Book Description

A Season of Change

Along the Virginia shoreline where their families have lived for generations, Buck and Tunes Smith defy tradition. Raised together like brother and sister, they are bound by surname, but not by skin color. And just as Buck has come to rely on Tunes, Tunes has come to trust that even in a place where race can mean so much, their friendship will remain as dependable as the tides.

But then the horrifying events of one spring afternoon tear them apart -- and change their world forever. Desperate to hang on to the thing that he values most, Buck struggles to uphold their friendship -- without realizing that his efforts are pushing Tunes farther and farther away.

From a Newbury Honor -- winning author, this is a powerfully moving story of friendship in the face of racism, and betrayal in the name of loyalty.

Reviews (22)

Dangerous Skies
I liked the writing and description. The author madethecharacters have a southern dialogue that is realistic. I thinkthat the beginning is dull but I kept on reading. The ending isn't as good as I think the author could write it... This story is about an african american 13-year old girl named Tunes. She lives in a small home with her father who works for Tune's best friend Buck Smith's dad. She is accused of murdering an hispanic worker, Jorge, who works for Jumbo Rawling s, a man who is well know in the conmunity. I think this taught me how racist people can be. I liked to read this book and that is why I gave it 4 stars.

Dangerous Skies
Although this is the first novel I have read by Susan Fisher, it is categorized as one of the top 10 books I have read. She is able to generate the feelings of the characters within you and make you feel as if you were them. Here is an example from the book, " I snatched my hand out from under hers and flung myself into the farthest corner of the front seat. I looked out the window, all atwitch with nervous energy. As angry and frightened as I was, I felt as if pure adrenaline pumped through my veins." (p.112). The book shows an example of a heartbreaking friendship between two people from different worlds. Buck and Tunes, Buck being white and Tunes being black, having been raised since infancy, they take a tumble into the real world and find out that it its more than they assumed it was. This is a sad and very powerful story.
The initial message I was receiving from the book and its author was that if your in a realtionship of any kind, there will be someone to help you when u have lost all faith or need help. Even if you don't want help its not your choice, a good friend will help u no matter what. I would defiantly agree with this message because I have found that in my life when I needed help but I didn't want it, my friends still came through and helped me anyways. You may or may not agree with this theme depending on the type of relationship you have with friends. The reason why is because if you have a poor relationship with your friends, they may not be there to support you. So you may not be able to relate to the message of the author or agree with him. I know I certainly agree with her message.
I would recommend this book to others who are searching for a novel that will satisfy their needs for a great book. This book is not boring like other novels. I admire the way the book jumps to the climax within the second chapter of the book, it wont keep u waiting for the climax to arrive. So if you are looking for a exciting well written, heartbreaking book, this is the one you have been searching for your entire life. I would give this book a 9 out of 10, that is how much I cherish this book.

Dangerous Skies
The plot of the story is in the Chesapeake Bay.
It is around the 1700's at Virginia's eastern shore. The main characters are Buck and Tunes Smith. Buck's family used Tunes' dad (Kneebone) as a slave before she was born but was nice to him. Once Tunes was born Buck was born around the same time as she was. They became best friends until they found the dead body of one of theirs friends while they were out on the water some day in spring. Tunes ended up getting out of the boat since she saw the dead body. Buck pulled the body into shore and was questioned by the sheriff. Buck didn't want to get Tunes involved so he acted like she was never there when they found the dead body. Later in the story Buck told his dad the Tunes had been with him while on the water and his dad made him go back to Sheriff and tell him that Tunes was involved. They then convicted Tunes of the crime but there was a mean man that lived close to them. You will have to read the rest of the story to find out what happens next. I like this book because it was non stop action and there was a lot of friendship involved. This is one of the best books. I would give this book five out of five stars since it is fun and exciting.

By: Curtis Martin

Wonderful story about friendship, life, and changes.
Stunning. One of the top 10 books I have ever read. The author writes it so that you can feel the characters emotions. The ending of the story really touched me. I find it hard to read books about changes. I sort of want things to always be the same. "I'd also lost the notion there was magic in the world. I guess you could say I'd lost my childhood," is in my opinion one of the saddest parts of the book. Also, the part where Kneebone tells Buck that the good times are gone forever and that things would never be the same between the two, and the part that Buck says that Obie lost his heart for the Bay. I could go on forever talking about how great this book is. Its a moving book and I would recommend everyone who needs a good story to read it.

