Male Monday: Wolf Mark

Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac 2011 (ARC)
Tu Books/Lee & Low


Rating: 1.5/5

IQ "They say it's always darkest before the dawn. But what do you do when the sun comes up and it's still not a new day?" Dad pg. 338

Lucas King knows a lot, but what he doesn't know is what exactly his father does as a Black Ops infiltrator. He doesn't know why his family moves around so much. He doesn't know what happened exactly to his Uncle Cal, only that he's dead. When Luke and his father settle in a new town (I don't remember where, I think a small town out West) it seems as though they will be there for a while and maybe Luke can finally adjust and be invisible to everyone except his new friends, Meena and Renzo. But Luke has to come out of the shadows when his dad goes missing and he spots mysterious men near their trailer, he suspects they are waiting for him. Now Luke is on the run and with the help of some mysterious Russian hipsters, Luke might manage to out wit the kidnappers and save his father. But can the hipsters be trusted? And why exactly was his father kidnapped?

I wanted to like this book. The first book published by Tu Books, an imprint whose mission I adore. I have really liked previous books by Joseph Bruchac and yet Wolf Mark was a disappointment for me. First, this book commits one of my little pet peeves which is short but many chapters. There are 73 chapters, 374 pages and about five pages per chapter. I think that's a waste of a chapter, especially since each chapter ended SO DRAMATICALLY which was pointless. Why end with a cliffhanger when the reader will just turn the page and discover the big secret? It creates pointless drama and after awhile it becomes annoying and ridiculous. Another thing that bothered me was the character of Meena. She's Pakistani as the author likes to remind us whenever he bothers to mention her, she's solely there to be the love interest and the climax of the book features one of the most cliche scenes concerning love interests. I legitimately rolled my eyes. Plus I didn't understand why the author was obsessed with talking about the 'repressive culture' of Muslims in Pakistan and how Luke and Meena could never be together because of her father and yet when her father is introduced he doesn't seem all that conservative...But what finally drove me to the edge and made it impossible for me to finish this book was ALL THE METAPHORS. Not only were there too many metaphors, some of them were just strange. here's a sampling "I'd be listening as avidly as a lion in a zoo does when i hears the footsteps of its keeper approaching at feeding time with a bucket of raw meat. Growling with happy expectations" (pg. 178), "I'm further down the social ladder from them than a worm is from an eagle" (pgs. 17-18) and "she gives a little nod at that piece of information I've fed her as carefully as a zoo-goer slipping a piece of fruit through the bars to a sharp-beaked bird" (pg. 214). These metaphors are too long, too random and too ridiculous. Who thinks/talks/writes like that?

I could not even focus on the spy elements of the novel which I had thought would be the best part of the book because I was so busy rolling my eyes at the metaphors. I was also irked at how cliche the climax was, not only with Meena but also with the evil villain. And Luke even acknowledges that the whole scene is completely cliche but then....the author does nothing to make the scene any less of a cliche. Luke also intentionally reads like a know-it-all. He explains that he remembers everything, which is fine, but he feels the need to spout random facts that are completely irrelevant. Furthermore, there were dramatic moments in the story where Luke would say something like "I started thinking about....." and it would be SO RANDOM and take away from that particular scene that was getting interesting and dissolve into some philosophical musings (one particular scene towards the end comes to mind). I do however think that the genetically engineered beast hybrids were creative if not sad. And while I didn't like how the author used Luke as a mouthpiece to express his views, he makes some great points. Luke is also a funny guy which never hurts.

Wolf Mark has some good elements but they do not create the exciting story I was hoping for. The author clearly wants his readers to learn a lesson (he says as much in the Afterword) the problem is that the story is sacrificed for the lessons and the audience is forgotten. I was also bothered at how the evil villains all had to be racist. One of them kept saying "Honest Injun" which I thought was a phrase people stopped using around the '70s...but maybe in small towns? Or is it a Western expression? I don't know but it was jarring and it sounded alien to my ears which made the character who said it even more of a joke. Between the caricature characters (the elite Russian mafia-esque students that Luke sort-of befriends had potential but they are all so one-dimensional), the overuse of metaphors (I'm starting to realize that sometimes metaphors are not one's friends) and the random tangents on various aspects of today's societies (rants about our foreign policy, war in general, racism, etc) I could not handle this package. The many short chapters ironically enough made it harder for me to want to finish this book because it seemed to never end.

