lot of the Dear America series I read when I was a child.
I love that there was a connection made to Wounded Knee. It’s a conflict I’m really interested in learning more about. I don’t know a lot about the Pine Ridge protests, so it was interesting to learn more about it. I thought Patty making the connection to her ancestors in the past was profound. I love that she saw the parallels to her present time.
I’m not Native American, but I’m mixed race. So I somewhat understand Patty’s struggles with fitting in and finding your roots, especially when they’re two different cultures. It’s easy to try and blend in at school when you look a certain way. Because you think people will make fun if they knew, but I really loved the journey Patty took in discovering her heritage and learning from her family. She spent time with her aunt and grandma to learn from them. She tried learning the language and how to make fry bread. She learned beadwork. Then she was able to share that part of herself with her class and while they didn’t understand completely, they still accepted her.
I would recommend this to middle school age teens or anyone wanting to learn more about Lakota and US history.
January 6, 2023
Thank you so much to Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Patsy learns that the treaty between the Lakota people at Wounded Knee and those in charge of abiding by the treaty has been turned into a battle, an occupation. With stories on the Tv, newspapers, gossip at school start her thinking, wanting to know more and understand what her Lakota people were going through. When her dad has to go back to help his sister and mom she goes with him to get the answers she seeks.
Wow eye opening story, it is an incredibly well written story. Seeing the mistreatment of the native people always makes me so sad, the violence against them, yet they get the blame it’s so sad. It’s an important thing to learn about though, and I loved the way the story was handled and told within this book. I loved how we not only learn of what was happening in the 70’s but we learn what was happening previously, to get to that point.
I really loved Patsy she was a very insightful young girl, she was inquisitive and wanted to make things right, she wanted to understand the whole story before making a decision, which is exactly as her teacher had been telling them they should be doing. She was so incredibly brave and took a big risk, she learnt and experienced so much.
I was gripped into this story from the start and didn’t want to stop reading at all, it was incredible, it was sad, moving, thought proving and great to finally get a book tell the whole story, of this occupation. Unfortunately most native stories cut out the truth they tip toe around it, but this one shared it all. You also get an incredible look into the history in the back sharing more details about it and what became of it after.
I love this series, the stories are incredible, sharing of history not often spoken about. I loved getting to learn more, to understand a part of history I wouldn’t know otherwise. If you have a someone in your life that likes learning history, you want to get your children into history or you teach history this series of books are a must read.
Patsy learns that the treaty between the Lakota people at Wounded Knee and those in charge of abiding by the treaty has been turned into a battle, an occupation. With stories on the Tv, newspapers, gossip at school start her thinking, wanting to know more and understand what her Lakota people were going through. When her dad has to go back to help his sister and mom she goes with him to get the answers she seeks.
Wow eye opening story, it is an incredibly well written story. Seeing the mistreatment of the native people always makes me so sad, the violence against them, yet they get the blame it’s so sad. It’s an important thing to learn about though, and I loved the way the story was handled and told within this book. I loved how we not only learn of what was happening in the 70’s but we learn what was happening previously, to get to that point.
I really loved Patsy she was a very insightful young girl, she was inquisitive and wanted to make things right, she wanted to understand the whole story before making a decision, which is exactly as her teacher had been telling them they should be doing. She was so incredibly brave and took a big risk, she learnt and experienced so much.
I was gripped into this story from the start and didn’t want to stop reading at all, it was incredible, it was sad, moving, thought proving and great to finally get a book tell the whole story, of this occupation. Unfortunately most native stories cut out the truth they tip toe around it, but this one shared it all. You also get an incredible look into the history in the back sharing more details about it and what became of it after.
I love this series, the stories are incredible, sharing of history not often spoken about. I loved getting to learn more, to understand a part of history I wouldn’t know otherwise. If you have a someone in your life that likes learning history, you want to get your children into history or you teach history this series of books are a must read.
October 26, 2022
Impressive. Patsy Antoine may be a fictional character but the events are real. As one with some Native ancestry, it's a story I knew but seeing it through the eyes of 11-year old Patsy, who is half-Lakota, made it all the more real to me.
Author Rachel Bithell not only knows her material, but how to bring it alive to her audience, in this case ages 8-12/grades 4-6. She presents the material in a variety of ways, including letters, news clippings, and a journal Patsy begins when she visits the reservation with her father. There are illustrations interspersed throughout which, in their simplicity, add greatly to the mood, plus real photos at the end (of the digital version I read).