Friends
Dangerous Skies is a story that is mainly about two boys that live in the middle of the 1700's. One of the friends is white and the other one is black so they have a lot of disagreements and they spend much of the story trying to figure things out. One of the people lives on a farm and does a lot of work on it. The other one is black so they get a lot of discrimination and stuff like that. I do not really like this book because it was really boring and it had no point. If you want to fine out what happens in the end you should read the book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I don't get it.
I hadn't met a book by Leo Lionni I didn't like until now. A country mouse turns into a "strange creature dressed in black" and the reader is left to wonder why. I have a college degree and I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, but I could not figure out why the mouse changed and what the change had to do with the rest of the story. This was a very disconnected story, and I just didn't get it. Maybe I'm not as bright as I thought. Fortunately, I didn't buy it. Check it out first, and if you figure it out, please write about it. ... Read more

Book Description

Caitlin is spending the summer on the windswept island that is her home. She is caught between girlhood and maturity, and feels utterly isolated from the rest of the world. Then she meets Lucas, who is the embodiment of freedom and honesty. She is instantly drawn to him. But Caitlin must also grapple with the darker forces that seem to be confronting her family. Lucas himself further complicates matters when he is hunted for an awful crime that Caitlin herself becomes involved in. This gripping story, which takes place over one incredible month, will captivate young adult readers.
... Read more

Reviews (18)

This is a book you can literally fall in love with......
Lucas is currently my favorite book that I have read, and, since I read about 9 books or more a month, and my favorite books change a lot, this is saying a lot for me. This book just took my mind away, I felt as though I was in the story. You expirience the emotions felt by the the main character; it's just beautifully written. This book is not for everyone, however. It is not for those who want a happy ending, this is perhaps one of the only books that has ever made me cry. It is written with such a sense of power, you get hooked by the fast pace of the story and cannot put it down. It is such a lovable book; a true joy to read. I highly recommend this story.

Lucas is a good rendition of teenage against
I found this book on my own. I went to my local barnes and nobles and found this in the teen section. After only reading the inside cover I decided to try it. I couldnt put it down. Caitlyn is a character i could really relate to and the subtle appeal of the description of Lucas hypnotized me. This book is very well written and i find it a rare thing for an adult to write teenagers so well. The unspoken connection between Cait and Lucas was what kept my interest but the sudden surprises in the story were worth the read as well. Brooks has a great way of getting his readers to fall in love with some of his characters and i although i cried and was angry to what happens to Lucas it is one of my favorite books. I might give Martyn Pig a read just because I loved this book so much.

emotional!
Lucas is an emotional tale about a boy who comes to the little town of Hale. Immediately, everyone takes a disliking to him because he is different and the town folk think of him as a threat. But Caitlin doesn't feel so. She feels that Lucas is unique and special and befriends him. From the first moment she sees Lucas, Caitlin's life changes forever. Her life becomes jumbled up and confusing and everyone around her starts to change. Lucas is the story of the summer in which Caitlin meets and parts with Lucas.

Lucas is a sad book and the writer expresses the emotions Caitlin and her family faces very vividly. Every character is very unique and described in a detailed way so that you can easily imagine them. But this book can get confusing and there are many books with the similar story line. All in all, the story of this book is overused but the emotions are expressed very well.

Inexplicable
Lucas is an amazing novel. Although difficult to enter, once you have gotten into the novel there is no way to put it down. The book opens a lot of emotions, one moment you are angry and another you are full of love and joy. The story, although redundant throughout the teen genre, brings out a new side of love for teenagers. Lucas is the mysterious boy from the wrong place that mothers fear for their daughters. Dominic is the sibling everyone has had, annoying and demeaning but when it comes down to it, the love is there. This novel is the first that has left me truly thinking (and I at 18 am extremely well read). I loved and hated this novel at the same and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has ever felt strong emotions.

