The ALA Youth Media Awards were announced last week and Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley was honored in a number of categories (very deservedly so!).
2022 Awards and Honors:
AILA American Indian Youth Literature Award, Young Adult Honor
William C Morris YA Debut Award Winner
Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Winner
"I am a frozen statue of a girl in the woods. Only my eyes move, darting from the gun to their startled expression.” From the opening lines I was hooked - a flash forward? A flashback? Whose jittery hand is holding the gun? Whose brave hand reaches for it? What happens next??
"Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, either in her hometown or on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of college, but when her family is struck by tragedy she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, a new recruit on her brother Levi's hockey team. When Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, she reluctantly agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source of a new drug. How far will she go to protect her community, if it threatens to tear apart the only world she's ever known?" (RECT resource page)
I could not put this book down. I loved pondering the puzzles and felt extremely privileged to learn so much about Ojibwe culture and language, following along on the map on my phone as the characters move around Sault Sainte Marie. I gasped out loud as new twists caught me by surprise, tugged at my heart, and made me think about my own loyalties. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this debut author! Keep an eye on this space for more award/honor books or take a look at the list of honored books here.