I liked the book’s straight-forward approach, one that neither elevates not derides the events of the occupation. It does, however, lean toward the stance, via Patsy's belief, that violence isn't an answer. In the process, we learn a bit about life on the reservation in 1973 -- many still had only outhouses! -- as well as some words in Lakota. We're also gently directed to two excellent sources of information via a short research paper Patsy is urged to do for "extra credit" for her social studies class: "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" and "Black Elk Speaks". Both are on my own bookshelves.
Excellent work and one that should be shared. Reminders like Patsy's Lakota father having to hide his identity while her white mother goes to the bank to apply for a home loan are a reminder that equality touches many. And, that journal? Given to her by an understanding, caring teacher.
Thanks #NetGalley and #NorthStarEditions - #JollyFishPress for allowing me to reexamine the story of Wounded Knee. It's a story more should know about.
Author Rachel Bithell not only knows her material, but how to bring it alive to her audience, in this case ages 8-12/grades 4-6. She presents the material in a variety of ways, including letters, news clippings, and a journal Patsy begins when she visits the reservation with her father. There are illustrations interspersed throughout which, in their simplicity, add greatly to the mood, plus real photos at the end (of the digital version I read).
I liked the book’s straight-forward approach, one that neither elevates not derides the events of the occupation. It does, however, lean toward the stance, via Patsy's belief, that violence isn't an answer. In the process, we learn a bit about life on the reservation in 1973 -- many still had only outhouses! -- as well as some words in Lakota. We're also gently directed to two excellent sources of information via a short research paper Patsy is urged to do for "extra credit" for her social studies class: "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" and "Black Elk Speaks". Both are on my own bookshelves.
Excellent work and one that should be shared. Reminders like Patsy's Lakota father having to hide his identity while her white mother goes to the bank to apply for a home loan are a reminder that equality touches many. And, that journal? Given to her by an understanding, caring teacher.
Thanks #NetGalley and #NorthStarEditions - #JollyFishPress for allowing me to reexamine the story of Wounded Knee. It's a story more should know about.
November 25, 2022
Brave Bird at Wounded Knee
A Story of Protest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
by Rachel Bithell
Pub Date 01 Jan 2023
North Star Editions, Jolly Fish Press
Historical Fiction | Middle Grade
I am reviewing a copy of Brave Bird at Wounded Knee through North Star editions, Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley:
Patsy Antoine doesn’t usually give much thought to her relatives living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, in 1973, Denver Colorado. After all, her classmates don’t even know she’s part Lakota. Then she learns the tiny town of Wounded Knee has been occupied. Now Patsy’s relatives are stuck amid the conflict between American Indian Movement activists and Oglala Lakota tribe members on the one side, and federal marshals and FBI agents on the other. When Patsy visits her relatives on Pine Ridge, she learns more about her heritage and the clashing perspectives on the Wounded Knee occupation. As she connects with her roots, Patsy must grapple with the complexities of the conflict and of being biracial.
The storytellers are the ones that keep a nation’s history. But what happens when some stories are silenced?
I give Brave Bird at Wounded Knee five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
A Story of Protest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
by Rachel Bithell
Pub Date 01 Jan 2023
North Star Editions, Jolly Fish Press
Historical Fiction | Middle Grade
I am reviewing a copy of Brave Bird at Wounded Knee through North Star editions, Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley:
Patsy Antoine doesn’t usually give much thought to her relatives living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, in 1973, Denver Colorado. After all, her classmates don’t even know she’s part Lakota. Then she learns the tiny town of Wounded Knee has been occupied. Now Patsy’s relatives are stuck amid the conflict between American Indian Movement activists and Oglala Lakota tribe members on the one side, and federal marshals and FBI agents on the other. When Patsy visits her relatives on Pine Ridge, she learns more about her heritage and the clashing perspectives on the Wounded Knee occupation. As she connects with her roots, Patsy must grapple with the complexities of the conflict and of being biracial.
The storytellers are the ones that keep a nation’s history. But what happens when some stories are silenced?
I give Brave Bird at Wounded Knee five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
March 8, 2023
Brave Bird at Wounded Knee is based on true events of what happened at the Pine Ridge reservation in 1973.
Patsy is a young girl whose family is getting ready to grow. Alongside this growth though she learns about her father's side of the family more. With this she learns about Wounded Knee as well as what is happening at the Pine Ridge Reservation and all that led to what was happening there. She learns why her father moved away from it and went to Colorado to get a job and start a new life with her mom and what led them to continue to stay in Colorado.
"Because history books are written by white people, and a lot of white people don't want to talk about Wounded Knee."
Overall I liked this book. It was interesting to see the perspective of what happened at Pine Ridge from a child's point of view. While this is a fictionalized version of it you can tell that the author did research and really looked into the matter to learn more about it to do the story justice. While Patsy's family lived in Colorado she still had family that lived right outside of Pine Ridge as that's where her dad was from. While she didn't know a lot about her own heritage before this event, it got her looking into it and wanting to share what she was learning with others. Patsy was cautious but also very interested in learning about her father's side of the family and the history that came with it. She was also incredibly intuitive when it came to a certain situation and was able to know what to do during it.