A haunting story
Lucas is one of the best books i have ever read. Period. The story is so captivating, it's one of those books that you just can't put down, and the minute you finish it, you want to read it again. In fact i have, i have read Lucas 2 times and are about to start on the 3rd. Kevin Brooks is a talented writer, and it truly shows through Lucas.
I cry every time i read it, i even get teary-eyed just thinking about it. But its a good kind of crying. I definently recomend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read. You will enjoy it greatly. ... Read more

Book Description

Racial discrimination is cruel—and especially so to younger children. This title encourages kids to accept and be comfortable with differences of skin color and other racial characteristics among their friends and in themselves. A First Look At… is an easy-to-understand series of books for younger children. Each title explores emotional issues and discusses the questions such difficulties invariably raise among kids of preschool through early school age. Written by a psychotherapist and child counselor, each title promotes positive interaction among children, parents, and teachers. The books are written in simple, direct language that makes sense to younger kids. Each title also features a guide for parents on how to use the book, a glossary, suggested additional reading, and a list of resources. There are attractive full-color illustrations on every page. (Ages 4–7) ... Read more

Book Description

Isaac Williams, twelve-year-old son of American doctors at a mission hospital in Java, Indonesia, is certain that his friendship with Ismail Sutanto is as solid and enduring as the majestic flame tree in the yard. But the haven of their small world is shattered when a fundamentalist Islamic organization begins to threaten the hospital. Terrorists infiltrate, the State Department orders an evacuation, bombs ex-plode, and Isaac is taken hostage.

The experience embitters Isaac. He knows that he should forgive those who have hurt him, yet he doesn't think that he can. His life is changed forever, but will it be forever crippled by his bitterness?

Set against the backdrop of September 11, 2001, The Flame Tree is a fierce novel of friendship, faith, and forgiveness. Richard Lewis tells a story that is at once timely and timeless, one that has the power to move hearts and open eyes. ... Read more

Book Description

Lois and Wilma are proud of their father's brand-new gold Cadillac, and excited that the family will be driving it all the way from Ohio to Mississippi. But as they travel deeper into the rural South, there are no admiring glances for the shiny new car--only suspicion and anger for the black man behind the wheel. For the first time in their lives, Lois and her sister know what it's like to feel scared because of the color of their skin.A personal, poignant look at a black child's first experience with institutional racism. --The New York Times/ ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The segregated South through the eyes of a child
"The Gold Cadillac," by Mildred D. Taylor, is one of a series of works of fiction in which the author explores African-American history. Like her other books, "The Gold Cadillac" is told from the perspective of a young person and is suitable for younger readers.

The book's narrator, nicknamed 'lois, lives with her family in Toledo, Ohio, around 1950. Her father's purchase of an extravagant gold Cadillac causes some family friction. But the intense drama comes when the family piles into the car and takes a trip south, into communities poisoned by racial segregation and other manifestations of racism.

Taylor is frank, but not sensationalistic, in her portrayal of racism. And although the book ultimately celebrates the strength of a Black family, the book is not sentimental and does not, in my opinion, trivialize the scars of racism. And although Taylor is certainly a writer in the tradition of children's literature, I also see "The Gold Cadillac" and her other books as being a firm part of a larger African-American literary tradition. Certainly, this book has a good deal in common with such "adult" African-American literature as Gwendolyn Brooks' novel "Maud Martha" or Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun." I recommend this book to readers of all ages.

the gold cadillac
"As I saw my dad coming in a Cadillac I felt some butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't believe that Cadillac was ours."
What I liked about this book were the characters. I liked the characters because they really showed their feelings. I also liked the car because it is an o.k. car. What I didn't like about this was the white and black people signs. I also didn't like how the white cop treated the family when he thought they had stolen the car when they went down south. This historical fiction book was written by, Mildred D. Taylor. I really recommend this book to people who are interested in African American history.

I loved this book!
This book shows today's youngsters what it was like to be black in the South during the l960s. Some of the characters are very unlikable; some are likable. This book shows what daily life could be like, something many people choose to forget.

Another winner by Mildred D. Taylor
This is another beautifully written book. It is well worth reading.

boring
I didn't like the book becase the book was just boring, and the story had no point what-so-ever. It's a book that peopple who like reading old books would read! ... Read more

Book Description

The day Uncle Goodwin "Buddy" Bush came from Harlem all the way back home to Rehobeth Road in Rich Square, North Carolina, is the day Pattie Mae Sheals' life changes forever.

Pattie Mae adores and admires Uncle Buddy -- he's tall and handsome and he doesn't believe in the country stuff most people believe in, like ghosts and stepping off the sidewalk to let white folks pass. He unsettles the dust and brings fresh ideas to Rehobeth Road. But when Buddy's deliberate inattention to the protocol of 1947 North Carolina lands him in jail for a crime against a white woman that he didn't commit, Pattie Mae and her family are suddenly set to journeying on the long, hard road that leads from loss and rage to forgiveness and pride.

