When a ghost talks, listen A Choctaw Trail of Tears story

This second series installment uses many of the components of its predecessor (How I Became a Ghost, rev. 1/14), such as shape-shifting, ghosts, and a fast-paced plot; here Tingle profoundly expands beyond the established historical setting through the incorporation of time travel. Isaac, a pre-teen Choctaw boy who was killed by a wolf and is now a ghost, continues to relate the story of his peoples forced relocation from their Mississippi homeland to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) on the Choctaw Trail of Tears. Isaac is now mentored by the ghost of Pushmataha, a revered Choctaw chief and U.S. Army general during the War of 1812, who ushers him through time to witness scenes both before and after Pushmatahas death (which was orchestrated by Andrew Jackson). A large supporting cast of both human and ghost characters keeps this often-somber story buoyed by complex relationships and an emphasis on humor and joy: We are ChoctawsIf we cant laugh, how can we live? Tingles prose is straightforward and focused, while still visceral and imaginative?particularly during the time-travel sequences. A massive jump forward to 2018 brings Isaac, Pushmataha, and many secondary characters to Jones Academy Indian Boarding School, where contemporary Choctaw students are reading this very novel and, with their teacher, exploring the storys significance. A brief nod to World War I hero and member of the Choctaw Nation Joseph Oklahombi suggests the subject of the next entry in the series. Appended with a brief bibliography. patrick gall (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Narrated by Isaac, a Choctaw boy who was killed while walking the Trail of Tears in 1830, this quick-paced novel sheds light on forgotten histories. A follow-up to the award-winning novel How I Became a Ghost (2013), Tingle's imaginative tale of shape-shifting humans and time-traveling ghosts is the perfect adventure for young readers who wish to consider American history from the Indigenous perspective. Even as it recounts the story of the Choctaw people who were removed from their Mississippi homelands in the era of Andrew Jackson, the novel also bears witness to a complicated Choctaw hero by the name of Pushmataha, a United States Army general who fought against the British in the Battle of New Orleans. Though ultimately betrayed by the U.S. president he considered a friend, Pushmataha inspires his young Choctaw friends to literally bury the hatchet and seek peace with their American counterpartsepisodes witnessed by Isaac and his dog friend, Jumper. While the novel addresses injustices head on, it does not delve into Pushmataha's regrets regarding intertribal politics, making it a good introduction for young readers. The novel is filled with friendship, laughter, and Choctaw jokes, a stylistic flourish that lends levity to its difficult topics. A great introduction to Native American history that's not too heavy for its young audience and is a solid read in its own right. (map, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.