Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in hundreds of publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.
"This appealing portrayal of a strong family offers an unromanticized view of Native American culture ... and gives a subtle lesson in the meaning of daily courage".-- School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-Joseph Bruchac packs a lot into this modern-day story (Puffin, 1999) of a young Mohawk boy who has been transplanted from the reservation, where he felt at home, to Brooklyn, where he is an anomaly, taunted and teased by students in his fourth grade class. Danny Bigtree's father, an ironworker on skyscrapers, is a strong influence on the young man. When Danny comes to him for advice, his father teaches him about his culture; the Iroquois legend of Aionwahta, the peacemaker; and the Iroquois Confederacy which strongly influenced our American forefathers. Danny's father visits his class and shares the same stories with the students. This visit paves the way for Danny to make peace with his classmates and helps him stand up to the bullies. There are many subplots woven throughout the story. Danny dreams of a falling eagle, and later his father is badly injured in a fall at work. An old friend of Danny's, a Seminole native, apparently joins a gang in an attempt to fit in at his school. The legend of Aionwahta, the strongest section of the book, is read with the most expression and emotion by Bruchac. While there are many lessons inherent in the book, the main story of a young man who struggles to live in two cultures and maintain his identity is strong, and his courage in the face of bullies will be cheered.-MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools, Binghamton, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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