New Book

[Debbie Reese <d-reese@UIUC.EDU>]

Good morning,

I've been spending time this summer with a terrific new
book for middle school readers. The title is RAIN IS
NOT MY INDIAN NAME, by Cynthia Leitich Smith.
There is a great deal I can say, but I'll try to be brief.

The author has done something I've not seen before.
She has created a webpage that serves as a companion
to the book. At the page, you can visit Rain's room (Rain is
the 14-year-old protagonist in the book) and learn more about
her and her interests. For example, there is a "Bookshelf" with
a list of five or so books a 14-year-old girl might be interested
in, and a "Links" section that contains links to other sites that
Rain might visit (she's a sci-fi fan and photographer, so there
are links to sci-fi and photography sites).  Smith does the same
for each of the characters in the book, but she also does a
chapter-by-chapter section that is equally rich. Also on
the site is all that behind-the-scenes info some readers like,
such as how the story was developed, why a certain element
was included, etc. Readers who are also avid web surfers
will enjoy reading the book and visiting the site.

The URL for the companion site is:
<http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/rainthenovel2.html>.

The book itself is a wonderfully written story about a girl whose
heritage is "Muscogee Creek-Cherokee and Scots-Irish on Mom's
side, Irish-German-Ojibway on Dad's" (from page 20). Each chapter
opens with an entry from Rain's journal. In the story, readers learn
that Rain's mother recently died, and a few months later, her best
friend dies when he is hit by a car. While coping with loss is a
significant theme, there are others as well. Rain is one of only a
handful of Native Americans in her small mid-western town. Her
connections to her Native heritage are evident in several ways.
She talks about stereotypes at Thanksgiving, and the use of
Native American imagery as mascots for sports teams. But
Smith's style of presenting these issues is such that Rain
isn't preachy or righteous when she talks about these issues.

I said I'd be brief, and this is already going long, so I'll end
with a strong recommendation for the book. It will appeal to
readers who want books about contemporary Native Americans
and readers who are techies, but it is also a beautifully written
story about a teen thinking about being kissed for the first time
and working through tensions in her relationships with her friends.

Debbie Reese
Doctoral Student
University of Illinois
d-reese@uiuc.edu

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