"This book ably springs Ray Halfmoon free from the paint-and-feathers representations of American Indians."
—The Chicago Tribune
INDIAN SHOES (HarperCollins, 2002) is a collection of humorous and touching short stories about Ray Halfmoon and his grandpa in their daily lives in urban Chicago and rural Oklahoma. Illustrated in black and white drawings by Jim Madsen, this early reader chapter book is targeted at ages 7-9.
What do Indian shoes look like, anyway? Like beautiful beaded moccasins...or hightops with bright orange shoelaces?
Ray Halfmoon prefers hightops, but he gladly trades them for a nice pair of moccasins for his Grampa. After all, it's Grampa Halfmoon who's always there to help Ray get in and out of scrapes — like the time they are forced to get creative after a homemade haircut makes Ray's head look like a lawn-mowing accident.
This collection of interrelated stories is heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny. Cynthia Leitich Smith writes with wit and candor about what it's like to grow up as a Seminole-Cherokee boy who is just as happy pounding the pavement in windy Chicago as rowing on a lake in rural Oklahoma.
"In writing INDIAN SHOES, I was mindful of the love between Ray and his grandfather. It's true that books about urban Indians are rare, even though they make up a signficant percentage of the population. But the Chicago-specific setting is no accident. I lived in the South Loop and Streeterville neighborhoods for a total of three years. There's a vitality to the City of Big Shoulders, the sense that anything is possible. I believe Ray and Grandpa carry that same can-do attitude in facing their own challenges and living their dreams."
Indian Shoes has received many awards and honors.
Check out the updated list!
0-06-029531-7 (trade)
0-06-029532-5 (library)
St. Louis Post Dispatch: "These loosely connected short stories are well-suited for readers (ages 7-10) who might be overwhelmed by a single novel-length story."
BCCB: "So permeated with affection that many readers will just bask in the warmth and envy Ray his cool Grampa."
Cooperative Children's Book Center: "An excellent collection of interrelated short stories will appeal to newly independent young readers... ...adroit uses of colloquial language also earmark this fine collection."
Kirkus: "A very pleasing first-chapter book from its funny and tender opening salvo to its heartwarming closer. An excellent choice for younger readers."
“Native Voices” by Debbie Reese from SLJ (Nov., 2008): “…especially heartrendering as it reflects the love Ray has for his grandfather.”
School Library Journal: "Shoes is a good book for any elementary-aged reluctant reader, and a necessity for indigenous children everywhere."
Multicultural Review: "These stories are goofy, quirky, and laugh-out-loud funny, and poignant, sometimes all together. INDIAN SHOES is about belonging to family and community, about helping neighbors, about learning life's lessons, and about sometimes feeling different but most times knowing who you are in the world."
Booklist: "The stories' strength lies in their powerful, poignant evocation of a cross-generational bond and in the description of the simple pleasures two charming characters enjoy."
BookPage: "Images of sitting around the kitchen table with the smell of bacon frying are almost palpable, and the relationship between these two [Ray and Grampa] is as heartwarming to see as an old family photo album." Read the complete review online.
Book Review Cafe: "tons of great stories in Indian Shoes for children and adults. Ray learns more about his Indian heritage..."
Kidsreads: "short stories are written for younger readers who like rhythms and repetition in what they read."
Reading Group Guide: Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith: features publication information; introduction; excerpt; discussion questions; author biography; author interview; and review excerpts.
Also check out the Teacher Guide.
Readers Theater: "Don't Forget The Pants" from INDIAN SHOES. Script developed by Sylvia M. Vardell. A short read-aloud theater script for a short story from the book.
Children's Author Cynthia Leitich Smith: Caring Enough to Be Candid by Alexis Quinlan, nycBigCityLit.com. Part One. June 2002. Cynthia talks about subtlety, pushing young readers, politics in writing, authors she admires, and the ten year old within.
Also read Part Two: Closing the Miles in Indian Shoes.
Indian Shoes: booktalk from Nancy Keane.
INDIAN SHOES from Cynsations. A look back at the story behind the story.
