Edited by award-winning and bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of intersecting stories by both new and veteran Native writers bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride. - (Baker & Taylor)

A volume of interconnected stories and poems set at a Native American Dance for Mother Earth Powwow celebration in Ann Arbor, Michigan, includes contributions by such new and veteran writers as Joseph Bruchac, Dawn Quigley and Traci Sorell. 25,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

A volume of interconnected stories and poems set at a Native American Dance for Mother Earth Powwow celebration in Ann Arbor, Michigan, includes contributions by such new and veteran writers as Joseph Bruchac, Dawn Quigley, and Traci Sorell. - (Baker & Taylor)

Edited by award-winning and bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of intersecting stories by both new and veteran Native writers bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride.

Native families from Nations across the continent gather at the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In a high school gym full of color and song, people dance, sell beadwork and books, and celebrate friendship and heritage. Young protagonists will meet relatives from faraway, mysterious strangers, and sometimes one another (plus one scrappy rez dog).

They are the heroes of their own stories.

Featuring stories and poems by:
Joseph Bruchac
Art Coulson
Christine Day
Eric Gansworth
Carole Lindstrom
Dawn Quigley
Rebecca Roanhorse
David A. Robertson
Andrea L. Rogers
Kim Rogers
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Monique Gray Smith
Traci Sorell,
Tim Tingle
Erika T. Wurth
Brian Young

In partnership with We Need Diverse Books

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Sixteen short stories, two poems, and visual art (not viewed) present Native youth attending a two-day intertribal powwow in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and reflect on kinship, community, and the interconnectedness of the experience. The narratives vary in style and tone: in Monique Gray Smith's Fancy Dancer, a young boy gains a kind stepfather, who teaches him the Dance for Mother Earth; Tim Tingle's Warriors of Forgiveness features young Luksi, who accompanies a bus full of elders on a hilarious road trip from Oklahoma to Michigan; Rebecca Roanhorse's Rez Dog Rules reflects on the powwow from a canine perspective; and foster child Aiden receives special regalia from his biological brother in David A. Robertson's Brothers. Most selections are realistic and ultimately upbeat, although Art Coulson's Wendigos Don't Dance explores the supernatural, and Eric Gansworth's Indian Price confronts the indignities of microaggressions lobbed by those who would pretend to be Indian as a game. Each piece is tribally specific, emphasizes Native values (cooperation, forgiveness, and the importance of family), and features characters that make cameo appearances in other stories, adding cohesiveness to the collection. With exceptionally strong writing throughout, and appended with glossary, author notes, and acknowledgements, this makes an appealing choice for those just learning about contemporary Indigenous life as well as readers well versed with the powwow circuit. Grades 4-6. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Through this linked anthology by seventeen contributors, readers experience What Is a Powwow? (the title of Kim Rogers's opening poem), as characters converge in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow. Rory begins to heal from his father's abusive words and embrace his Indigenous heritage (Fancy Dancer by Monique Gray Smith). Aiden travels with his foster parents to meet his brother and dance in his first powwow (David A. Robertson's Brothers). Amber, whose sister battled cancer, receives a new dress for the Jingle Dance (Secret and Surprises by Traci Sorell). Some of the attendees live locally, while others travel from places including Oklahoma and Missouri; some live in the city, while others live on the reservation. This anthology offers readers a variety of images of Native children while also introducing them to vocabulary from several different Indigenous languages, compiled in an appended glossary. According to Rogers's poem: A powwow is / friends and family / ...a way to remember those / who've passed on / ...a place for belly-laughing / ...healing / and soul-soothing, and this volume reflects all of those elements and more. Notes and acknowledgments, contributor bios, and an editor's note are appended. Copyright 2023 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Through this linked anthology by seventeen contributors, readers experience "What Is a Powwow?" (the title of Kim Rogers's opening poem), as characters converge in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow. Rory begins to heal from his father's abusive words and embrace his Indigenous heritage ("Fancy Dancer" by Monique Gray Smith). Aiden travels with his foster parents to meet his brother and dance in his first powwow (David A. Robertson's "Brothers"). Amber, whose sister battled cancer, receives a new dress for the Jingle Dance ("Secret and Surprises" by Traci Sorell). Some of the attendees live locally, while others travel from places including Oklahoma and Missouri; some live in the city, while others live on the reservation. This anthology offers readers a variety of images of Native children while also introducing them to vocabulary from several different Indigenous languages, compiled in an appended glossary. According to Rogers's poem: "A powwow is / friends and family / ...a way to remember those / who've passed on / ...a place for belly-laughing / ...healing / and soul-soothing," and this volume reflects all of those elements and more. Notes and acknowledgments, contributor bios, and an editor's note are appended. Nicholl Denice Montgomery March/April 2021 p.100 Copyright 2021 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A groundbreaking Indigenous anthology for young people. Readers can join the fun in this collection of 18 contemporary stories and poems about loving families from various parts of the U.S. and Canada who travel to meet, dance, sing, socialize, and honor Native traditions at an intertribal powwow. The entries tell of the personal struggles, family joy, belief systems, and stunning regalia of various nations, including the Cree, Ojibwe, Choctaw, Cherokee, Navajo, Abenaki, and Haudenosaunee, through the eyes of the young protagonists. Enrollment issues, Indian wannabes, and veterans' histories are just a few of the serious themes addressed in these entertaining stories written by familiar and lesser-known writers alike. Senses of goodwill and humor pervade the book as well as the spirit of community, intersection, resilience, and a desire to remember the past. Whether engaging with the quiet spiritual strength displayed in "Fancy Dancer" by Monique Gray Smith or the profound point of view of Brian Young's "Senecavajo," the stories are full of surprises. Rebecca Roanhorse writes from a dog's vantage point, and Dawn Quigley asks about the nature of intelligence. Many other original tales complete this anthology of modern Natives celebrating their diversity together. An especially winning feature is the glossary in which various Indigenous vocabulary words in the stories are defined. A joyful invitation to celebrate the circle of ancestors together. (about the authors) (Anthology. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

