Nathan

Gr 5–8—Nathan, a loner because a schoolmate named Adam is constantly bullying him, tries to play basketball at a playground near his grandfather's house. Within minutes, his nemesis sees him and takes the basketball. Soon after, Adam's dad appears and wallops Adam across the face. The only good times for Nathan are found in the presence of a new boy, Max, who moves into his neighborhood. The two boys ride bikes, build forts, and go fishing. Nathan's grandfather, who has early onset Alzheimer's, soon moves into Nathan's house. Nathan discovers that his grandfather's mother was a member of a First Nations tribe from Ontario. He also learns how First Nations people were treated by the government and how children were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to schools where they were stripped of their culture and language. The final chapter shows Nathan observing a lonely Adam at school. Nathan is ready to make the first overture. One hopes Adam is not too damaged to accept this gesture. The information about First Nations tribes and their history is minimal, and Nathan's ties to Native ancestry are used mainly to propel his journey toward courage and self-acceptance. For a deeper exploration of the First Nations boarding school experience, see Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton's Fatty Legs: A True Story.