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Teenage girls. Fiction.
Grandparent and child. Fiction.
Boxing. Fiction.
Building. Fiction.
Hunting. Fiction.
Family life. Fiction.
Introduces a delightful Métis family that many Indigenous people will relate to, especially through their joking, and that all readers will love getting to know.Twelve-year-old Maggie Lou's brilliant ideas get her (and sometimes her siblings) into mischief and inspire her nickname, Firefox. After seeing Maggie Lou play fighting outside, MoshoÌm, her grandfather, offers to teach her how to box. However, boxing is not as exhilarating at first as she imagined it to be. She needs to "know how to listen and follow directions" and is put to work mopping the ring. She also gets picked on by some sexist boys and finds the drills boring. But she follows MoshoÌm's teachings-and has the upper hand when it finally comes time to step in the ring. Over summer vacation, Maggie Lou keeps busy building things from her notebook labeled "Plans to Dominate the World," and she gets Dad to allow her to help out with his construction crew. Surrounded by the women in her family, Maggie Lou learns how to shoot her mom's Winchester rifle in preparation for hunting season. After an unsuccessful hunt with her uncle and older brother, all three become the center of their family's teasing. Métis author Bowes weaves cultural elements, including Northern Michif words, into this charming story that skillfully captures sweetly hilarious and loving everyday moments. Black-and-white illustrations enhance the text.An amusing story showcasing Métis humor at its finest. (author's note, glossary) (Fiction. 9-13)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)Introduces a delightful Métis family that many Indigenous people will relate to, especially through their joking, and that all readers will love getting to know.Twelve-year-old Maggie Lou's brilliant ideas get her (and sometimes her siblings) into mischief and inspire her nickname, Firefox. After seeing Maggie Lou play fighting outside, MoshoÌm, her grandfather, offers to teach her how to box. However, boxing is not as exhilarating at first as she imagined it to be. She needs to "know how to listen and follow directions" and is put to work mopping the ring. She also gets picked on by some sexist boys and finds the drills boring. But she follows MoshoÌm's teachings-and has the upper hand when it finally comes time to step in the ring. Over summer vacation, Maggie Lou keeps busy building things from her notebook labeled "Plans to Dominate the World," and she gets Dad to allow her to help out with his construction crew. Surrounded by the women in her family, Maggie Lou learns how to shoot her mom's Winchester rifle in preparation for hunting season. After an unsuccessful hunt with her uncle and older brother, all three become the center of their family's teasing. Métis author Bowes weaves cultural elements, including Northern Michif words, into this charming story that skillfully captures sweetly hilarious and loving everyday moments. Black-and-white illustrations enhance the text.An amusing story showcasing Métis humor at its finest. (author's note, glossary) (Fiction. 9-13)
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Wed Sep 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
"Okay, my girl. First rules of boxing. Respect the ring, the rules, the officials. And most of all, respect your trainers and opponents," Mushom instructs me while he examines my hands. "Respect your body. Know your body. If it hurts, that's your body speaking to you. ... You will need to listen to your body. It will tell you when to go on, when to push through and when to stop."
He grabs a handful of my crazy hair and tries to tie it back the best he can, struggling to gather all of it with an elastic band.
I'm so excited my hands are sweating. I still can't believe this is happening.
"That was your mom's problem. She could never listen." He laughs. "If you want to box, you need to know how to listen and follow directions." He lifts my chin and looks into my eyes. "Understood?"
I nod.
He smiles at me and places an old wooden-handled mop and a rusty metal pail sloshing with water in my hands. It smells like a swimming pool.
"Good. Now mop and dry the ring." Then he walks away.
Excerpted from Maggie Lou, Firefox by Arnolda Dufour Bowes
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Maggie Lou's grandpa doesn't call her Firefox for nothing. She's always finding ways to make life more interesting -- even if this means getting into big trouble. When her grandfather Moshôm finally agrees to teach her how to box, she decides that the rank odors, endless drills and teasing won't stop her from wearing a tutu to the gym. Joining her father's construction crew uncovers a surprising talent -- besides learning how to use a broom -- and a great source of scrap wood to build a canine hotel for her dogs. And when she turns thirteen, she figures out an ingenious way to make some smokin' good camouflage to wear on her first deer hunt, where she joins a long family tradition. Through it all she is surrounded by her big extended gumbo soup of a family, pestered by annoying younger siblings, and gently guided by her strong female relatives - her mother, her kohkom and her ultra-cool cousin Jayda. "Keep taking up space," Maggie's mother says. "You're only making room for the girls behind you." A heroine for today, Maggie Lou discovers that with hard work and perseverance she can gain valuable new skills, without losing one iota of her irrepressible spirit. Key Text Features author's note biographical note chapters dialogue epigraph illustrations