Disclosure: Received from Tu Books. Thank you! Especially for starting the imprint Tu Books =D

Off Color: Trickster's Girl

Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell (ARC) 2011
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Books

Rating: 1.5/5

IQ "'I don't make many promises', Kelsa told him. 'Because if I promise, if I start something, I'll finish it. So I'm careful about commitments.'" pg. 63 (quotes subject to change)

It's 2098 and the world has changed drastically. Kelsa is fifteen and her father has just died from cancer. Her mother is distant and Kelsa is removed from her schoolwork and friends. Then she meets Raven. Raven is the handsomest guy Kelsa has ever met but then he tells her that he's the Native American Trickster god. Raven babbles on about an impending ecological disaster involving a tree plague and that Kelsa can help him save the world. Is he crazy? Or could she could really help him save the world?

Let's get this out of the way. Kelsa's using of blackface dropped this book down so much. I just couldn't get behind that. Yes she only used dark foundation but the fact that she thought it was ok to do so in the first place is beyond troubling. So yes massive failure on that part, my mouth literally dropped open, especially when she goes on to bemoan that "[h]er mouth and nose weren't right, but she knew several mixie kids who'd drawn paler skin and Caucasian features out of the genetic lottery. She didn't look like a white girl anymore" (pgs. 191-192). 'Nuff said. In addition, this book moves so s-l-o-w-l-y. I would put this book down and have a hard time getting back into the story. It was normal that Kelsa would be freaked out by a guy who shapeshifts into a raven, but after awhile I just wanted the story to move on. In addition, the uneasy friendship between Kelsa and Raven was odd. They aren't enemies or friends or frenemies. It's almost like the author couldn't decide until the end if she wanted them to be a couple or just friends. The oddest thing was Joby, Kelsa's little brother. He was just a prop. I don't think he said anything at all, he just hung out with their mother and I have no idea why Kelsa wasn't just made an only child.

I did think this book brought up some interesting ideas about the future. For instance, Kelsa is upset that Raven has such a condescending attitude towards humans but at one point she says (I'm paraphrasing) that it's the white man's fault because the Native Americans knew how to take care of the Earth. But Raven says the Native Americans probably would have messed up the Earth too, they just didn't get a chance to stick around long enough on their land with the new technology. I also thought that the new gun laws were intriguing. Guns are illegal and the few guns out there are plastic. The plastic barrel deforms a little bit each time a gun is fired. Hmm, cool. Other things were silly, like the elimination of swear words so everyone says 'frack' and 'carp'. Of course, the environmental message is a good one. Take care of our planet now because who knows what could be happening to it years later? A deadly tree plague with possibly cancerous effects. Or y'know, something equally tragic.

Trickster's Girl suffers from an unfortunate incident with Kelsa trying to disguise herself with blackface and a very slow start. In addition frenemies Kelsa and Raven are difficult to understand, I never felt as though I knew anything personal about Kelsa and Raven. Kelsa is devastated by the loss of her father and Raven doesn't have human feelings, but I needed more to go on than that (I didn't need them to have a romance but I couldn't figure out where they stood with each other). Plus the writing is redundant and over explanatory. The environmental message is the first one I've come across in a book (although I do know of others) and it's a positive resounding theme. The author has some fascinating ideas concerning the end of the 21st century and the inclusion of magic is a nice twist but this book has too many flaws (in my opinion) to make the book an enjoyable experience.

Disclosure: Received as part of Traveling to Teens blog tour. Thank you Houghton!

Off-color reviews are books by poc but not about poc OR books with an important secondary poc character. This book fits the latter.

Throwback Thursday: Rain Is Not My Indian Name

Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith 2001
HarperCollins

Rating: 3/5

IQ "What with that foot crowding my mouth, I could hardly find a reply. Too bad Dmiti couldn't sell me a word-catcher to let good ones through and trap the rest. It was just that I'd seen so many tacky-looking dreamcatchers over the years, the kind with fakelore gift tags and flamingo-pink feathers. I looked again, more closely this time. the one Dmitri had shown me was beautiful. Being the real thing made a huge difference." Rain pg. 71

Cassidy Rain Berghoff decides on New Year's Eve she will start anew. Her birthday is on New Year's day, she's never kissed a boy and she's about to turn fourteen. What better way to welcome the new year than by kissing a guy she likes? That same night, Rain's best friend, Galen dies. Now it's six months later and Rain rarely leaves her house. Galen was her only close friend and she doesn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't even attend his funeral. Rain decides to re-enter the world when her Aunt Georgia's Indian Camp is threatened. The Indian Camp is designed to promote pride in various Native American cultures, it's being challenged for asking for funds from Rain's small Kansas community (seen as wasteful spending). Rain loves to take pictures and so she is hired by her town newspaper to photograph the campers. Rain doesn't really want to get involved, she's mainly there for her Aunt Georgia, but there's something about the camp that keeps drawing her back in.

