Copyright Date:
2019
Edition Date:
2019
Release Date:
08/27/19
Pages:
103 pages
ISBN:
1-939053-21-8
ISBN 13:
978-1-939053-21-3
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2019012938
Dimensions:
18 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
An Ojibwa girl learns to rely on tradition and family support to tackle modern problems.Autumn Dawn loves her home on the White Earth reservation in Minnesota, it's just that nothing else in her life seems to be going right: Schoolwork is a struggle, a speech impediment leads to bullying, and her divorced, overworked mother is handing over more and more household responsibilities to her daughter. Autumn's Aunt Jessie comes for a visit in the nick of time, tangles successfully with a bully, and enlightens a classroom teacher—modeling for her niece how to set aside her role as a victim and show some grit. Sigafus' (Perilous Choices, 2017, etc.) Ojibwa background brings authenticity and accuracy to this #ownvoices book. Unfortunately, the hurried telling of a complicated plot leaves readers with flat characters and a predictable ending, as problems are solved too quickly and easily. The potential reconciliation of Autumn's parents and the remediation of her learning disability are described in unrealistically simple sequences. Autumn's story had the potential to be culturally authentic, strong literature, but the tell-don't-show writing leaves readers with a linear tale in a world that is anything but. Autumn's mother is white; the remaining main characters are Ojibwa.This novel for reluctant readers presents rather than explores complex topics. (Fiction. 12-16)
Autumn Dawn is sick of being bullied at school. It's not her fault that she doesn't learn as fast as the other kids or that she speaks a little differently. Her home life isn't much better. Ever since Autumn's dad left, her mother can't cope, so Autumn has to care for her baby brother and do all the housework. Her mother hasn't even noticed the problems her daughter is dealing with. When Autumn's Ojibwa aunt comes to visit, she recognizes Autumn's dyslexia and speech problems. Can Aunt Jessie build a bridge between mother and daughter and give Autumn the confidence she needs to move past her challenges?