The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter
a book review for Team Puckett - The Bookworms
Mrs. Puckett
April 17, 2008
I remember the day one of my students asked me if "Indians" still lived in tepees. I felt devastated after living fourteen years on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation with Native Americans. Lakota are people too. I had to get out my yearbook from South Dakota to show her reality in Kyle, South Dakota.
In hindsight, I would recommend that she read The Education of Little Tree. This book portrays a Cherokee boy's life growing up with his grandparents. They teach him about the hill country life, which has nothing to do with tepees. Instead, it is filled with descriptions of living in the backwoods during the 1930s. His grandparents educate him about reading, as well as survival in the mountains -- years before the technology takes over.
Forrest Carter describes the sights, sound, smells, tastes, and feelings of life ... off the beaten path. The book is a lot like Where the Red Fern Grows because hunting and dogs are part of Little Tree's culture. If you liked Where the Red Fern Grows, you will love The Education of Little Tree too. (180 words)
