Published: Candlewick Press
Honors and Awards:
2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate and a New York Times bestselling author of books for young readers.
American Indian Library Association's Youth Literature Award (2020).
Summary:
This is a book about a girl called Louise who is a senior at a high school. She is a Native American and is trying to figure things out, like where she belongs in the complexities of her high school and more specifically with her boyfriend, Cam. she was heartbroken when Cam made disparaging remarks about her heritage. He also mocks his brother's girlfriend, saying that she's only with his brother for his money, as they come from a wealthy country. The school wants to put on a musical, The Wizard of Oz, and is encouraging inclusivity with the casting however not everyone is on board with this idea. Louise and Joey end up dating but Louise is too scared to speak of her identity as she thinks Joey does not know she is a Native American and she's fearful of getting her heart broken. As it turns out, he does know she is Native, and he still really likes her. This is a great book about sharing your identity with the people around you and speaking up rather than just being quiet to fit in.
Reading Level:
Lexile Measure: HL760L
Page count: 304
Vocabulary
Swanky - stylishly luxurious and expensive.
Rustic - relating to the countryside; rural.
Sanctimonious - making a show of being morally superior to other people.
Quintessential - representing the most perfect example of quality or class.
Paraphernalia - miscellaneous articles, especially the equipment needed for a particular activity.
Gerrymander - manipulate the boundaries in favor of one party of class.
Nonchalant - feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed.
Galvanize - shock or excite someone into taking action.
Troglodyte - a person who lived in a cave.
Insidious - Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way but with harmful effects.
Scintillate - emit flashes of light; sparkle.
Self-righteous - having or characterized by a certainty, that one is totally correct or morally superior, but that is unfounded.
Resources to Support Text
Building / activating schema
Teaching about inclusion and acceptance - Cynthia Leitich Smith's website
Speaking Up Without Tearing Down - from Teaching Tolerance
Lesson Activity
Throughout the book, we discover the issues of racism, and the topic of inclusivity. Privilege includes unearned advantages that are highly valued but restricted to certain groups. After reviewing the content within the building / activating schema section, create a Flipgrid address things points:
Define the concept of racism.
Identify and express examples of privilege and racism in you life or the world in which we live in.
Recommended grade level:
9th - 12th grade
Common Core State Standard
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
Key phrases / quotes
"I'd been home long enough for the rhythm of my speech to downshift." ...
"We didn't need a thirty-five-hundred-member church, too."...
"I'm auditioning for the fall musical."
Theme: Courage, Culture, Friendship, Identity, Prejudice
Before reading activity
Watch video of the history of Native American's for students to gain a better understanding and building background schema. Write a paragraph on the History of Native Americans; what did you learn from watching the video: History of Native Americans for Kids - Timelines - Animation
During reading activity
Create a graphic organizer, comparing and contrasting your life to Louise. How are your lives in the book so far similar, and how are they different?
After reading activity
Provide an overview of the story by sequencing the important events within a timeline. Create a timeline; for examples of timeline templates, click on this link.
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