Customer Reviews

Sees Behind Trees

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Sees Behind Trees is a nearsighted Indian. He has just earned a new name, and is now a young man. His world is nothing but splotches and blurs, and he can't hunt like an ordinary man. But, unlike any other person in the tribe, Sees Behind Trees can "see with his ears". The weroance, the tribe's prized hunter, said: "Sometimes, the people need someone to do the impossible...someone with the ability to see what can't be seen..."as he earned his name.

Gray Fire, a tribe elder and the weroance's twin, believes this speech with all his heart. He asks Sees Behind Trees to join him on a journey he will never forget. A journey filled with danger and wonder.

I thought Dorris has a very descriptive way of writing, but in this book it didn't fit well. Instead of making the book better and more interesting,it made it boring and slow. I didn't like this book because there are too manu unnecessary pages and chapters in it. I don't recommend this to anyone who wants to read an exciting and interesting book that will quench your thirst for action. I would recommend this book for people who like a slow-paced, descriptive story.

Walnut is a nearsighted Native American boy. One day the test to become a man arrives. Walnut proves he can see with his ears and gets the name "Sees Behind Trees." Then the village elder, Gray Fire, chooses him to find the mystical land of water where Gray Fire thought he left heart and literary lost his toes. This book is filled with descriptive writing but not a very good storyline and I think half of this book is unneeded. But if you like Michael Dorris than I might recommend it. And I recommend reading "Sees Behind Trees" first because once you read "Morning Girl" you won't want to read anything by this author.

We read this to my son when he was 5. It is very well written and has an awesome message (something to the effect of "we all have great and useful gifts to offer no matter what we seem to lack"). My only complaint is how it ends. I get the feeling the author ran out of time and had to quickly wrap it up in any old way. Still worth reading though. Just make up your own ending!

This book is about a young native American boy coming of age. It tells the reader about the different ceremonies native American kids go through on their way to becoming young adults.

I liked how the boy who started as Walnut learns to accept his nearsightedness and is helped by adults in his life to develop his hidden talent for "seeing" things around him with his other senses. When he passes the test that makes him become a young man he is given a really cool name for having his special ability. That name is "Sees Behind Trees".

One thing I wish the book had more of is details about what it was like to be a young girl growing up in the native American world.

Overall I very much liked this book. I would recommend it to readers who like to learn about other cultures and how they live.

This book is about an Indian boy named Walnut who is nearsighted. He can not see well enough to shoot arrows. He is scared because there is a test at the end of the summer when the boys need to prove that they are ready for manhood. Walnut does not want to do the test because he cannot shoot arrows. The Weroance, is described as the most important person, expert on hunting. She changes the task and Walnut is able to pass the test and gets a new name. His new name is Sees Behind Trees.

The Weroance's brother, Gray Fire wants to know how Sees Behind Trees passed the test. Gray Fire takes Sees Behind Trees with him in the forest for five days. Gray Fire and Sees Behind Trees meet a family. There names are Pitew ,Karna ,and there son Checha. But then something terrible happens!

After reading this story this made me think that this book is so good that there should be a movie about it!

Dorris captures the heart of many readers in this book. A young native indian boy named walnut wants to earn his new adult name. to do this, he has to participate in young adulthood competitions. All chidren have diferent skills, walnut is not good at everything,but he finally earns the name Sees behind trees. join some of his friends like, Gray fire, three chances, brings the deer and many more! In this heartwarming book, you will expiriance a touching story by gray fire, and sees behind trees special skill.

It takes a good imagination to really get into this story. I feel that this is a great story about growing up and things that you don't see every day. Sees behind trees is a very good book to read beacause its about differances, courage, children in adulthood. Adults everywere will go back with the child within them and tell their children about their childhood and their skills that they once possesed. Even when you are an adut and you can go anywere, DO NOT forget to go and visit your childhood and discover your one skill once again. Find out how in Sees behind trees.

Loved this book. What a wonderful world that is depicted by the author. I think it would be a wonderful read for children of all ages. Excellent.