This is another book that I feel could have benefited from being longer (it's only 135 pages). The plot concerning Indian Camp was a new and interesting one and I wish it had been further developed. I wanted to follow them on the field trip and learn more about their respective cultures. I was hoping to learn more about other activities that were a part of Indian Camp. Most of the characters were well developed, except for Galen's mother. She just seemed vindictive and while I could understand her arguments, there didn't seem to be a true motive behind them. Rain's father is in the army and he's in Guam for the entirety of the book but there is some fleshing out of his character, but not as much as I would have liked. In addition, at times I thought Rain could be a bit naive for fourteen. she doesn't understand the rumors swirling about her and her best friend, Galen, which surprised me. I would have assumed that she would have caught on.

I read Born Confused right before I starting reading Rain Is Not My Indian Name and it was a nice coincidence that both books have a main character who loves to take pictures. Rain loves to take pictures in black and white, she feels that it helps to capture the complexity of the subject and it doesn't hide anything. It's a small thing but I also appreciated that Rain hadn't taken pictures for a few months and when she finally picks up her camera again, she doesn't take perfect pictures. She makes mistakes in her shots but gradually she does remember and excel. I felt this was more authentic. I get annoyed when a character has a talent, ignores it and is then able to just pick it up again and be brilliant at it. That may be authentic for some people, but not all. Rain is Muscogee Creek-Cherokee, Scots-Irish, German and Ojibway (I decided to just include the Ojibway tribe as the label because that's the heritage that plays the largest role in the story), but she doesn't like to tell people that unless they are Native. As she explains "when it's Native people asking, probably because they show respect for the tribal affiliation, for my family. They never follow up with something like 'You don't seem Indian to me.'" (pg. 48) I think anyone can relate to that, not wanting to always have to explain/defend yourself, your heritage.

Rain Is Not My Indian Name is another big step towards filling in the ridiculously large gap of books that are about Native Americans and told in a respectful manner. However, the strength of this story also lies in the main character of Rain. Rain is grieving and even though some people think she should have gotten over it already, I was able to sympathize with her grief and understand why she just wanted to stay home (her mother had also died six years ago). Rain's home situation may seem unusual to some readers (she lives with her grandfather who is on vacation in Vegas so during the course of the book she lives with her older "Native American Fabio" brother, Fynn and his girlfriend) but the sibling and parental issues are ones that all teenagers face in some way, shape or form. Rain is polite, but she calls it like she sees it and that's refreshing. Plus she's not easily swayed by guys, which is a bonus. I think this book could have worked so much more if it had done MORE. I suppose since the Indian camp was only supposed to last a few days, that's why it was so short, but I wanted to closely follow the Indian Camp, as closely as rain trailed the campers with her camera. I was most surprised by how immersed I was in small-town culture. I personally, felt stifled (everyone knew everybody's business, two Black families, nine Native Americans, one or two Jewish people, not much to do). A fun and multi dimensional group of characters with a new (well new-to-me) setting made this book a quick but good read read.

Disclosure: Bought

PS The character of Queenie CRACKED ME UP. It reminded me of how almost everyone tries to claim some kind of Native American heritage. Especially Black southerners. It's so funny (funny to meanyway) because usually the Native American tribe they claim is the same (Cherokee) and it's so far removed, it's ridiculous to even try to make the claim. But I have white friends who do the same thing. It's an amusing phenomena.

Throwback Thursday is hosted by Take Me Away Reading

Male Monday: I Am Nuchu

I Am Nuchu by Brenda Stanley 2010 (ARC)
Westside Books


Rating: 1.5/5


IQ "But most of them [traditions] are written by people other people; writers who are not us. If you don't live it and practice it, it's not the same and will be lost." Grandfather pg. 190

Cal Burton is half Nuchu (Ute is the name given the Nuchu by white people) but he's never cared to learn more about his heritage. He's forced to live in the throes of his culture when his parents divorce and he must go live with his mother on the Utah reservation where she grew up. Cal hates everything about Fort Duchesne Reservation, he wants to go back to Spokane, Washington where is a basketball star and has lots of friends. In Utah, there is blatant racism and the sheriff is the driving force behind much of the racism. Cal gradually starts to learn that the reason they moved back to the reservation is not as clear cut as it seemed and that the Burton family has LOTS of secrets.

