Description

Winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award

New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith turns to realistic fiction with the thoughtful story of a Native teen navigating the complicated confusing waters of high school and first love

When Louise Wolfes first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her she breaks things off and dumps him over email Its her senior year anyway and shed rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz the ambitious new photojournalist and in no time the papers staff find themselves with a major story to cover the school musical directors inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white middleclass Kansas town From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats longheld prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers parents and students especially the cast members at the center of the controversy including Lous little brother whos playing the Tin Man As tensions mount at school so does a romance between Lou and Joey but as shes learned dating while Native can be difficult In trying to protect her own heart will Lou break Joeys