|
The Education of Little Tree | 
 enlarge | Author: Forrest Carter
Creator: Rennard Strickland
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $1.90
You Save: $13.05 (87%)
New (50) Used (61) Collectible (1) from $1.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  202 reviews
Sales Rank: 20095
Media: Paperback
Edition: 25th anniversary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 228
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 0826328091
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780826328090
ASIN: 0826328091
Publication Date: August 31, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Visible shelf wear -- may have some notes/markings on pages
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Education of Little Tree tells of a boy orphaned very young, who is adopted by his Cherokee grandmother and half-Cherokee grandfather in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee during the Great Depression.Little Tree as his grandparents call him is shown how to hunt and survive in the mountains, to respect nature in the Cherokee Way, taking only what is needed, leaving the rest for nature to run its course. Little Tree also learns the often callous ways of white businessmen and tax collectors, and how Granpa, in hilarious vignettes, scares them away from his illegal attempts to enter the cash economy. Granma teaches Little Tree the joys of reading and education. But when Little Tree is taken away by whites for schooling, we learn of the cruelty meted out to Indian children in an attempt to assimilate them and of Little Trees perception of the Anglo world and how it differs from the Cherokee Way. A classic of its era, and an enduring book for all ages, The Education of Little Tree has now been redesigned for this twenty-fifth anniversary edition.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 197 more reviews...
 A Life Changing Work, Despite Its Author September 14, 2008
If you've read any of the other reviews before this one, then you know the story behind this book. If you haven't read any other reviews, then don't until you read this book.
I was leading a group of advanced readers in my 3rd grade class and this was one of the books the librarian recommended. Being that I was teaching in a Christian school, I had to read the book first to make sure it was appropriate. I began by simply skimming it which lasted maybe a paragraph before I was totally taken in by the story. I finished the story four hours later in the middle of the night. I could not put it down. The book moved me so intensely that I immediately went to the computer to research the author and find any other works. What I found literally caused me to grieve. I was hurt and felt betrayed. There I go, almost ruining it!
But instead of telling you everything involved in this drama, I recommend that you read the book. I went on to read the book with my ninth grade literature class two years in a row. It was too mature for the third graders and the older kids were reading modern works. It was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever given.
The background and spectacle caused by this book is a perfect example of the ad hominem fallacy. An individual's personal choices do not necessarily make their work null and void. I had my students fall in love with this book before I gave them the background of its author. Most of them came to the same conclusion: this man was changed somewhere along the way. Whatever he was in previous years, he had had an experience that gave him the ability to touch our lives in such a powerful way that he MUST have been changed. But the argument rages on.
I encourage you to read it for yourself and allow it to teach you. Though it is not a Christian book, it has much truth in it that is borrowed from a Christian worldview. Much of it is even prophetic in a very convicting sense for Christians. It helps us look in the mirror to see ourselves anew.
I quoted this book extensively in my podcast, Christian With A Brain. It set the tone for a discussion I did on Understanding the Atheistic Heart. Don't let the drama scare you off, this book is well worth reading.
Excellent June 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Nutshell review - Not withstanding the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the story and author, there are two ways to read this story; (1) with your mind, or (2) with your heart. The first way will gain you little. The second way will truly touch you.
Confederate Cherokees June 10, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Some of the reviewers here seem unfamiliar with Cherokee History. Forrest Carter was of Cherokee ancestry and was a fiery Southerner with racist views. These facts are not so mutually exclusive as one would assume. The Cherokee nation was allied with the Confederate States during the war. Colonel(later General) Stand Watie led the Cherokee Mounted Rifles. Aside from the Cherokee, there were Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes fighting with the Confederates as well. So you see, Forrest Carter (or Asa if you like) was more than likely a product of his times. Not an evil man, just wrong. But he did write a great book.
Good story... February 24, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
A 5-year old orphan named Little Tree is raised by his Cherokee Grandma and Grandpa in a small mountain home during the days of the Depression. Little Tree learns about the Cherokee tribe and history. He also learns about the importance of love and respect for the land. His grandparents struggle to survive under difficult conditions however they show incredible compassion and love as they raise Little Tree. There is considerable debate over whether this book is fiction or non-fiction. Whatever it happens to be, this is good heartwarming story that is worth reading and having your children read.
Excellent book whatever the author's flaws. December 13, 2007
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I first read this 20 years ago, before I "knew" the author's history. I loved it. I just re-read it with my 10-year-old. (Beware, adult language and material. We probably should have waited a year or two.) Now I know about the author. And I still love this book. The author may have been a drunk and may have done some awful things, but this is a beautful and wonderful book and I can't find any racism or anti-semitism in it. I'm Jewish and appreciated the author's head-on confrontation of a common sterotype. Perhaps in his writing he tried to make up for what he did in his public life? Who knows, but I believe your life will be enriched by reading this book.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