Before I start this review, I just want to say that I am not Nuchu or Native American so I can't say for sure if any of this was offensive to the Nuchu people but as a non-Native reader, I found some of this to be offensive. (if it's not offensive to Native peoples, I will raise the rating). First of all, I was always under the impression that Native Americans did not like to be called Indians, they prefer to be called by their tribal name, in this case, Nuchu. However throughout the entire book, EVERYONE says Indian. I can understand why the racists say it and I even understand why Cal says it, he sees it as a derogatory name befitting a group of people he wants nothing to do with. however Doran, Cal's brother is supposed to be the sensitive one, but even he says "Aren't you curious about the Indians?" (pg. 9). This makes the Nuchu sound like some foreign species and granted, Cal does Doran "[t]his isn't the old West." (pg. 9) but both boys continue to refer to the Nuchu as "the Indians." Which led me to think they both hate being Nuchu and yet, the author seems to be trying to make the claim that Doran is proud of his heritage and so are the other Nuchu people that Cal meets. If they are so proud, why do they identify themselves as Indians, a term that the ignorant people of the town use? Another incredibly annoying issue was alcohol. Shortly after arriving on the reservation, Cal catches his mom drinking at 10 AM. We aren't told how many beers she had nor are we told if she has previous history of being an alcoholic. But all of a sudden Cal is raging about his 'alcoholic mother' who hangs out with her "drinking buddies" (pg. 48). True having a beer in the morning is troubling, but I'm not sure I would immediately jump to the conclusion that my mother is an alcoholic!

The writing style also grated on my nerves. It was ALL TELL, no show. "Robert's face turned to despair." (pg. 254), "Cal swung around surprised" (pg. 58), etc. These feelings/emotions could be conveyed through the words Cal/Robert/whoever used, I don't need to be told that Cal is surprised, I should be able to gather that from the context. Furthermore, I was so tired of everyone lying to Cal. It just didn't seem realistic. I understand lying at first to protect him, but after he finds out one of the truths, why not just tell him everything? I suppose this could also be seen as a strength of the novel because I was just as fed up as Cal over the lies. I did like that the author was discussing revenge versus justice, but the execution fell so flat, I didn't pay it much mind. I never got a grasp on the personalities of all the characters either. Cal meets Puck, Johnny and Fly, but I couldn't keep them straight because they all blended together. They appeared when they were needed to help out the plot, but that was it. I didn't get a feel for Rachel (Cal's sister either).

I Am Nuchu has potential due to its complex mystery surrounding the death of Cal's aunt as well as the reasons as to why Cal and his siblings had to move back to the reservation, but it never comes together. The writing is slow, heavy with unnecessary details and not allowing the dialogue of the characters to carry the story. The characters are one dimensional and the dialogue sounds unnatural at times. To top it all off, I wasn't a fan of "Indian" being thrown about so casually and I'm not sure I liked the messages about alcoholism being presented. I was hoping to walk away from this book with a stronger idea of Nuchu culture, but that is not the case.

Disclosure: Received for review from Westside Books. I'm sorry :(

Male Monday: Jim & Me

Jim & Me (Baseball Card Adventures) by Dan Gutman 2008
HarperCollins

Rating: 4/5

IQ "'Whenever I mess up, they say my brain isn't as smart as a white man's.' Jim said. 'And when I do good, they say I'm a savage who was raised with a fighting spirit. But I'm a man, just like any other.'" Jim pg. 143

In Jim & Me, Joey Stoshack (nicknamed Stosh) is approached by his arch-nemesis, Bobby Fuller for a favor. Bobby wants Stosh to take him back in time to meet his great grandfather, Jim Thorpe. Stosh can travel through time when he touches a baseball card, Bobby was an accidental witness to this (long story and this is the first book I read in the series even though it's not the first one). Bobby wants to clear Jim's name. Jim was considered the greatest athlete in the world, people didn't care that he was Native American. However, Thorpe lost all his 1912 Olympic medals in a scandal and people don't look too kindly upon him. Stosh puts aside his misgivings and agrees to help; only because he wants to meet Jim Thorpe, Christy Mathewson, John McGraw and all the other great New York Giants. But once they arrive, all the boys do is argue.

The story was quite enjoyable. I learned a lot about Jim Thorpe, baseball, and the state of athletic competitions in the early 1900s. It wasn't fair; Jim lost his medals because he wasn't considered an amateur since he had played baseball previously to participating in the Olympics and got paid for it. this made him a professional. The point is made in the book (and I completely agree) that this would never hold up today. Can you imagine only having amateurs participating in the Olympics? It would be interesting but not as exciting. Jim Thorpe was an amazing athlete; he ran track (he did everything from pole vaulting to running to throwing the javelin), played football, basketball and baseball. His reputation was ruined when his medals were taken away, except that baseball teams wanted to hire him to sell more seats. Jim ended up joining the New York Giants and it was not a good fit.

I was astonished and amused by the baseball games during the 1900s. It was basically a free for all and everyone broke the rules (well the rules we have today, there weren't really any rules back then). For example, during a game, John McGraw asks the pitcher if he can see the ball. The pitcher hesitates, but then throws McGraw the ball. McGraw doesn't touch it, he simply urges the runner on third to "go!" This was considered legal because "If you throw away the ball, you're a fool." This book also handles the issue of racism quite well. Jim faces derogatory remarks not only from the opposing side fans, but from his own fans as well (see the IQ above). Also, some coaches tried to pass African American players off as Native Americans since African Americans were barred from playing baseball at this time. Jim wasn't that great of a baseball player; he excelled at other sports, but baseball was not his thing. It didn't help that his manager, John McGraw was a jerk (not completely) and didn't work well with Jim.

