Dave at Little Shop of Stories writes in to remind us of this author event tonight at 7:00pm at Decatur Library.

Sherman Alexie, one of the best and most diverse American writers working today, will be at the Decatur Library to introduce his newest work and first picture book, Thunder Boy Jr. Named after his father, Thunder Boy Smith Sr., the story is about a boy wanting to claim his own name. “When you talk about the Native American search for identity, it’s almost always a story of loss and pain. I wanted to write a picture book in which a kid goes on a search for identity in the context of a lovely family.”

Alexie is an acclaimed writer of poetry, short stories, literary fiction, and screenplays. He received the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a semi-autobiographical account of growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation and attending high school off the reservation.

From the New York Times book review:

“Alexie’s expertly paced text zips along with loving interjections from the boy’s entire family, led by a precocious little sister. Morales’s richly textured art crackles with boundless energy. Somehow, in her hands the color yellow radiates with a life of its own.

“There is a crucial moment when the father recognizes his son’s struggle and concludes: “I think it’s time I gave you a new name. A name of your own.” The boy’s reaction — “My dad read my mind! My dad read my heart!” — breathes with an authentic mix of relief and exhilaration, the giddy thrill of being truly seen and understood by someone you love.

“The fitting choice for his new name (I won’t spoil it for you) cleverly allows the boy to forge a unique identity without severing ties to the past. Morales shows him standing proudly upon his father’s broad shoulders, ready to reach for new heights.

“Sometimes, to take the world by storm, all you need is the power of the right word.”

This event, in partnership with the Georgia Center for the Book, will be held at the Decatur Library. You must purchase a copy of Thunder Boy Jr. from Little Shop of Stories in order to receive a ticket to enter the signing line.

 

Image courtesy of the Little Shop of Stories website.  Little Shop of Stories is a DM sponsor.