One for the Young People Little Brother Real Snake
By Breanne Boland July 1, 2004 Issue

Red Squirrel is on the cusp of manhood, and many of his peers have passed him by, going on their vision quests and getting their adult names, growing taller, and beginning to court the young women of the tribe. Red Squirrel on the other hand retains his childhood name, remains skinny as a boy, and has trouble speaking to Pale Moon, the object of his affection, even when she speaks directly to him. On top of those inner-tribe problems, there’s a constant threat of Apache raids, an upcoming buffalo hunt, and his immense fear of snakes.

It’s clear local author Billy Moore is a history teacher, because the story shows his love of a world passed on, where people mind-talked to the animals of the plains and thanked a slain buffalo for its sacrifice. The story of Red Squirrel’s coming of age is engaging enough— between its pursuits and risky hunts and near-death experiences—younger readers won’t realize they’re being tricked into learning about a civilization of the past.

Sometimes though, Moore sticks in a little too much of his research, placing it center stage rather than letting it augment the story he’s created, such as a long paragraph describing the painting on the inside of a tipi, going through each detail and explaining what it represents. Times like those are unwelcome pauses in an otherwise flowing story. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen frequently, and the facts stay in the background where they belong.

Historical fiction is a great genre for reluctant readers; rather than just following a plot, and becoming impatient and then bored, they also have to figure out an entirely new world. Books like Little Brother Real Snake can lure them in and make them learn something of the country’s past in the bargain. The world of the Plains Indians is intriguing in the way that any new culture is, and Red Squirrel’s struggle to grow up is familiar enough the story never feels too far from a modern adolescence, full of self-doubt and hope. And in the case of Red Squirrel’s story, there are also horse chases through flaming prairies, battles with rattlesnakes, and, oh, a happy ending, giving reassurance to adolescents of any age.

Junebug Books, 144 pages, available at local bookstores and online booksellers and local libraries.

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