Rain Is Not My Indian Name

It was refreshing to read a contemporary YA novel with a Native American protagonist that avoids–and often pokes fun at–typical stereotypes of Natives as noble savages or mystical Others, a sentiment illustrated by the book's title. Cassidy Rain Berghoff is a very typical teen dealing with difficult issues–absentee parents (her mother is dead and her father serves overseas in the military), the death of her best friend, her brother's engagement to his pregnant fiancee, and the town's opposition to funding her aunt's summer Indian Camp for Native youth. While I enjoyed the book overall, it was a little slow in places, despite only being around 150 pages long. I'd recommend this for girls and anyone looking for insight into a more modern portrayal of Native Americans.