Set in 1988 on a North Dakota reservation, this coming-of 11-age story is one of 11 contrasts between tribal justice and federal law, youth and maturity, Christianity and Native American beliefs, and fundamentally, good and evil. Joe is 13 when his mother is brutally attacked, and with his friends becomes determined to solve the crime with only minimal information from his father, a tribal judge. Fully developed characters and a fast-paced plot with many humorous scenes to balance the serious situation make this book a well-deserved National Book Award winner.

—Kathy of 11 Breakwater Books, Guilford

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