Indian Shoes

Book: Smith, C.L. (2002). Indian Shoes. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Summary:             This funny collection of short stories is about a Native American boy and his loving grandpa, who’s raising him. Grandpa and grandson enjoy baseball, pets and friends and life in Chicago together.

Impression:             I really enjoyed these heartwarming stories of a boy and his grandpa. The short story collection is easy to read and easy to share with listeners. The stories are funny and sweet and have little surprise endings. I think kids will relate to the misadventures of the haircut, lost pants and “real Indian shoes”. I think the stories are timeless and funny. The charcoal and pencil illustrations enhance the stories and show funny scenes, like Ray wearing his grandpa’s pants at the wedding.             The cultural touch are the Native American names and references to growing up in Oklahoma. It would be interesting to ask students to pick up on the cultural references, like moccasins, long hair, Cherokee quilts and love of animals. The references are very general and vague. Since the characters are not living in Indian territory in Oklahoma anymore, the references aren’t fresh, they’re memories. The author is trying to explore one culture, when the characters are living in another culture. This may show the feelings of many Native Americans in the US today.

Library Use:            This book could be used with elementary or middle school students. I would approach these stories like little funny mysteries and use them as a story starter activity. I would read Indian Shoes and leave off the surprise ending. Then students could describe orally, what they think happens at the end. I think they’ll like the surprise ending. The next story I would read is Team Colors. I would leave off the end and let them write a few sentences about their endings. I would ask students to share with each other. Then I would share the real funny ending. I think short stories are great for leading short writing prompts.