Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie

The March Madness books were announced this week, and right away I began reading one of the selections.  We should have plenty of time to read the 16 picture books chosen before March, and then we will be able to vote for our favorites.

I read Thunder Boy Jr. to Kindergarten today, and it was a big hit.  Sherman Alexie, who grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in the eastern part of Washington state, has written many books, poems, and films about his experiences as an Indigenous American.  Thunder Boy Jr. tells the story of a young boy who was named after his father, Thunder Boy Senior.  As much as he loves his dad, Thunder Boy longs for his own name. A "normal" one that is special just for him.  For instance, he once touched an orca on the nose, so maybe his name should be "Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth."  Or since he once climbed a mountain, maybe his name should be "Touch the Clouds." The students loved hearing the many suggestions of names he should have, and after the story they thought of what names would be most meaningful for them.  Students came up with names like "Sunshine Girl" and "Hurricane."  I had them illustrate what name they would choose for themselves.

The book was illustrated by Yuyi Morales, who has won many awards including a Caldecott Honor and Pura Belpre Medal for Viva Frida.  The illustrations are outstanding and really depict what is going on inside Thunder Boy's head. The reader really gets a sense of how Thunder Boy sees the world, and the expressions on the characters' faces really bring them to life.

I can't wait to share all the other books on the list to my classes to see what they think. We will definitely have to keep this book in mind once the voting begins!