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A review by sarahrahrah
Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was an excellent and quick middle-grades read! I connected so much to the stories and feelings of teaching/doing school over zoom at the onset of the pandemic, and empathized deeply with the astute voice and perspective of experiencing the stay-at-home orders on a Reservation.
Not only did we see the impact and inequalities of how indigenous communities were hit by COVID - "she knew, as did everyone else on the Rez, that Indians were pretty much the last people anyone cared about during this crisis" - but we also touched on the topics of the Irish potato famine, the Indian boarding schools, the abhorrent relationship/distrust with social services, the horrific practices of Indian Health Services, the BLM protests, the Holocaust, and more. The topics were handled with care, and while not gone into especially deeply, felt appropriate for a middle grade audience.
"Renowned author Joseph Bruchac tells a powerful story of a girl who learns more about her Penacook heritage while sheltering in place with her grandparents during the coronavirus pandemic. Told in verse inspired by oral storytelling, this novel about the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the ways in which Indigenous nations and communities cared for one another through plagues of the past, and how they keep caring for one another today."
Not only did we see the impact and inequalities of how indigenous communities were hit by COVID - "she knew, as did everyone else on the Rez, that Indians were pretty much the last people anyone cared about during this crisis" - but we also touched on the topics of the Irish potato famine, the Indian boarding schools, the abhorrent relationship/distrust with social services, the horrific practices of Indian Health Services, the BLM protests, the Holocaust, and more. The topics were handled with care, and while not gone into especially deeply, felt appropriate for a middle grade audience.
"Renowned author Joseph Bruchac tells a powerful story of a girl who learns more about her Penacook heritage while sheltering in place with her grandparents during the coronavirus pandemic. Told in verse inspired by oral storytelling, this novel about the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the ways in which Indigenous nations and communities cared for one another through plagues of the past, and how they keep caring for one another today."