In a letter to reviewers, editor Smith (enrolled Muscogee Creek) describes this anthology as a "sampling of the many rising Indigenous voices who are changing children's literature for the better." Using the framework of an intertribal powwow, 17 Indigenous authors craft stories that explore themes such as ethnic identity and ancestry. The rhythmic "What Is a Powwow?" by Kim Rogers (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes) first establishes the event as one "where our hearts beat as one/ to the thump of the drum." In enrolled Onondaga author Eric Gans-worth's thought-provoking "Indian Price," two cousins in different living situations connect for the first time. Family is also central to the inspiring "Secrets and Surprises" by Traci Sorell (Cherokee), which celebrates how Native cultures can support others—an idea threaded throughout. The most engaging entries detail aspects of Native culture alongside universal themes: sisters learn to navigate a changing relationship in "What We Know About Glaciers" by Christine Day (Upper Skagit), while two stories by Brian Young (enrolled Navajo) showcase the same events from the eyes of two frenemies. It's a wonderful introduction to the included authors' work and a persuasive encouragement to seek out more Indi-genous stories. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (Feb.)

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 3–6—Editor Smith and 16 other authors and artists collaborate in this #OwnVoices short story collection from HarperCollins's HeartDrum imprint, which was created to "highlight the voices of Native creators." Each story focuses on a different character and their experience of an intertribal powwow in Michigan. The stories range from solemn to silly, but each emphasizes the power of the tribal community to support and heal its members. The well-edited volume begins with welcoming and humorous tales before moving into heavier territory. Each creator provides a short biography in the back matter, which includes their tribal affiliation and other works, in addition to their acknowledgements and notes on their contributions to the book. This anthology aims to both increase Native representation in middle grade literature and promote knowledge and understanding in non-Native readers. While not every story will be equally engaging for every reader and some points of overlap might seem a bit redundant, there is still more than enough to recommend this for school and public libraries everywhere. VERDICT All libraries should make room on their shelves for this collection of Native-voiced stories. Recommended.—Taylor Worley, Springfield P.L., OR