Shelia P. Moses tells a moving and lyrical story in The Legend of Buddy Bush that introduces the remarkable and memorable character of Pattie Mae Sheals -- a girl whose sense of humor, ability to get into "grown folks business," and determination to know the truth will endear her to readers everywhere. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Touching Book!
The Legend of Buddy Bush was one of the Best Books I have ever read. It teaches love, understanding, life, and loss. Shelia P. Moses really captures the reader. I couldn't put the book down and I thought it was wonderful. When I finished, I wished I hadn't because I loved it and I think that it really led me to understand how things were "back then."
A wonderfully compelling tale. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (64)

An amazing book on what we all need to remember
Han Nolan has written an amazing book on something that some people don't want to believe ever happened:the Holocaust.

16 year-old Hilary Burke-a Neo-Nazi- is injured terribly in a motorcycle accident. Her boyfriend, Brad, also a Neo-Nazi getting off with only a few scratches and bruises.

As she slips in and out of consciousness, she falls into the life of Chana, a jewish girl who is wrapped up in the times of the Holocaust. Her terrifying life as a young Jew helps her realize what she is doing(hanging Jews in trees and beating them up) is absolutely wrong.

When Hilary is telling the chapter, all she can see is a 'Grandmaw', the actual Chana. Chana helps her realize that what she is seeing is her life as a child. At the end of the book, Chana's only living relative, her sister Nadzia, comes to tell Hilary something that hurts them all...especially after what Hilary(Chana) has just been through in her dreams.

To find out more, I won't mess up this review and tell you what happens next. You have to read the book...

Recommended for: 13+

If I Should Die Before I Wake
If I Should Die Before I Wake Harcourt Brace, 1994, 225 pp.
Han Nolan $18.00 ISBN:0-15-23840-x

"You must want to live more than anything else because here that is all there is--life, or death. But mostly death." Another Jewish prisoner is talking to Chana about how to survive in Auschwitz, one of the worst concentration camps ever. Chana and her Bubbe are the only survivors from her family so far in World War II.
Stated above is part of Hilary's "Unconscious Life" that she lives while she's unconscious during her coma. She is in a coma as a result of a motorcycle accident with her Neo-Nazi boyfriend and is staying at a Jewish hospital because it was the closest one to the site of the accident, hence her boyfriend doesn't visit her.
I thought this was an awesome book. Han Nolan packs the books with both facts and experiences that I wanted to keep on reading the book after I finished it. She made history a reality to me while I gasped in anticipation to read the next chapter. Reading If I Should Die Before I Wake has been a great experience for me to learn more about the Holocaust.
I would definitely recommend this book to others because it has an extremely powerful impact about how interested people will be in history. I'd recommend this book to ages twelve years and older who like realistic fiction stories and don't mind gory details.

Great for Younger Readers
I had some mixed feelings about this book. For one thing, I pretty much predicted the plot just from reading the back cover. Also, Nolan's language just didn't move me the way some authors can. That said, this is still an extraordinary book, and I know it would've amazed and inspired me had I read it at a younger age, back before I knew much about the Holocaust. So, if you are [or you know] a young adult reader with little knowledge of the Holocaust who might develop an interest in it, I'd certainly recommend this book.

an amazing insight to nazi interment camps
i've read many holocaust realated titles in my 16 years but none have had such depth that "If I should die before I wake" you really felt as if you were there with chana and hilary you felt chana's love,pain,fear and frustration all while getting an insight into hilary's neo-nazi world. highly recomended by francesca

If I Should Die Before I Wake
When I first picked this book up, I looked at the cover. It was an amazing cover and to go with it, it had an amazing story! It starts with Hilary, a torn-up girl trying to run from her past and refusing to recognize her mother who had left her and her grandmother on an usual basis. She turns to neo-nazi members and finds comfort in them thinking that she finds a home there. However, while on a motorcycle, she was in an accident. While laying in a Jewish hospital bed, she begans fazing in and out, but she doesn't know if what she's seeing is real or not. Then she starts to go on a journey in someone else's shoes..........
This is an eye-opening book that will leave you with tears and a moral that proves to be true everyday. ... Read more

Book Description

Readers young and old will be enchanted by this imaginative and appealing book. With provocative questions and strikingly beautiful artwork, this book will surely trigger valuable family discussions about the joy of embracing and celebrating the magnificence that is inherent in our diversity. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

An important message for any age
It's never to early to teach your child the importance of harmony and tolerance and this little book is a great place to start. When some zebras lose their white stripes and others their black stripes, they must look inside themselves and each other to learn to get along.

