Reviews

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith

bickie's review

Go to review page

4.0

Short stories (bookended by two poems) feature characters from a variety of tribes and nations who all attend a powwow in March in Ann Arbor, MI (acknowledged as Ojibwe land in one of the stories). Touching on themes of community, family, identity, connectedness, grief, and joy, the stories are also interconnected, with many characters crossing over into other stories. For example, Ozzie the Rez Dog, appears in many stories wearing an Ancestor Approved or Rez Dawg shirt. Many stories have glossaries compiled at the end of the book with definitions and/or pronunciations of Indian words used in the stories.

What is a Powwow? by Kim Rogers - A free verse poem describing different facets of a powwow with stanzas all starting with "a powwow is."

Fancy Dancer by Monique Gray Smith - 11-year-old Rory, whose abusive Irish dad left his Cree mom and children connects with his extended family and heritage with the help of his mom's new partner, Paul, a Cree man. Paul encourages Rory to join the Junior Boys Fancy Dance at an upcoming powwow, working with him to learn the steps and gain confidence in himself, while Rory's Cree family sends him regalia.

Flying Together by Kim Rogers - 7th-grader Jessie lives with her mom, a pilot with the U.S. Air Force, and her Grandpa Lou in Oklahoma. Grandpa Lou talks about how Jessie is ready to "fly solo" while making fry bread. Jessie will be dancing in the Fancy Shawl dance at the Ann Arbor powwow for the first time, and she's sad to do it without her mom there to watch (mom gets deployed, disrupting their plans to attend all 3 together). Jessie is hoping Grandpa Lou, a Navy veteran, will finally dance to the Veterans' Song again, which he hasn't done since Grandma Grace died. Fritz the incontinent dog appears throughout.

Warriors of Forgiveness by Tim Tingle - 12-year-old Luksi's mom volunteers him to accompany his Uncle Lanny escorting a group of Choctaw Elders from Oklahoma to a powwow in Michigan. Along the way, one of the Elders is swindled out of her debit card. When Luksi and Lanny investigate, the situation is resolved in a way they did not foresee, redefining "warrior" to include not only "our highly respected professional Native soldiers and veterans" but also "citizens who fight to preserve our traditional human values in day-to-day life" per Tim Tingle's endnotes.

Brothers by David A. Robertson - 12-year-old Aiden's white foster parents drive him 16 hours from Winnipeg to the powwow where he will meet his brother, Vince, a Cree grass dancer. Aiden has been taking lessons to participate in the grass dance, also, but when he arrives, he doesn't feel like he belongs, as he had hoped, especially because he has only grey sweats to wear, no regalia.
SpoilerWhen Vince finds him hiding under the bleachers to avoid dancing, Aiden explains that "I just want to feel like I belong." Vince replies, "But Aiden, you do belong. And everybody's different. It's not on you to feel the same, it's on others to accept you because you're not. It's on you to be okay with being different."


Rez Dog Rules by Rebecca Roanhorse - Told from the 3rd person perspective of Ozzie, a Rez dog, "canine majestic and untamed" who knows nothing is "as warm and comforting as freedom." Ozzie overhears his favorite feeder, Mrs. Cruz, lament to her grandson that she doesn't think she'll have enough money to pay her electric bill. One thing leads to another, and Marino and Ozzie road-trip up to Ann Arbor to sell his silk-screened T-shirts. Unfortunately, their booth is in the worst, low-traffic location. Luckily, Ozzie has a plan...

Secrets and Surprises by Traci Sorell - 5th-grader Amber (Ojibwe), her younger sister River, their parents and grandmother drive from their home in Sault Ste. Marie to Ann Arbor to celebrate a cousin's graduation from law school and attend the powwow. Amber feels distant from her family, who all seem to be avoiding her and spending a lot of time at her auntie's house without her. Still, she is excited to be dancing the Jingle Dress dance with her sister again, because last year, River was healing from leukemia. What secrets are the family hiding from Amber?
SpoilerBrand new regalia for Amber - and her achievement of honor roll at school, earning her a place during the Honor Song.
Includes a lot of Ojibwe/Chippewa language (and a reference to Makoons!

Wendigos Don't Dance by Art Coulson - Cherokee Jace (about 12?) accompanies his storyteller uncles, Mutt and Jeff, to the Ann Arbor powwow. Mutt and Jeff love hunting for Bigfoot, and before the powwow, they watch YouTubes about the Wendigo, of Ojibwe lore. When Jace and Mutt wake up the morning of the powwow, Jeff is gone, leaving only a note that he and his friend Helen have gone Wendigo hunting. The story is then told in alternating timelines, following Jace and Mutt, who are worried about their uncle/younger brother, and Jeff and Helen, who find something unexpected in the woods.

Indian Price by Eric Gansworth - 13-year-old Dalton, who lives on the reservation where his mom grew up, stays with his mom's brother, Dave, his wife, and their son, Potter. Despite being the son of two Native people (from different reservations), Potter belongs to the Order of the Arrow, which appears to be a kind of white person's cultural appropriation of a variety of different Nation's symbols and regalia. Great exploration of stereotypes, what it means to be Indian, what it means to have someone's back. This would make a good short story for an ELA class.