Jim & Me is a satisfying read that immerses readers in the world of the 1900s through baseball, racism and the setting. Some facts shared may be lost on non-baseball fans or even people who like baseball but don't know the complete history of the game (like me). I also liked how the contemporary storyline did not get lost in the past, Stosh and Bobby have their ups and their downs. They make some pretty crazy accusations against one another, but they are entertaining to read about. "Boys" *shakes head in amusement* I decided to read this book because my brother really likes this series. He doesn't like to read and will only read books about sports AND they have to be a series. I know, he's weird. Anyway, I was curious to read a book in the series that got him reading and the series is pretty diverse (Stosh has other books where he meets Satchel Paige, Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson), so I was thrilled. 4th grade and up.

PS I think this review came off as a more of a history lesson. Sorry!

Male Monday: CodeTalker

CodeTalker by Joseph Bruchac

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "You cannot weave a rug before you set up the loom. So I will go back to the beginning, pound the posts in the ground, and build the fame. I will start where my own story of words and warriors begins." Ned pg.3

I officially love Jospeh Bruchac. This is only my 2nd novel of his, but I enjoy his writing and his topics so very much. His books shine a much-needed spotlight on Native Americans and their history.

The author takes us back to World War II and the role that Navajos played in that war. Navajos were used as codetalkers, since their language is so complex and the Japanese had never learned it. The U.S. needed to use the Navajo language because the Japanese had learned all their other codes. As the main character, Ned Begay, points out, I found it rather ironic that a people who had been forced by the U.S. to give up their language for their country, now needed to use this language to save their country. I loved reading about how the Navajos used the code and the excerpts of their codes in the Navajo language added a crucial part (I think) to the story. It was nice being able to actually see the codes and from the codes I saw (and from what was explained), the Navajo language is hard! True any language you've never learned is hard, but it's considered one of the hardest American Indian languages to learn and only Navajos are absolutely fluent, which is why only Navajos were trained to use the code.

Once again, Mr. Bruchac provides a very detailed look at soldier life. It was interesting comparing the life of a soldier in WWII to that of a soldier fighting in the Civil War. The racial issues are essentially the same, all the Native Americans, regardless of tribe and rank are called "Chief" as in March Toward The Thunder. I also liked how the book was about the U.S. efforts in fighting the Japanese. There are so many books about the war in Europe and I thought CodeTalker helped fill in a nice niche not only on Navajo culture and codetalkers, but on the U.S. vs. the Japanese battles. Mr. Bruchac really humanized the Japanese and gave many details on their life and military fighting style that I found very helpful (being a prisoner of war is considered disgraceful and cowardly to the Japanese, it is better to commit suicide or be killed in battle). Personally, I would have liked to read more about WWII experiences that the Navajos had. The books is a bit long, but each chapter is relatively short and I would have liked to read a little more details about the battles. The characters were pretty well-rounded and developed, but I would have liked to see a little more interaction of Ned with the other characters and really see them grow.

It made my blood boil when I learned that the Navajos were not recognized for their sacrifices. They had to keep their work as codetalkers top secret, in case it was needed again so no one (including their families) learned about what they did until the '60s. Also the Navajos (I think this may apply for all Native Americans actually) weren't allowed to use the G.I. Bill to build their homes on the reservations.

I highly recommend this book once again. I think it's essential that not only Navajos and other Native Americans read this book, but all Americans. We need to honor all our veterans and I don't think the Navajo codetalkers have received full recognition yet, their stories aren't being told in all classrooms throughout the U.S. Even if you don't love historical fiction, this book is a good intro into the U.S. struggles against the Japanese.

I leave you with this quote: "It is not just my story, but a story of our people and of the strength that we gain from holding on to our language, from being Dine'. I pray that none of you will ever go into battle as I did. I also pray that you will fight to keep our language, to hold on to it with the same warrior spirit that our Indian people showed in that war. Let our language keep you strong and you will never forget what it is to be Navajo. You will never forget what it means to walk in beauty." Ned pg. 214

ETA: Check out this link with some awesome videos done by the Navajo codetalkers about their role in WWII as well as another good review. Go here for both :) Thanks Jill O. for drawing my attention to this great review!

