Sees Behind Trees [Hardcover]

Michael Dorris (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Troubled by his poor eyesight, Walnut is worried about how he can prove himself ready to be an adult by accurately shooting an arrow, but his extraordinary listening ability comes to his aid, in the story of a young Native American boy in sixteenth-century America.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The best adolescent fiction offers more than an escape from teenage turmoil; it instructs as it entertains, giving young readers a view into lives--fictional though they may be--outside their own. Without sentimentality or preachiness but with clear awareness of this power, Michael Dorris tells the story of Walnut, a young Native American boy. Because Walnut can't see well, he has difficulty meeting the challenges, especially feats of skill with bow and arrow, that prove he is ready to receive a new name and become an adult. When a sympathetic uncle invents a new contest to "see what can't be seen," the boy's other senses bring success and earn him the name Sees Behind Trees. Dorris could easily stop there, but he nudges the youngster onward through a series of trials that show adulthood is about more than getting there. (Ages 8 and up) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Dorris's (Morning Girl) eloquent, beautifully crafted coming-of-age tale centers on Walnut, a near-sighted Native American boy whose uncanny ability to use his other senses earns him the adult name Sees Behind Trees. Set in the distant, pre-colonial past, the story finds the boy moving hesitantly into adulthood?gradually gaining confidence in himself and his perceptions; learning humility when he prizes his talents too highly; earning the respect of his tribe when he escorts an elderly wise man on a dangerous journey. Both sharply and lyrically observed, fraught with emotion, the first-person narrative should connect strongly with a young audience, who will quickly learn that, no matter the century or the culture, the fundamentals of growing up remain very much the same. The authenticity of the characterizations and setting will ease readers toward acceptance of the quasi-mystical adventure that crowns the story. It's a thrilling read, with the pleasures compounding at every turn of the page. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; First Edition edition (October 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786822155
• ISBN-13: 978-0786822157
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,614,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great story for anyone who is less than perfect, October 17, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Bloomington IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sees Behind Trees (Paperback)

Walnut, a Powhatan boy in pre-Colonial Virginia, is approaching the age when he will have to take a test to prove himself ready for manhood. Because he is very near-sighted in a world without glasses, he is afraid he will not be able to pass the test, which involves hitting a moving target with an arrow. His mother teaches him to use his other senses, so Walnut is ready when the village matriarch announces a special test, which involves "seeing" something hidden behind a clump of trees. Walnut is able to use his other senses to detect Gray Fire walking towards the village, and earns his adult status as well as his adult name, Sees Behind Trees. Because of his skill, Sees Behind Trees is asked to aid Gray Fire in his quest for a hidden land. Avoiding dangers along the way, the two reach the end of Gray Fire's quest, but this proves to be only the beginning of a new quest for Sees Behind Trees. Sees Behind Trees is an beautifully written coming-of-age tale that meets the needs of readers in several ways. The tale is told in the first person with a skill that strongly connects the reader with the tale, and will allow young readers to place themselves inside the story. The characters are realistic, particularly Sees Behind Trees (nee Walnut), with whose emotions and anxieties the reader can readily identify. A young audience will quickly recognize similarities between events in the book and their own experiences in growing up, despite the differences in time and culture. This makes this book an excellent choice for students in or going into middle school, as they are faced with similar changes in their own rights and responsibilities, and with changing expectations from those around them. The story is also clearly described, allowing the reader to "see" Sees Behind Trees' world better than he can, as well as providing vivid portrayals of sounds, scents and sensations often lacking in other books. The quest that Gray Fire and Sees Behind Trees pursue is a quasi-mystical adventure with which the reader is nevertheless able to identify. Dorris' research of the Powhatan Indians (he cites his references in his acknowledgements) is thorough, lending further credibility and detail to the story. This story will be of particular interest to students with one or more disabilities, correctable or not, including but not limited to those with vision problems. The fact that Sees Behind Trees is able to overcome his problems purely through adaptation and perseverance makes this tale all the more insightful, meaningful and inspirational.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding children's book, August 8, 2008

By 

S. Kay Murphy "Heretic" (Mt. Baldy, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Sees Behind Trees (Paperback)

Let me just quickly preface my review by saying that there are 11 kids reviews here which were all written on the same day. Looks like a teacher might have used the book as assigned reading, then had the kids write reviews. That's unfortunate; students who are not readers tend to be critical of the books they are assigned.

I love this book, and I'd give it my highest recommendation to parents who have kids who are visually impaired--as I was, when I was a child. Those with clear vision can have no idea what it's like to see people and objects as blobs. So much is missed when we can't see the facial expressions of those we interact with. In my case, it made me withdrawn as a child. In this poignant story, "Walnut," who later becomes "See Behind Trees," is gently made to realize that he, too, is an integral part of his tribe, despite not seeing the way others see. But this is not a superficial treatment of the passage into manhood; there is sorrow and loss here, carefully but honestly presented. Sees Behind Trees and the other children's books by Dorris are wonderful books for parents to read aloud with their children because they offer opportunities for many issues to be discussed openly, but beyond that, the writing is indeed lyrical, resonant and beautiful, giving kids the opportunity to hear rich language usage from an early age.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sees Behind Trees, By Michael Dorris, March 14, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Sees Behind Trees (Paperback)

In Sees Behind Trees, Walnut, a short sighted boy is taught by his mother to see with his ears, and describe things, just by listening to all his surroundings. He proves to his tribe that he is a man, not in the usual way of shooting a piece of moss thrown in the air with a bow and arrow, but by describing his surroundings just by listening. By this, he earns his mans name from the weroance, (the best hunter in the tribe) "Sees Behind Trees". Then, an elder, named Gray Fire, tells him a story about a strange place called the "Land of Water". He then invites to come and help him look for it. When they get to the land of water, Sees Behind Trees loses Gray Fire and has to travel home by himself. On the way he finds a baby named Checha. When he gets home he is greeted by some strange secrets from the weroance.
I liked the book because of the way it was written. Sees Behind Trees was a really descriptice book, with a lot of detail, and the story was easy to picture in the mind. The story had a lot of things that I think Native americans would have used, like deer jerky, bone needles,, animal skin clothes, and moccasins (shoes made of animal skins. All in all, I think this is a good book for people who like adventure, and for people who are a little higher than beginning level.
I liked this book.
You may or may not.