Red Dove is a middle grade historical fiction about the terrible treatment of Indigenous people in the United States. The author, Sonia Antaki, spent significant time researching the history of the Lakota people and consulting with Lakota elders and advisors to ensure that not only was the story historically accurate but that it was told in a way that reflects the perspectives of the Indigenous group and their ancestors.
As a middle-grade teacher I would buy a copy of this book for my classroom library. Indigenous children and young adult books are growing in popularity and representation across Canada and I think this would be a great and really important addition to the comparatively small markets in the United States. As with most works of history and/or historical fiction, Red Dove offers readers an important opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past.
In general, I feel this novel is fairly well written and would be appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students. I’m not sure if my Grade 3/4s would be able to follow it but I do think slightly older students would be a perfect fit for this book. If you are a parent or teacher in the US (and potentially other countries too) looking to add diverse titles to your collection, this would be the book for you!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book!
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