Gary Robinson

This is a well done twist on a very familiar Christmas poem and will have you snuggling up in your tipi dreams, wishing Old Red Shirt might stop by.

Simply said, I enjoyed this one. Not only is it refreshing to visit the entire poem from the view of Native Americans, but the retelling is also nicely done. The author does a great job of changing the atmosphere to slide right into the Native American view point, while still holding the fun and humor the original tale also includes. It's light show more hearted, educates, and is still packed with holiday joy.

The book begins with a note, pointing toward a glossary at the end, where several unfamiliar terms are explained. This section held the same lightness as the rest of tale and really added in help when needed with a handful of terms. The author really kept the age group in mind, and I appreciate that.

The illustrations are bright, cheerful, and pack the necessary details to not only keep listeners coming back and peeking at the scenes themselves, but also sneak in information. The scenes allow the life of a Native American in a tipi to peek through, and there is something to discover on each and every page.

I found it fun to see how the author kept to the old rhyme and found myself smiling more than once as, for example, 'choke cherries danced in their heads'. While the retold poem and illustrations stick to a more historical direction, I did stumble a bit when a sudden dash of modern slipped in twice. Part of me was disappointed and wished the historical end remained constant, but another part wonders if this is more enlightening. Either way, it's a lovely book, which adds a great twist to the Christmas story end of things, and I'm sure readers will enjoy this one.

I received an ARC and enjoyed diving into this one quite a bit. show less

16 yo West Seattle boy helps his family leave a dv situation and get into a shelter, is in a distracted driving accident that leaves him with a paralyzed leg. His mom gets him back in touch with his Duwamish roots and he becomes part of a canoe pulling journey to Cowichan.

For me this is local story, and I love that it is a realistic contemporary teen story -- love the focus on the Duwamish (they don't get enough press) and that the author (Cherokee/Choctaw) has a statement specifically show more thanking the local tribal people he talked to when researching the book. The details seem very believable and accurate, with the possible exception of the family being able to find a room in a shelter on only a couple of days notice -- sadly, that is not the reality in Seattle at this point. However, this is an experience that will resonate with many kids in Seattle, and I appreciate that it's part of the plot, and is presented as an ultimately positive, hopeful, part of the journey.

I found all of the parts of Jason's journey that connects him to the Raven canoe and the canoe puller family fascinating and inspiring. It was a little jarring that the book clearly splits into before accident (diverse school friends) and after accident (school is almost never mentioned again, nor any of those friends) -- given the seriousness of his injury and recovery, I think this is plausible, but it does seem odd that his good friend Ron is never seen again.

As with the other pathfinder titles I've read, it does feel like an instructional/ inspirational story. The writing is a little dry, and a little didactic/predictable -- it's a hi-lo title, so that may be a reflection of the nature of the genre. This is a very straightforward story, told in a very straightforward manner, that sometimes loses the drama and nuance of more complex works. That does not, in my opinion, detract from the message or the story, and I appreciate that it is a fast moving plot and a shorter book. show less

Bright illustrations, tons of positive vibes, and mounds of words of encouragement ensure self-doubt fades away.

Jayla is a girl just like any other girl. And like any other girl, she hears all those words, which put her down and make her feel bad about herself. If she lets them, that is. But Jayla knows how to force those words away and shares how she does it.

This is a book for those kids, who let the bad comments around them eat away at them. In other words, most. Jayla is a power house of show more positive energy on every page, and it sets the right atmosphere to support the message. While starting with the negative words, where they can come from, and what their value truly is, the book then slides into how to deal with these words. It builds self-esteem and explains why kids should love themselves.

Now, this one is preachy, and that's something I usually steer very clear from. It bugged me a bit in these pages, and the idea of being your own best friend forever hit me as a bit over the top. At first. But then, I realized that I do know some girls who would love this book. I could see this one really speaking them, and they definitely need to hear the message again and again. Especially girls in elementary or beginning middle school will see themselves in Jayla and understand the very direct words. I do see some girls gripping this one tight and reading it when they feel down or to help build themselves up. So, I do recommend this one. show less

15 yo boy schemes to return to California and surfing after his family's move to Texas, by asking to spend time with his grandmother on the reservation. This works, and along the way he becomes a pow-wow dancer, which leads to a powerful reconnection with his heritage.

It's a bit didactic, a bit stilted, but on the whole the story, the details about modern Native American life and the beauty of the family connections make this an enjoyable read. The only thing I found hard to follow was show more Adrian's role in Mark's emergence as a pow-wow dancer -- he's a glorious mentor, who steps into the role beautifully, but it seems as though he stops dancing in order to coach Mark, which troubles me -- it 's a bit unclear if that is the case, or if he is also competing. In any case, a satisfying story. show less