This book was fantastic.
Junior’s is a world that I am not familiar with.
Growing up in the part of Missouri that I did (the armpit of nowhere, to be
more precise), I was not really exposed to Native Americans in the way that
many people in Wisconsin are. Even though I grew up extremely close to the
Trail of Tears, I still know very little about reservation life or Indian
politics and plight.
This book certainly offered a glimpse into such a
life. I’m sure that it cannot be easy to keep customs and traditions alive when
the modern world is continually knocking at your door. It is a balancing act, trying to fit in both worlds, and one that we see Junior walk with varying degrees of wobble.
One of the most absorbing parts of the book was
Junior’s voice. I felt as though it were coming down through the classic vein
of Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield. It was as honest voice, and that has to be
the hardest kind to write. For that, I tip my hat to Sherman Alexie.
As for this book being challenged or outright
banned, I find that to be preposterous (as I do with almost any book). This is
a text that needs to be absorbed by students, if for no other reason than to
give them a glimpse of what goes on around them. People’s perceptions of other
people can make a difference whether they know it or not. Easily a book that I
will be championing in my classroom.
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