An engrossing historical novel of Chickasaw life by a member of that nation.
A Chickasaw teenager fights a rival tribe after his father’s death and finds his own place in the community.
In this debut middle-grade novel—set in the early 18th century—Chula is a Chickasaw teen busy with perfecting his hunting skills and facing the local bully until his father is killed by Choctaw raiders. Chula’s grief turns into a desire for revenge, and he is determined to be among the fighters who attack the Choctaws in retribution. After celebrating the annual Green Corn Ceremony, Chula earns his place in the raiding party. A Chickasaw warrior tells him: “You have proven yourself as a hunter and on the toli field. You have been an honorable brother, son, and nephew in your family. You will learn self-control with time, starting with this raid.” But Chula discovers that taking a life is harder than he imagined. He returns to his village to find that he is better suited to a different but equally crucial role in the tribe. The novel’s historical aspects are fully researched, and Perry has a keen eye for the specifics that make Chula’s world vivid to readers: “The decoys were made from the skin of a deer head and neck that was stretched over lightweight cane hoops. They were so life-like they not only fooled the deer, they sometimes fooled other hunters, which meant we had to be even more aware of our surroundings.” The dialogue is sometimes overwrought (“ ‘I am not a boy! Not anymore,’ I said bitterly. ‘And I will give Aki’s spirit rest’ ”). But the author tells a well-plotted story rooted firmly in the 18th-century Chickasaw experience, full of genuine details (a fishing scene is particularly engaging) and written from an insider’s perspective (Perry is Chickasaw, and the work’s publisher is affiliated with the Chickasaw Nation). The detailed line drawings by debut illustrator Freeland portray the practices described in the tale, adding to the book’s cultural authenticity. Although Chula’s sorrow is profound, it does not overtake the narrative, and he and the other characters are fully realized. The solid volume fulfills its educational mission and serves as an enjoyable story, holding the audience’s attention while conveying information and depicting a world often presented from the perspective of outsiders. A helpful glossary defines the Chickasaw words used in the text.
An engrossing historical novel of Chickasaw life by a member of that nation.Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-935684-61-9
Page Count: 160
Publisher: White Dog Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Hillenbrand takes license with the familiar song (the traditional words and music are reproduced at the end) to tell an enchanting story about baby animals picked up by the train and delivered to the children’s zoo. The full-color drawings are transportingly jolly, while the catchy refrain—“See the engine driver pull his little lever”—is certain to delight readers. Once the baby elephant, flamingo, panda, tiger, seal, and kangaroo are taken to the zoo by the train, the children—representing various ethnic backgrounds, and showing one small girl in a wheelchair—arrive. This is a happy book, filled with childhood exuberance. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201804-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sloppy first novel that shows glimmers of promise.
A boy wizard afflicted with a rare disease battles the forces of evil in this debut fantasy novel.
Feslen Raster, an adopted 14-year-old boy suffering from a rare blood disorder, is viewed as “abnormal”–by official edict, all abnormal citizens are to be kept out of sight. Only his adoptive family’s high social standing allows him to lead a somewhat normal life, though he is still the object of much public ridicule. Feslen does have a few supporters, however: his brother Duxan, his friend Ka-Wei and the aged martial-arts teacher Master Chai, who has taken the young man under his wing. Master Chai sees Feslen’s untapped potential as a powerful mage, and even suspects he may be “the One” prophesied by the ancients to save the world from impending doom, in the form of a group of evil wizards conspiring to take over the land. When Master Chai is murdered and his daughter Mei Xue kidnapped, Feslen vows to rescue her. First, though, he must corral the vast but untamed magical gifts with which he’s been blessed. Embarking on his mission with a motley crew consisting of his brother, Ka-Wei, a mysterious princess, a thief and another novice mage, Feslen encounters the usual array of monsters and spirits on a journey that becomes a coming-of-age experience–both emotionally and magically–for the young wizard. Kang’s debut certainly won’t win any points for style. But despite a derivative, predictable plot and countless mechanical issues, the author’s marriage of Eastern and Western elements in a fantasy setting is intriguingly rendered, and the empathy and love with which Fester is portrayed will keep readers interested.
A sloppy first novel that shows glimmers of promise.Pub Date: July 7, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-37563-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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