  | Red bird danced Author: Quigley, Dawn | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Ariel and Tomah have lived in their city's Intertribal Housing Complex all their lives. But for both of them, this Dagwaagin (Autumn) season is different than any before. From his bench Tomah watches his community move around him. He's good at making people laugh, but feels like his neighbor Ariel is the only one who really sees him, even in her sadness. As the seasons change with the promise of spring Ariel and Tomah change, learning to share their stories.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 3.70 Points: 1.0 Quiz: 556958 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (04/15/24)
School Library Journal (+) (00/06/24)
Booklist (+) (06/01/24)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/06/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 06/01/2024 *Starred Review* At the outset of this gorgeous novel in verse for middle-graders, we have two children, Ariel (11) and Tomah (12), each battling with their own personal afflictions. Tomah, struggling with reading, had to repeat the third grade but is a brilliant storyteller and comedian. Ariel’s aunt is missing and, in an endeavor to support her return, Ariel gives up ballet in favor of jingle dancing to provide her community and family with hope during this uncertain time. When asked to “name a problem and find a solution” as a classroom project, Ariel focuses her efforts on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement, in honor of her aunt. Tomah and Ariel ultimately overcome many obstacles, and this story ends triumphantly, with a call to thrive in their inter-tribal housing community. With this excellent choice for reluctant readers and fans of Anna Rose Johnson's The Star That Always Stays (2022), Quigley seems to have carefully and painstakingly placed every word on the page in such a way that, like the red bird, the entire novel spreads its wings and dances. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