Sorceress

Sorceress by Celia Rees 2002

Rating: 4/5

IQ "On their own they [wampum beads] fall and scatter. Put them together, though, and you've got something else. Together they make up something big. Together they preserve the words. This is how I figure it: you, me, Mary, the people in her life, the folk Alison has found out about, Alison herself-we're like the beads on this belt. Look at us apart and you can't tell a lot. But put us together and then you can read the whole story." Aunt M pg. 310

Sorceress is the sequel to Witch Child by Celia Rees and I recommend that you read Witch Child first to really understand what's going on, I may review it later on (after I get through my mountainous tbr pile). Agnes Herne, also known as Karonhisake (Searching Sky) attends college in Boston. She reads a book about Mary Newbury (the main character of Witch Child, an orphaned girl who comes to America and lives with the Puritans. She is forced to flee her home when people begin to suspect she's a witch. Mary does not deny it) and believes she may be related to her, since it is thought that Mary lived with a Native American tribe for much of her life. Agnes is of Mohawk descent and her Aunt M has told her stories about an unnamed young woman who sounds a lot like Mary Newbury and Aunt M has a box containing personal artifacts that may have belonged to Mary.

I don't want to spoil the book too much for those who haven't read Witch Child yet. I really enjoyed Sorceress. Agnes is essentially 'possessed' by Mary Newbury. She sees events through Mary's eyes. Mary lives in the time leading up to King Phillip's War and after the war. King Philip was the English name for a powerful Wampanoag chief who was the leader of the Native Americans fighting against the English (read here for more information). Since I love history, I really liked reading a more personal perspective on King Philip's War. It was an appealing read, especially when I learned that not all Native Americans wanted to fight the English, even though the English were stealing their land. I also really enjoyed reading about the powers Mary and Agnes have. I don't know anything about shamans and I thought it added an intriguing element to the story.

I would have liked to see more character development of Agnes. I understand that this was Mary's story, but if that's the case I don't really think Agnes should be mentioned. Her part was interesting, but I didn't get to know her at all. All I know is that she's shy, a Mohawk and has medicine power. Same thing with all the other characters; Sim, Aunt M, Alison. The book is relatively a long read and it's not all that quick, there were some parts that weren't boring, but a bit slow to unravel. So adding more details about the characters would have lengthened the book a bit, but I think it's necessary, since I think the characters all have interesting stories. The ending was satisfying and I liked how it's written in a historical format called Background Notes, that includes interviews and diary accounts.

I didn't find any reviews that named Sorceress as a books that is disrespectful to Mohawk/native American culture. I think it did a pretty good job, especially because Aunt M rallies against white people who put precious Native American artifacts (like wampum belts) in museums and don't take care of them. The book provided good insight into why some Native Americans don't want their history and belongings being displayed in museums. It's clear Celia Rees did her research, even though she lives in England, she mentions in her Acknoweldgements that she visited America a few times and talked to Mohawks and historians of Iroquois tribes (the larger umbrella Mohawk falls under, there are six Iroquois nations). A good historical fiction read with an element of supernatural/fantasy. I especially recommend this book to fans of Witch Child, it's a good sequel. 8th grade and up.

Male Monday: March Toward The Thunder

March Toward The Thunder by Joseph Bruchac 2008

Rating: 5/5

IQ "Of course, I do not need it as a reminder of what war is about. I have seen too often that it is not conquering armies, but boys like yourself toiling in the rain and darkness with no thought of pride or glory or reward, their faces bathed in tears and their hands in blood." Clara Barton, pg. 279

"Get down!" Oh wait, hello 2009. *blinks and looks around*. You mean, it's not 1864 and I'm not fighting on the side of the Union in the Civil War? How odd. That is the effect March Toward The Thunder will have on you. I got so caught up in every single moment, I tore through the book at a rapid pace. I honestly, completely forgot that I don't live in 1864, I'm not a soldier and I'm not Abenaki or Irish. This book is also a good example of a book that is not very quotable but still wonderful.

March Toward The Thunder is the story of Private Louis Nolette. Lous is a fifteen year old Canadian Abenaki Union soldier. He joins the Fighting 69th which was known as the Irish Brigade. The Irish Brigade is legendary for their extraordinary courage. This book does a wonderful job of introducing readers to the Civil War. It's not chock-full of tedious facts, but instead full of riveting events concerning the effects the Civil War had on people, the battles, the daily life of a soldier and stereotypes. You will not get bored in reading this book.

I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable Civil War buff, but I learned so much I didn't know. It just goes to show you can ALWAYS learn more. I was attracted to this book because I realized that I'd never heard or learned anything about the roles Native Americans played in the Civil War (Black Angels was the first time I read anything about the role of Native Americans in the Civil, in which Betty Strong Foot is a double agent who doesn't care as to which side wins the war). I wanted to know whose side where they on? Why did they fight for the side they did? This book obviously can't speak to the reasons as to why every single Native American soldier fought, but I think it did a good job of explaining some of the motives.In the book, Louis joins the 69th Regiment because he believes that slavery is wrong, he wants respect from White Americans and he needs the money. I knew a little bit about the Irish Brigade's reputation, and it was an absolute delight reading about them. The regiment had a feeling of family and I could hear the lilting voice of Irish accents and see all these white boys sitting around a fire making fun of the lone Indian (whom they nicknamed 'Chief'), but all out of good-natured teasing. They all had great nicknames (Songbird, Joker, Bad Luck Bill, etc) and there was a real sense of family. They were also so brave and ferocious. The book offered an excellent portrait of how hard life was not as a soldier (little food, awful uniforms, terrible living conditions, etc). I learned about the types of soldiers everyone hated and envied (cavalrymen) and all the terms that the army uses.

