From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6–When a two-year drought forces the inhabitants of a Navajo reservation at Bird Springs to relocate, 10-year-old Gregory and his mother and baby sister take up temporary residence at a shelter in Tucson. Gregory feels the pressure of being the man of the family as he attempts to adjust to a new school and care for his little sister while his mother works nights and weekends. Feeling out of place in his new surroundings, he relies heavily on his imaginary friend to keep him hopeful about the future. Especially hard is the ambivalence he feels about his father: on the one hand, he longs for him to return and provide solutions to the challenges they face; on the other, he has witnessed his father physically abusing his mother. Gregory is also confused about one of his classmates, Matt, whose swings between kindness and mockery can be bewildering. The boys tentatively explore friendship, and Gregory's impulsive attempt to save Matt from danger provides a turning point in their ability to trust one another. Marsden packs a lot into a small package. The novel's short length, engaging male protagonist, and theme of the tension between fitting in to a new group while remaining true to oneself all combine to make this an appealing selection for reluctant readers.–
Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Inspired by two students in Marsden's fourth-grade classroom, this spare, short novel is a heartfelt story of dislocation and hardship. Gregory, 10, leaves the Arizona Navajo reservation for the first time when drought and hard times drive his family from their home in Bird Springs. Living in a shelter in Tucson with his mother and baby sister, he attends a neighborhood school, longing for his beloved dad, who left them. In coping with the move, Gregory invents an imaginary companion until he makes a real friend at school. A teacher is too perfect, and her art-therapy class is messagey, particularly when she helps Gregory confront the scary truth about his dad. But the terse narrative remains true to the boy's viewpoint and brings forth his memories and sorrow as well as the kindness he finds. There is no sweet closure, but in a moving final scene, Gregory feels a connection to his departed dad when he goes for a haircut and chooses to keep his long Navajo braid, just like his father wore. Rochman, Hazel
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