Indian Shoes

So glad this is updated and back in print! Ray lives with his Grampa Halfmoon in Chicago. Not a lot of money, but they are happy together and have small adventures. Book addresses: Native people in modern life (still here!), poverty, living with a grandparent after the death of parents, day-to-day life in a family that is full of love. It's the wonderful humor that I love the most about this book -- the stories are small moments -- like the funniest, most wonderful memories you have with someone dear.

I was intrigued to read this book after reading a summary in my course textbook, mostly due to my concerns about the word 'Indian' in the title. Basically, I was having a hard time deciding if I would carry this book in my school library given the title. I felt that I needed to check it out further in order to make an informed decision. In Saskatchewan, the word "Indian" has been synonymous with prejudism and racism. That said, the six short stories in this text do not paint a negative, stereotypical image of First Nations people, but rather show Ray and his Grampa Halfmoon as everyday Chicagoans who celebrate in their Seminole-Cherokee heritage. Whether it is through honouring early morning fishing traditions, buying moccasins, or show more havng a heart to heart, Ray and his Grampa take pride in who they are. I liked that the emphasis of the stories isn't on powwows or tipis like many stereotypes, but on real problems kids experience growing up. My only nagging concern is the card on the hi-tops that say "Not Indian made, but Indian worn. Guaranteed." I wish that line had been excluded and just left to read "Cherokee-Seminole hitops". Maybe if I was reading it out loud I would just not say that line. I will have to see what other titles are available before purchasing this book and will try to read some Joseph Bruchac who has excellent reviews. Perhaps Canadian content would be preferred. show less

Indian Shoes is a great children's book in that it is simple to read and understand as well as gives a great depiction of what the life is like for the modern Native American. What I really liked was that the book was divided in to several chapters that end up being short stories that all connect to each other. This book was different from many others that usually talk about Native Americans. Instead of being a history or cultural lesson, the book follows a young boy and his grandfather. It talks about everyday situations that any young person could be involved with/relate to such as baseball games, family visits, etc. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a young child. This is a great start for a young child to read about show more Native Americans and to break the current stereotypes of what people assume Native Americans to be. It's great practice for reading in general as well as something not usually taught, especially at such a young age. I would not recommend this book for someone above the elementary age level since the book may be too easy of read. However, I would recommend this book if you are doing research on children's literature and want to include this one, specifically a text centering around Native Americans. I would not necessarily recommend this a leisure read for older kids/students simply because it is specifically designed for a younger audience so it would be less of a challenge for them to read and also it is not as informative as a more advanced text would be as to the actual history and culture. show less

Indian Shoes contains 6 interrelated stories about how Ray Halfmoon, a Seminole-Cherokee boy, deals with the daily issues that arise with the help of his Grandpa. The story includes making decision about giving up your hightops for moccasins, coloring you hair neon orange and neon purple to hid a bad haircut, and considering how well would a turtle, a parrot, a family of ferrets, a Pomeranian, and a tarantula get along if you needed to put them in the same place. The humor and relationship of Ray and Grandpa Halfmoon give this story just what it needs to be appealing to students.

Ray Halfmoon lives with his Cherokee grandfather in Chicago but they regularly visit family members in the more rural Oklahoma. Each chapter is a standalone vignette out of their lives-stories of bad haircuts, special gifts, a Christmas that doesn’t go as planned, being a ring bearer in a wedding and other regular life events. Very little from the traditions of the Cherokee people are included, but it is obvious that heritage is important to both grandfather and grandson. Some of the chapters will bring chuckles such as when the wedding tux came without pants and Ray has to make do with his grandfather’s! (Taken from a review by Melanie Dulaney.)

Educational, heartwarming, and *funny* - I loved it and I think that schools & libraries other than those in Chicago and Oklahoma should buy it. Does your library have it, and where are you?

This fiction book is about a boy who lives with his grandfather in Chicago. His parents were killed in a tornado in Oklahoma, but both he and his grandfather are both homesick. This book has a collection of six tales talking about the adventures and struggles they face together to help each other ease their homesickness. This book has notable features, such as descriptive illustrations and accurate cultural facts. I would use this book as an instructional application to motivate students to think of ways to help new students feel welcomed.