Also, I loved how Louis either met the most famous people from the Civil War or was in the thick of many battles. He meets Abraham Lincoln, Clara Baron, General Ely S. Parker (the first Seneca, [well really the first and only high-ranking Native American], Union general AND chief of his people. Sadly, he's someone that is not taught about in history class). He fights in the battles of Cold Harbor, the Wilderness and is at The Crater.

The book also portrays how tough life was for Native American and African American soldiers. The Native American soldiers were either thought of as African American or made fun of sometimes in a light-hearted manner, sometimes in a mean-spirited manner. The incompetence of generals on both sides as well as their cruelty made me cringe. All the characters were three-dimensional. You could see everyone, hear them and sympathize with their plight. There were surprises that were very well concealed.

When I finished this book, I had a much greater appreciation for the sacrifices of all soldiers, especially those who fought in the Civil War. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the brave men and women who have fought and are currently fighting to protect America's wonderful people and freedom. I also had even more respect for Native American soldiers and Irish soldiers. As Louis said, "I may come out of this more Irish than Abenaki." I think I came out of this book, feeling more Irish AND Abenaki. I highly recommend this book, it's not too violent so it's a good start into the Civil War for younger, middle-school readers. However, it's also an excellent read for high school students because you can still learn about events and people you may not learn about in history class and you can use it later on (I certainly will be sharing my new-found knowledge since my U.S. History class is almost at the Civil War). A Must Read, even if you don't like historical fiction. Joseph Bruchac, you have a new fan. I can't wait to start CodeTalker!

Male Monday: Who Will Tell My Brother?

Who Will Tell My Brother? by Marlene Carvell 2002

Rating: 5/5 :)

IQ "I look into the mirror and into my soul and I know that my strength comes not from how I look, but how I feel, and how I feel determines who I am." Evan pg. 24

Another very quotable book, every line is poetic. Who Will Tell My Brother? is written in free-verse and I think it's the best way to tell the story. Evan Hill decides to carry on the fight that his older brother, Jacob, started. Jacob is two years older than Evan and when he attended Evan's high school, he fought to have the offensive Indian chief mascot changed. However, he didn't succeed. Now Evan picks up the fight.

Free-verse is the best way to tell the story because it clearly articulates why Evan is doing what he is doing, it showcases his emotions and presents a compelling read. The free-verse narrative showcases the intense feelings and effects of alienation, determination, humiliation and ignorance. You also learn a lot more about Evan as a person from the poetic lines. Poetry and free-verse are very deep and can help paint a picture as to what a person is like. We learn that Evan is an artist "as my artist brain takes over and my hand begins to move, seemingly uncontrolled, sketching methodically, but urgently, as though the image might melt away at any moment", half-Mohawk (on his father's side, I'm unsure as to the heritage of his mother), intelligent, articulate, brave, persevering and honest. Evan is a great character. He's human with acknowledged flaws, I grew increasingly angry at the compliance of the high school students to do nothing as well as at the people who mocked Evan, calling him "timber n-", "Injun" and other awful names. The story of Butch was quite upsetting too.

The intolerance, prejudices and stereotypes made me cringe. Yet I wasn't too surprised because something similar was occurring in Illinois (read more about it here) a few years ago. The book made me think and question myself: Do I simply accept Native American images no matter how offensive? Or do I question them? I do a little of both, I wanted the Illini mascot to change, but I've never really thought of asking the Atlanta Braves to change their name. However, I do think that we also need to ask ourselves: If someone was else was fighting this battle, would I be willing to help them and take a stand? Or would I work against them, or even worse, remain passive? I would help.

This story remains as a valuable lesson to today's society. It's not outdated in the slightest, there are so many schools and sports teams that still have offensive mascots (Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves, etc). I walked away from this book with the knowledge that one teenager can make a difference. Even if the change doesn't result in an actual, 'physical' change, if you change even a few attitudes for the better, than you've succeeded. Who Will Tell My Brother? is fictional but based on the real experiences of Ms. Carvell's two sons while in high school. I strongly this book be read. High school and up.

Side Note: I've been having great luck lately with Male Monday books! Mostly 5/5 or 4/5 rating, I think I may end up liking books with guy protagonists a whole lot more than books with girl protagonists!

