This is one of the best books that I've seen on the Mark Twain list for the last couple of years. It seems like a lot of the books for the 4th to 8th grade range are full of kids who can't be told what's what. They won't believe that a parent or elder might have a better handle on the way the world works until they have some major epiphany. That is why I love Feather, the main character in The Young Healer. She is smart, but very caring and trusts absolutely what her grandfather says. Her grandfather is a Lakota medicine man. The story is about one day in their lives. Feather and her grandfather go on a vision quest of sorts to try to save her little brother's life. Every time Feather starts to doubt the logic of something her grandfather says or does, she follows it with, "I know my grandpa has good reasons and will share them with me when it's time", or something to that effect. How refreshing! This book was full of colorful characters and Native American lore. What a great read! I highly recommend this book to 4th graders up to adults who love Juvenile fiction.
No comments:
Post a Comment