I'm interested to see where this new set of middle-grade stories will go that follows different people throughout history.
Patsy is a young girl whose family is getting ready to grow. Alongside this growth though she learns about her father's side of the family more. With this she learns about Wounded Knee as well as what is happening at the Pine Ridge Reservation and all that led to what was happening there. She learns why her father moved away from it and went to Colorado to get a job and start a new life with her mom and what led them to continue to stay in Colorado.
"Because history books are written by white people, and a lot of white people don't want to talk about Wounded Knee."
Overall I liked this book. It was interesting to see the perspective of what happened at Pine Ridge from a child's point of view. While this is a fictionalized version of it you can tell that the author did research and really looked into the matter to learn more about it to do the story justice. While Patsy's family lived in Colorado she still had family that lived right outside of Pine Ridge as that's where her dad was from. While she didn't know a lot about her own heritage before this event, it got her looking into it and wanting to share what she was learning with others. Patsy was cautious but also very interested in learning about her father's side of the family and the history that came with it. She was also incredibly intuitive when it came to a certain situation and was able to know what to do during it.
I'm interested to see where this new set of middle-grade stories will go that follows different people throughout history.
December 29, 2022
A timely story that gives a perspective of a major historical event of the 1970s through the eyes of a young Lakota girl.
I think it’s a good introductory story for young readers.
The two issues I have with the book are first, the report written by Patsy was a bit too mature sounding for an 11 year old.
Secondly, it’s highly unlikely that Patsy’s mother would have been able to get a mortgage to purchase their house without her husband’s signature or credit in 1973.
Still, it’s a good piece of young adult historical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and North Star Editions for the early read.
I think it’s a good introductory story for young readers.
The two issues I have with the book are first, the report written by Patsy was a bit too mature sounding for an 11 year old.
Secondly, it’s highly unlikely that Patsy’s mother would have been able to get a mortgage to purchase their house without her husband’s signature or credit in 1973.
Still, it’s a good piece of young adult historical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and North Star Editions for the early read.
November 28, 2022
This was an interesting read, told from the perspective of a young lady, who has family at Wounded Knee.
I didn't know much of this area of history, but the book kept me interested, and it is one that I will recommend others to read as well.
These books are a great way to share history with younger readers, and keep them interested as well. Sharing from a story-type setting allows for younger readers to connect more with the characters.
I didn't know much of this area of history, but the book kept me interested, and it is one that I will recommend others to read as well.
These books are a great way to share history with younger readers, and keep them interested as well. Sharing from a story-type setting allows for younger readers to connect more with the characters.
February 1, 2025
At the middle school ages, history can be boring and not particularly interesting. This series of books could turn your young reader into a history scholar while developing a healthy respect for the people(s) who came before us. BRAVE BIRD AT WOUNDED KNEE tells the story of the conflict that would come to arms in 1973. The I AM AMERICA series should be added to every classroom and school library to offer a picture of history in today's world.
December 26, 2025
I read this book to see if it was appropriate for my granddaughters, 4th and 5th grade. It is a wonderful and well written story. Some of the subject matter is a bit deep, but given the subject it is appropriate. I'm going to tell my granddaughters about it and take them to the library to check it out if they are interested... I hope they are. Now I'm going to read another in this series, "Journey to a Promised Land: A Story of the Exodusters" by Allison Lassieur.
July 28, 2024
Well written and well researched. Solid, unbiased treatment, as well as a fascinating story.
January 29, 2025
I read this for a book award program I am in and I thought it was a great middle grade book. Honest and important.
November 4, 2023
I enjoy learning about events in history I didn't know about, so BRAVE BIRD AT WOUNDED KNEE is right up my alley. The Pine Ridge Reservation standoff happened before I was born and I've never heard a word about it. I appreciated the chance to learn about the incident. Patsy is relatable in both her shyness and her struggles with her mixed identity, especially in the wake of the Pine Ridge Occupation. Watching her change and learn to be proud of her heritage is the best part of the book. As far as the plot goes, Patsy is only an observer at Pine Ridge, which makes the action feel removed. I would have liked a more intimate, firsthand look at what happened, why, and how it affected the people on the reservation. I prefer the diary format in the Dear America series, which lets kids really FEEL history. On the whole, though, I enjoyed this book. It's a quick read, but one that is thought-provoking and eye-opening. It's important for kids (and all of us) to learn more about Native American history, so I'm glad books like this are being written.
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