In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse

Jimmy McClean, 11 years old and three-quarters Lakota, is teased for appearing white by schoolmates at the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Marshall’s (Returning to the Lakota Way) novel alternates between a field trip Jimmy and his grandfather take in order for Jimmy to better understand his heritage and the principal person they study on the trip, the great Lakota leader Crazy Horse. They follow the geography of Crazy Horse’s life through South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana, including a long stay at the battlefield of the Little Big Horn, where in 1876 Crazy Horse was instrumental in the most significant Native American military victory against the white invaders. Though the dates and names are clearly spelled out, the logistics of the battles and travels can be difficult to track, and a lack of descriptive detail hinders empathy with both Jimmy and Crazy Horse. The modern story is a bit too thin, and the older one not delved into thoroughly enough, to allow the book to fully evoke its noble history. Ages 10–14. (Nov.)