Friday, March 20, 2026

Red Bird Danced by Dawn Quigley - OPTIONAL

Red Bird Danced
by Dawn Quigley
, 166 pages. NOVEL IN VERSEHarperCollins, 2024. $19. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (mention of #MMIW - missing and murdered indigenous women) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

11yo Ariel and her 13yo neighbor Tomah are Ojibwah children living in an inner-city tribal housing project. Tomah is in Ariel's class - he struggles with reading and has been held back. Ariel loves ballet - she was inspired to dance by a beloved aunt. Ariel's Aunt has recently disappeared, so, Ariel chooses as her school project to learn more about #MMIW. 

What a heavy topic for an elementary read! The content is perfectly age-appropriate, and the author's notes indicate that there are currently over 500 missing and murdered indigenous women, so, many indigenous children must be experiencing this crisis. Written in verse, the text isn't sad, it's hopeful. I liked this tender book, especially the author's notes, which tell children that they are strong and to have hope. The community is Ojibwa 

Lisa Librarian 

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