Chris ShoemakerCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - School Library Journal Gr 7-10Exploring Indian identity, both self and tribal, Alexie's first young adult novel is a semiautobiographical chronicle of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, a Spokane Indian from Wellpinit, WA. The bright 14-year-old was born with water on the brain, is regularly the target of bullies, and loves to draw. He says, "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats." He expects disaster when he transfers from the reservation school to the rich, white school in Reardan, but soon finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team. Meeting his old classmates on the court, Junior grapples with questions about what constitutes one's community, identity, and tribe. The daily struggles of reservation life and the tragic deaths of the protagonist's grandmother, dog, and older sister would be all but unbearable without the humor and resilience of spirit with which Junior faces the world. The many characters, on and off the rez, with whom he has dealings are portrayed with compassion and verve, particularly the adults in his extended family. Forney's simple pencil cartoons fit perfectly within the story and reflect the burgeoning artist within Junior. Reluctant readers can even skim the pictures and construct their own story based exclusively on Forney's illustrations. The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.
anonymous on 04 Apr 16On this website you can create and publish an e-book. The books are small picture book style books. The graphics included are fun whimsical style graphics, but you can also add your own pictures or graphics. I saw one book created by a teacher called The Rubric Teacher. The teacher created the book as a cute reminder that the students needed to follow the rubric when working on a project. This is a great way of emphasizing something that often gets ignored in a fun way the students will remember.
Katie Sisson on 11 Apr 16This is an online eBook creator. It is free if you want to share or embed the book on a website. You can also pay if you want the book to be printed for a hard copy.