I especially appreciated the very last page which placed the zebras with many children of different races and nationalities so that my 5-year old and I could talk about the differences in people, too.

Awesome!
My 5 year old loves this book and it has a very positive message!

Top Priority Message
What If Zebras Lost Their Stripes gives you a perfect occasion to open young minds to how adults of different colors and nationalities -- and kids -- should think about their diversity. With just a little thought, kids will get this top priority message instantly. A great contribution.

Outstanding!
A wonderful book that encourages children and adults to appreciate each others differences. A classic!

A Must For Every Child's Library!
This is an incredibly inspirational and thought-provoking story of diversity. It is written in a very light-hearted context, yet sends a powerful message. The illustration is fun, lively and colorful. My kids as well as their teachers, love this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Eleven-year-old Joe Hanada likes playing basketball with his best friend, Ray, writing plays and stories, and thinking about the upcoming Christmas holiday. But his world falls apart when Japanese planes bomb Pearl Harbor. His country goes to war. The FBI takes his father away. And neighbors and friends in his hometown near Seattle begin to suspect Joe, his family, and all Japanese Americans of spying for the enemy.
When the government orders people of Japanese heritage living on the West Coast to move to internment camps, Joe turns to the journal his father gave him to record his thoughts and feelings. Writing journal entries and haiku poetry offers some relief as Joe struggles to endure life in Tule Lake War Relocation Camp—days filled with boredom, concern for his father, and worry for his brother, who joins the American army to prove the bravery and loyalty of Japanese American citizens.
Thin Wood Walls is a powerful story of a boy who grows up quickly in a changed world. ... Read more

Book Description

Everyone knows bridges are to cross -- to get to the other side. But did you know that some bridges carry llamas loaded with firewood, some let people dance over lazy rivers, some were forts for defending castles, and some were crossed by emperors and popes? From a simple log to woven webs of steel, bridges reflect our values, our lifestyles. Feast your eyes on these bridges from around the world, all painstakingly created with intricately cut paper, and you will come to realize that crossing is only one reason for having a bridge. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Beautiful Gift for a Child 3-6 years old
Also a beautiful gift for an adult interested in working with craft projects, especially paper. Beautiful illustrations, with rich color, of bridges from around the world. Excellent descriptions of various bridge types from suspension to rope bridges. A book for budding engineers, future artists, but especially new readers! A far better gift to give your young nephew, niece, grandchild, or cousin than a stuffed animal.

My boys' all time favorite
This is my boys' all time favorite book. Living in NY it's only natural they developed a fascination with bridges. I bought this for them when they were 3+4 yrs old. It's got wonderful illustrations. We found it quite educational too. How many 3+4yr olds do you know that can drive across a bridge in NY and tell you 'this is a steel suspension bridge'! :) Would be a huge hit with the K grade level.

Stunningly beautiful
These cut-paper illustrations of bridges are so complex and exquisite that looking at one a day is enough! Their texture and depth is astonishing. There's not a lot of text with each illustration, and that's probably just as well, but what there is is nicely designed. Add this ostensible children's book to your collection of art books.

Wonderful Illustrations
This book has wondeful illustrations which compliment it's informational content. I enjoyed learning about all the different bridges, when they were built and who they were built by. I read it to a Kindergarten class and they loved the pictures and all the different kinds of bridges. I learned a lot by reading it so I know children will too.

Great illustration work!
I bought this book for myself, a professional cut paper artist, for the illustrations. The paper sculptures in this book are exquisite--some of the best I've ever seen. I took it to bed with me for days, so I could fall asleep looking at the pictures. The illustration work in this book will provide a visual feast for children and adults alike. ... Read more

Book Description

For thousands of slaves--whose exact number will never be known--the North Star marked the way to freedom on the Underground Railroad.The stories of the brave "passengers" on the escape route whose extraordinary fortitude broke their own chains, and of the "conductors" who risked their lives to help others, are a testament to the human spirit.

