Rez Dogs - Joseph Bruchac

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Malian loves spending time with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation. She's there for a visit when, suddenly, all travel shuts down. There's a new virus making people sick, and Malian will have to stay with her grandparents for the duration. Everyone is worried about the pandemic, but Malian knows how to keep her family safe: She protects her grandparents, and they protect her. She doesn't go out to play with friends, she helps her grandparents use video chat, and she listens to and learns from their stories. And when Malsum, one of the dogs living on the rez, shows up at their door, Malian's family knows that he'll protect them too. Told in verse inspired by oral storytelling, this novel about the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the ways in which Indigenous nations and communities cared for one another through plagues of the past, and how they keep caring for one another today."

Can I get a round of applause for this children's book that clocks in at under 200 pages? Glorious! It's such a rarity, and this book being written in verse makes it even more approachable for kids. Each chapter is a small, almost self-contained story, and the whole thing moves at a good pace. I think it would be a quick read for kids who love reading and a good challenge for kids who need a little practice to strengthen their reading skills. It is also super relevant and approachable for kids who went to school online during the pandemic, particularly those who are still going to school online and may be struggling with feeling discouraged or disconnected.

I particularly loved the way Malian's experiences were paired with stories from her grandparents and how seriously she took listening to those stories. At least once, she even remarks that although she has heard this story before, she loves hearing them multiple times because she always gets something out of it. It was really beautiful to see this silver lining come out of living through COVID, Malian getting to build a deeper connection with her grandparents, their stories, and where she came from.