1. FIREKEEPER’S DAUGHTER by Angeline Boulley
Bibliography
Boulley, Angeline (2021). Firekeeper’s Daughter. Henry Holt and Company.
Plot Summary
Daunis Firekeeper is an 18-year-old girl who is half Native American and half French. She is on her way to college after finishing up her high school career as the class valedictorian and a star hockey player. Her father died when she was young, but she is still very involved with his Ojibwe tribe and aspects of their culture. She is also close with her mother and her family, especially her mother’s brother, who was a father-figure to her. After the mysterious death of her uncle and several other close members of her tribe, she is pulled into an undercover investigation to discover the origin of the meth and its plague on their town.
Critical Analysis
The Firekeeper’s Daughter reflects many social issues of today, like a typical YA novel. One issue that the novel tackles is that of a girl playing on the male varsity hockey team. She can athletically keep up and is respected by many of the players. The reticence of some to accept her in this position leads to resentment and conflict, and ultimately her being assaulted.
The main characters are teenagers that go to school, play sports, and hang out with their friends. They also encounter issues that young adults today deal with, like friendships, alcohol, drugs, romance, and sexual assault. The author wrote many strong female characters in Daunis’s life, like her mother, aunt, grandmother, and even her best friend Lily. The relationship between Daunis and Jamie Johnson is a major story arc, as is drug trafficking and dealing. The mysterious and devastating deaths and the presence of meth drive the narrative.
Another societal issue is the tension between a minority culture, the Ojibwe tribe, and white American culture. Daunis feels torn between these two worlds, as her mother’s family never accepted her father or his culture. The conflict is further alluded to throughout the novel with mentions of players from different teams not getting along, or students from different areas and schools being treated differently.
Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “A strong crime fiction addition to any library.”
Booklist: “This debut novel is gripping from the start...”
Kirkus Reviews: “...this book balances the darkness with Ojibwe cultural texture and well-crafted characters.
Connections
Students can watch the book trailer on the author’s website. https://angelineboulley.com/firekeepers-daughter
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley – coming May 2023
2. IF YOU COME SOFTLY by Jacqueline Woodson
Bibliography
Woodson, Jacqueline. (2018). If You Come Softly. Listening Library. https://www.audible.com/pd/If-You-Come-Softly-Audiobook/B079RJZ58L?qid=1663125572&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=9DP7DK16E4VP2B2H68DT
Plot Summary
If You Come Softly is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. It tells the story of two 15-year-old star-crossed lovers. Jeremiah is black and Ellie is white. They meet and fall in love at their new prep school. Jeremiah is from a well-off, famous family. Ellie is the youngest daughter of a doctor. They come from two different worlds and navigate their burgeoning relationship in a time and place that isn’t completely ready for them. His mother is open and accepting of their relationship, but his father and her parents are not aware of it, until after Jeremiah’s tragic death.
Critical Analysis
If You Come Softly deals with interracial romance, racial tension and violence. Jeremiah and Ellie have a memorable meeting in the hallway of their prep school one day. Their relationship begins when Jeremiah transfers into Ellie’s class. They are both aware that the other is a different race and color, but it doesn’t matter to them. They see inside each other. Jeremiah is more aware of the looks and stares that they get when they are out in public together. Ellie is willfully ignorant to it. Jacqueline Woodson deftly slips into each character and writes intuitively from each perspective.
In addition to the theme of interracial romance, the novel’s male protagonist dies by gun violence. Jeremiah’s father always told him not to run in a white neighborhood. In the end, this is what gets him. He is shot and dies while innocently daydreaming about Ellie and basketball.
This unabridged audiobook is from Audible. It is read by two voices: Jorjeana Marie as “Ellie” and Guy Lockard as “Jeremiah”. The book begins with opening credits, a dedication, and a preface by the author, Jacqueline Woodson. The story is broken into two parts, with the first one being a third as long as the second. It closes with ending credits. The actors portray the characters very well. Jorjeana Marie’s voice sounds young and innocent, just as Ellie is written.
Review excerpts
Connections
- Further reading: Feathers and After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
3. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie
Bibliography
Alexie, Sherman. (2009). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Little, Brown.
Plot Summary
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian tells the story of Junior, a poor Native American boy living on the Spokane Indian Reservation with his parents. Junior decides that he must transfer to the rich, white school 22 miles away in Reardan, where hope exists. There he meets Penelope, a beautiful white girl. Junior experiences a traditional American school life. In the end, he realizes that he misses his best friend Rowdy. Leaving the reservation and experiencing life apart from his Spokane Indian tribe, Junior sees that he belongs to many tribes and matters to many people.
Critical Analysis
This story deals with matters of race, social class, addiction, and eating disorders. Junior, and the rest of his tribe, are extremely poor. The descriptions of the generational poverty he was born into are heartbreaking, and the retelling of the death or his dog due to hunger is tragic. Junior loves to draw cartoons, and these drawings are highlighted throughout the story and bring levity to the serious subject matter. It is especially hard on his best friend Rowdy.
The struggles of life on an Indian reservation are described in detail. Junior and his best friend Rowdy experience the pervasive alcohol and physical abuse. Junior feels trapped by his small world and longs to experience something more. When he leaves, he is shunned and bullied by many in his tribe who think of him as a traitor.
Penelope is set up as the opposite to Junior. She is wealthy, white, and blonde. She has a seemingly perfect life but is secretly a bulimic. Penelope and Junior have a burgeoning romance, that elicits a strong reaction in some. This relationship widens his perspective on life, but remains superficial.
Review excerpts
- Horn Book Magazine: “The line between dramatic monologue, verse novel, and standup comedy gets unequivocally -- and hilariously and triumphantly -- bent in this novel about coming of age on the rez.”
Connections
- Bonus content at the back of the book: notes, photos, letters, and interviews.
- Students could do further research about the creation of reservations and what life is like on them.
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