In this fascinating and thorough account, Gena K. Gorrell movingly describes the history of the Underground Railroad, from the origins of slavery through the Civil War and beyond.She depicts the passage from Africa on desperately crowded slave ships, the station-by-station development of the powerful Railroad routes to the northern United States and Canada, and the immense challenges runaways faced once they reached freedom.Throughout the narrative, Gorrell highlights the pivotal roles played by various people of the era, those who became famous and those who remain too little known.

The immediacy of the writing is complemented by period posters, photographs, and paintings, making North Star to Freedom a living history so gripping that it will be impossible to forget. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The American Underground Railroad from the Promised Land
"North Star to Freedom" is a matter of fact Canadian view of the American Underground Railroad and the historical periods it existed written for children. Considering that Canaan and the Promised Land were used as code words for Canada in spirituals used in the Underground Railroad it is an intriguing viewpoint. People weren't happy as slaves but being a fugitive slave in another state or country was a tough situation. People risked recapture, started out poor, and struggled against racial prejudice. The Underground railroad is portrayed as varying from kind people acting on impulse to help a runaway to highly organized conductors and stations. Slavery is honestly shown as existing throughout Canada and the United States in different degrees. Occasional freedom from slavery through manumission and self-purchase through savings are mentioned. The only problem I have with the book is that it covers freedom earned by slaves fighting for the Loyalist Cause and emigrating to Canada but not the Patriotic slaves earning their freedom on the American side in regiments such the First Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War. The result was a stable population of free African -Americans in Canada and New England sometimes assisting others to freedom and often camouflaging them. The 1793, Canada legislated the eventual freeing of all its slaves and declared any American slaves crossing the border were free. In contrast, The United States of America passed the first Fugitive Slave Law in 1793 to give slave catchers the right of search and seizure in any state. The Underground Railroad became organized around that time. Some slaves went all the way to Canada but many disappeared into the communities of free African-Americans in the North. Some became active in the Underground Railroad to help others escape, some became well-known abolitionists, some struggled to create a new life for themselves. The Second Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 put all fugitive slaves and some free African-Americans at risk of being captured and sent into slavery on the word of a slave hunter and any white person claiming to be their owner. Active abolitionists who had escaped slavery years previously were especially at risk. Roughly forty thousand fugitive slaves went to Canada. Some returned to fight for the North in the Civil War. After the American Civil War, about two thirds of the fugitive slaves returned to the United States. "North Star to Freedom" describes succinctly how and why the Underground Railroad existed. I would recommend it as a reference book for elementary and middle schools that could also be read for pleasure. The historical treatment of slavery and the Underground Railroad is excellent for the age group. The period illustrations create a parallel story to capture readers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very Fun but with Substance Too
This is an excellent book for teens, boys and girls, reluctant readers, and readers familiar with history. Although it's sci fi, set on a planet very very much like earth, it won't alienate non sci-fi readers, because the differences are minimal, and mainly serve to set up the political backdrop against which the sometimes narrator Pelly D finds inner strength to face social pressures, and watch her cheeky shallow confidence mature into strong independent courage.

Readers who loved the Princess Diaries, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and also slightly darker fare, like Ender's Game, will really enjoy this thought-provoking book. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Chris's life is complicated.At school, he's been selected to lead a project on sports teams with Indian names.At home, on the Penacook reservation, the Indians are divided about building a casino.It would destroy the beautiful island Chris thinks 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 ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Heart Of a Chief
Chief vs. Casino
I read Heart of a Chief. It is about a boy named Chris Nicloa. Chris is nervous because he is about to start his first day of middle school. Chris, to his surprise, becomes class leader and is very popular to the people in the school. He discovers that his town leaders have decided to place a casino on his island Penacock Indian Reservation. He decides to stand up for himself and class mates for what he believes in and to get the casino built somewhere off the island.
I think this a very good book because it shows someone with a lot of courage doing what he believes in. This book gives the mind encouragement in doing what's right. It makes you think anything is possible and worth trying. Chris is really bright and smart and does things that most people would be too scared to do. This is a heart-warming story that I think everyone can relate to in the end.

Beautiful, Sensitive, Heart-warming
Joseph Bruchac presents a vivid and heart-warming story about the life of a contemporary Native American boy living between the wrenching descrimination and exploitation of his People and the beauty and peace of his home. I do not profess to know much about the Native American lifestyle, but I would trust any book Bruchac writes. His book has given me an authentic and sensitive picture of one boy's struggle to balance his heritage with the pressures of life on and off the reservation. I can now only imagine how this story is familiar to many people in the U.S. Beautifully written. ... Read more