Indian No More

Available
Product Details
Price
$18.95  $17.62
Publisher
Tu Books
Publish Date
Pages
224
Dimensions
5.3 X 7.6 X 0.9 inches | 0.7 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781620148396

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About the Author

The late Charlene Willing McManis (1953-2018) was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up in Los Angeles. She was of Umpqua tribal heritage and enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Charlene served in the U.S. Navy and later received her Bachelor's degree in Native American Education. She lived with her family in Vermont and served on that state's Commission on Native American Affairs. In 2016, Charlene received a mentorship with award-winning poet and author Margarita Engle through We Need Diverse Books. That manuscript became this novel, which is based on her family's experiences after their tribe was terminated in 1954. She passed away in 2018, knowing that her friend Traci Sorell would complete the revisions Charlene was unable to finish.

Traci Sorell writes fiction and nonfiction books as well as poems for children. Her lyrical story in verse, At the Mountain's Base, illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre (Kokila, 2019) celebrates the bonds of family and the history of history-making women pilots, including Millie Rexroat (Oglala Lakota). Her middle grade novel, Indian No More, with Charlene Willing McManis (Tu Books, 2019), explores the impact of federal termination and relocation policies on an Umpqua family in the 1950s. Traci's debut nonfiction picture book We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, illustrated by Frané Lessac (Charlesbridge, 2018), won a Sibert Honor, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Picture Book Honor and an Orbis Pictus Honor. It also received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, The Horn Book and Shelf Awareness. A former federal Indian law attorney and policy advocate, she is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and lives in northeastern Oklahoma where her tribe is located. For more about Traci and her other works, visit www.tracisorell.com.

Reviews

* "What begins as a story of displacement quickly turns into a story of childhood fun and antics colored by Umpqua culture and the racial tensions of the civil rights movement set in the lively and culturally diverse city of L.A." -- Booklist, starred review

* "In this book based on McManis's own childhood experiences, the family is fictionalized to show how older children might react to being uprooted and plopped down in a foreign world. . . Readers will be moved as they become invested in Regina's predicament. Is she still Indian, American, or both--and what does that mean for her and her family?" -- School Library Journal, starred review

"It stands apart from anything I've read before because it is about the US government's termination of the Grand Ronde Tribe, and others, too. . . As far as I know, Indian No More is the first book for children that is about the life of a child and her family when their tribe was terminated and then, relocated. The story in Indian No More is one reason why it is unique. Another is the team that brought it forth." -- Dr. Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature

"I love Indian No More. It is a beautiful and important book, honest and moving. Regina's story faces a shocking injustice directly, creating a powerful historical novel that should be included in every school's curriculum." -- Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree and We Need Diverse Books Mentor of Charlene Willing McManis

"In this honest depiction of an Indian family's struggle to survive the termination of their tribe, we see how 'Indian stories speak truth' through the eyes of a gifted young narrator. Courageous and wise, Regina Petit navigates life away from home with a triumphant dignity that celebrates her heritage and everything she has to offer the world" -- Guadalupe Garcia McCall, award-winning author of Summer of the Mariposas

"A poignant look at the termination era and its devastating effects. Regina is a determined young girl who faces huge life changes with incredible strength. It's an important story, and a compelling debut." -- Supriya Kelkar, author of Ahimsa

"The straightforward, easygoing flavor of this narrative is shot through with deadpan, subversive humor. Its many ironies lie not in authorial commentary but in the events themselves. . . This is a book we need -- distinctive in voice, accessible in style, and told with an insider's particular power." -- The Horn Book

"A heartfelt and meditative exploration of an often-undiscussed time in recent U.S. history, Indian No More wades through complex issues of identity and culture and the preservation of both. Thoughtful and purposeful in its education of readers, McManis and Sorell's collaboration sits proudly within the pantheon of middle-grade books as one fully written and edited by women of the Native Nations." -- Shelf Awareness

American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner - American Indian Library Association

ALSC Notable Children's Books - American Library Association (ALA)
Amelia Bloomer Book List - American Library Association (ALA)
Best Books of the Year - American Indians in Children's Literature
Best of the Best Books - Chicago Public Library
Editors' Choice Books for Youth - Booklist
Global Read Aloud Choice - Global Read Aloud
Notable Books for a Global Society - International Literacy Association (ILA)