Senecavajo: Alan's Story by Brian Young - 6th-grader Alan likes to practice his powwow dancing on the basketball court where there isn't any furniture like his living room or dogs like his yard. One day, Kevin from English class tells him to leave so he can play basketball. Alan thinks there's enough room for both of them, but when Kevin shoulders him in the stomach, he decides it's time to leave. When Alan and his father fly from NM to the Ann Arbor powwow, he is pre-occupied by the recent knowledge that he is not yet tribally enrolled and has the choice between his father's Seneca heritage, and his mother's Navajo. While at the powwow, Alan meets several other dancers from Maine and Oklahoma, many of whom also have mixed tribal heritage. Unfortunately, he also literally runs into Kevin, which was surprising to me because Kevin calls him, "Braids" at school. They end up finding common ground in needing to tell their mothers difficult news. The next story tells the events from Kevin's point of view.

Squash Blossom Bracelet: Kevin's Story by Brian Young - 6th-grader Kevin and his Navajo mom drive from NM to the Ann Arbor powwow where she sells beaded jewelry. Kevin doesn't like the "Indian" stuff like powwows; he prefers the Navajo ceremonies. Problem is, he's usually the only person his generation there. When he mistakenly sells a $750 bracelet to a pretty jingledancer for $20, he realizes he needs to get the bracelet back before his mom finds out. When Kevin hears jingling and sees a glimpse of turquoise moccasins in the parking lot, he is hopeful, but it turns out it's only that annoying loner kid Alan from school. Kevin enlists Alan to help him tell his mom about the mistake, hoping she will be calmer if someone else is there. As they walk over to the booth, Kevin and Alan find out more about each other and find additional common ground. When they return home, they can share the basketball court.

Joey Reads the Sky by Dawn Quigley - In this rumination on what skills are valued and not in our public schools, 4th-grader Joey doesn't read English well; his teachers and two older brothers seem to think he's not very smart. But Joey has been learning his ancestors' Ojibwe language, and he can read the sky. As the family gets ready for the Ann Arbor powwow, Joey notices something in the sky and gives his uncle and brother two things that he knows will help them later in the day. The next day, Joey helps his other brother avoid some hail just in time. His brothers have a new appreciation for Joey's unique talents, though they're still annoying big brothers.

What We Know About Glaciers by Christine Day - At the powwow near her older sister's college, Riley notices several changes in Brooke. In addition to being obsessed with glaciers and their role in indicating climate change, Brooke is drinking a LOT of coffee and doesn't seem to be taking good care of herself like she taught Riley to do. When she surprises the family about her plans to study in Greenland over the summer instead of coming home to coastal Washington for the annual canoe paddle, Riley can't say anything nice without crying, so she goes to the locker room and thinks about last summer and how the sisters' relationship has changed.

Little Fox and the Case of Missing Regalia by Erika T. Wurth - Tokala, famous in Indian Country for her sleuthing skills after solving the mystery of her mother's disappearance, takes on another case when her friend Shana finds her regalia missing at the powwow. When they find the culprit, the person is apologetic. Shana offers to help the culprit make her own decorative work on her regalia, showing again how important community is.

The Ballad of Maggie Wilson by Andrea L. Waters - Aspiring writer Maggie hasn't danced at the powwow in the year since her dad died in a work accident. Helping out with the Community Health booth by selling raffle tickets, she connects with a boy who also reads S.E.Hinton. Watching her 5-year-old sister Virginia jingle dance for the first time and reflecting on grief and her father, Maggie thinks she might be ready to rejoin the powwow circle.

Bad Dog by Joseph Bruchac - On his way back to the powwow with a pot full of water for his mother's food booth, 13-year-old Wendell meets an Elder, Big Loon, who also speaks Abenaki. After dancing the smoke dance and working in the booth during the rush between dances, Wendell stops by to talk with Big Loon again and hears a story about Bad Dog, who is in the back of the pick-up. When he returns to the booth again with more water, he learns more about who Big Loon is.

Between the Lines by Cynthia Leitich Smith - Told mostly from two perspectives of Mel and Ray, both somewhat shy, awkward kids of indeterminate age (though Ray thinks Joey, in 4th grade in Joey Reads the Sky is about his age). Ray's grandfather and Mel's mother are being interviewed for a documentary about Native veterans. Mel is not enjoying her (likely written by a white person) "Indian" fantasy book and is creeped out by Ray's taking a surreptitious picture of her. After talking with some Elders, she feels better and checks out Carly's (Black Indian two-spirit cowboy) book booth where she finds better reading material in Bruchac's Skeleton Man. Ray has been sitting at Carly's booth working on drawing hands from a coffee-table book about beading but goes in search of food, leaving his sketch behind. One thing leads to another, and Mel accidentally ruins the sketch just as Ray returns with food. Mel, embarrassed, takes off quickly. They meet again on the train home (Mel lives in Kalamazoo, Ray in Chicago) and learn more about each other.

Circles by Carole Lindstrom - A free verse poem with recurring phrases and rhythms about someone coming to a powwow for the first time and reflecting on how everyone is related and connected, even if they do not all experience powwows and other Native life the same way.

pghbookfanatic's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

bcat0124's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

bwray1's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

lwill1994's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I liked how all of the stories were connected in some way. Great way for kids to learn more about indigenous cultures and customs.

morainjay's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

foureyebooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

almond_cheese's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

kelleemoye's review

Go to review page

5.0

Not very often do I find a short story collection where I enjoy all stories, but this one hit the mark. I loved the multiple voices sharing stories at a powwow that, as described in the summary, “bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride.”

annalisenak97's review

Go to review page

3.0

I really liked the idea of this-- a collection of short stories all connected by Native kids being at the same powwow. I learned a lot about different Indigenous languages and cultures, and I really enjoyed that. For me, the quality of writing was not exactly what I hoped it would be, which is sad!! Because this is a great idea!!