I Am Apache

I Am Apache by Tanya Landman 2009

Rating: 1.5/5

IQ "It was as though I plunged into a mountain pool. I stopped resisting. With a deep, calming breath, I dived into the pain. I found its heart and I saw through it. And came to a place far beyond, where my body ceased to matter." pg. 79

I really like the metaphor used in the above quote to describe tolerating pain being like swimming. That's the only quote that jumped out at me. And unfortunately that's probably one of the few things I liked about the novel.

I didn't like I Am Apache very much. What I love about historical fiction is how it's entertaining while still educating you about a different time period. I'm convinced part of the reason I know so much history is from all the historical fiction reading I did as a child. I didn't get that in this book. I Am Apache is missing that crucial combination of entertainment and education. In fact it's missing both.

The author states in the historical note that "I've made no attempt to produce an accurate historical novel..I've tried to be authentic as far as period details goes, but at times I have had to stretch things in order to make the story work." While I appreciate the author's honesty, that's a problem. I was looking forward to learning about the Apache tribe, but Siki's (the main character) tribe is fictional (the Black Mountain Apache) as are all the names of places and characters. The character of Siki is very loosely based off of the woman who rode with Geronimo (I did reach this conclusion while reading). Also, to give the author credit, she used primary sources for period details and talked to Apache tribal historians (she even dedicated her book to the Apache people), but I don't want complete fiction in historical fiction, I also want some truth, some history (hence the name!). And honestly, some of the parts of the book just seemed like stereotypes. *SPOILER* (highlight the white space to read it) And I was highly annoyed that Siki turned out to not be Apache, but Mexican.
I wasn't a fan of any of the characters, but I was curious as to finding out the truth about Siki's family, that element kept me turning the pages (I also hoped the novel would get better). I didn't see Siki grow or any of the other characters (except a minor one at the very end). I'm also sure that the author's representation of the white Americans and Mexicans treatment of the Apaches is very true or closely represents the truth, it's disturbing and made me angry (actually, what the Americans and Mexicans did was probably a lot worse than what was detailed in the book). I think that the Native American tribes' culture is so beautiful and diverse, I was sorely disappointed that it was all fictional concerning the Apache.

For an excellent review of why I Am Apache should not be read go here (from Oyate, a Native American site that reviews books about Native Americans). The writers express the negative aspects of this novel much more eloquently than I can. This book left me wondering: Should I applaud the author for trying to write about a underrepresented culture? Or is it worse to write about a culture you know little about and get it wrong?

PS For some good recommendations of Native American literature check out my Native American Lit widget in my sidebar and check out Oyate and American Indians in Children's Literature for books to read and avoid. Also check out the comments on my Native American Heritage post.

Male Monday: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 2007

Rating: 10/5!!

IQ "It sucks to be poor and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor. You start believing that you're poor because you're stupid and ugly. And then you start believing that you're stupid and ugly because you're Indian. And because you're Indian you start believing you're destined to be poor. It's an ugly circle and there's nothing you can do about it." Junior

The above quote is so sadly true. So many people just give up and think that there's no hope, they're always going to be poor and there's nothing you can do about it. The word Indian easily could have been replaced with Latino, Asian or African American.

All the praise this book has gotten is so well deserved. I didn't cry (I rarely do) but I came close to it at certain parts. I laughed really, really hard at certain parts (I liked how at one point Junior is talking about how red his white teacher is getting, and he says "I've never seen an Indian look that red. So why do they call us the redskins?) This book even had a way of making the sad parts funny. I loved the drawings and cartoons in this book. They really added to the story (sad, funny or just informative).

Junior is hands down my favorite character. I feel so bad for him, but through it all he keeps his great sense of humor. He's beaten up at least once a month (card-carrying member of the Black-Eye-of-the-Month club), born with brain damage and is the only Native American kid at his all-white school (not even any other minorities). The book is basically about Junior adjusting to life as an 'outsider' on the rez (reservation) once he starts going to an all-white school.

When I started reading this book I knew nothing, absolutely nothing about life for Native Americans on reservations (I knew that the life there wasn't the greatest, wow was that a huge understatement). It's really tough living on a reservation. There are few jobs and many, many of them are poor. They aren't expected to go to college or make anything of themselves. Also something I never knew about was the huge drinking problem that Native Americans faced. The plight of the Native American people is basically ignored. I wonder why there are no news stories about life on reservations. There most certainly should be.

I don't have a least favorite character. I didn't like any of the evil/annoying characters (like Earl). Ultimately my least favorite characters were all the haters, the Native American people who were mean to Junior and the white people who were racist towards Native Americans.

I think any guy or girl would like this book. This is an absolute must read! 7th grade and up