Feeling conflicted about this one. I very, very much appreciated reading something set during the pandemic and I think verse is great format to set a mood for the disjointed, confusion of those early weeks. But most of the poems/passages just didn't move me emotionally. They seemed a bit lacking. Others mention there's not much plot (again, harkens well to early pandemic), so it's hard to really feel too strongly. I do appreciate mentioning of BLM protests and pain in Indigenous histories. But having finished this, I don't really know if the character is pursuing activism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
A touching book that will always remind us of what the Indigenous nations went through during the Covid-19 lockdown in the United States. Malian is in lockdown with her grandparents on the Wabanaki reservation. Through Malian, her grandparents and a guardian rez dog, we are told many stories of fortitude and compassion. Quiet, perfect book.
#RezDogs #NetGalley

Even as the pandemic is winding down and we've had time to process, it's still difficult for me to read books set during the height of COVID 19. Not only did this story address the emotional turmoil of that time, it also wove in the stories of Native Americans past. The stories shared in this book were all so seamlessly relevant to present-day events and how we as people are complex but are able to override the bad done with positivity. HIghly recommend this novel in verse that abounds with lessons in such a seamless way.

So nice to read a contemporary book about Native Americans written by a tribal member! Set in the immediate past(?) of the COVID pandemic, Malian is staying with her grandparents on the rez when the world shuts down for COVID. This novel is told in verse. It touches on the many things the Native Americans have overcome in the last few centuries. The novel is written for middle grade students.

I'm always impressed when a verse novel manages to tell an elaborate story in a really condensed form, and this book does exactly that. During the pandemic, Malian quarantines with her grandparents, which is a way for her to connect with her Indigenous heritage, by listening to her grandparents' stories. Especially lovely is the rez dog who comes to stay with Malian to protect her and her family.

Short, timely book about a girl who has to shelter in place on the reservation with her grandparents due to Covid restrictions. In the story she grapples with her place in the reservation. One day a rez dog appears and she relates her experiences to the dog who becomes her companion during the early days of the pandemic. At times a little too on the nose, but a realistic look at life for kids during the pandemic, school from home and a glance into the difficulties indigenous groups faced during the pandemic.

This is a fantastic take on Covid, and a lovely, sort of soft and quiet novel in verse. I love the animal connection, and this book's take on family. It's definitely sad, but also inspiring. I got a print copy for my library's collection and am looking forward to handing it to kids. I'm hoping that it'll be interesting to them to read a depiction of someone's experience with Covid that's really different from their own.

Joseph Bruchac has long been an author I have turned to for stories of Native Americans. This title did not disappoint! I enjoyed the verse format and, as always with this author, learning more about Native American communities/culture.

Because of the pandemic, Malin is sent away to live with her grandparents on the Wabanaki reservation. A rez dog named Malsum adopts her, becoming her ally and friend, which helps her adjust to living without her parents. When a government worker arrives to check on her, her new best friend Malsum scares her off. That's when her grandparents teach Malin about the history of Native kids who were taken away by the government. Her grandparents share many other stories of their beliefs and history which help Malin connect to her heritage and feel her less sad about missing her parents, bothered with inconsistent Internet and school lessons, and feel less troubled about staying indoors. "And now, through the stories her grandparents were sharing, she was getting to travel in another way, feeling her spirit travel through time, being part of something so much older, so much deeper."

This gentle, heartwarming novel, by Abenaki writer Joseph Bruchac, is set during COVID quarantine. Malian, a young girl, is staying with her paternal grandparents, Grandpa Roy and Grandma Frances, on the Penacook Tribe reservation in New Hampshire, when shelter-in-place measures are instituted, separating Malian from her parents and her normal life in Boston, Massachusetts. Despite the difficulties caused by displacement, social distancing, and distance learning via Zoom, Malian perseveres, bolstered by the loyal company of a mystical stray dog, Malsum, who comes to stay with her family, and the support of her loving storytelling grandparents. In learning about the history of her family and tribe, as well as the historical racism levied against Native Americans, via her grandparents' tales and myths, Malian gains resilience and newfound strength. Bruchac affirms the message of human responsibility, that we “need to be kind to each other, and all living things, make the circle strong for those who come after us.” Highly recommended.

This was such a lovely book, it’s a novel told in verse featuring many Native American legends and stories. Malian, a young Wabanaki girl moves in with her grandparents on the reservation when the pandemic hits and spends her time listening and learning tales told by her grandparents, stories varying from tales of their ancestors survival to recollections from her own grandparents lives as children. Malian is a very caring and compassionate girl who finds hope in her grandparents stories that they will overcome the pandemic. Malsum, a local dog who adopts Malian and her family is the main focus of the book as he lends comfort and stability to Malian during the tumultuous time.

Powerfully written and heartfelt, Rez Dogs will challenge and inspire readers.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Amazing middle grade novel in verse. I would put this in hands of reluctant readers who enjoy realistic fiction.

Wonderful. I need to read more Joseph Bruchac because every time I do I'm richer for it. Rez Dogs is a gem and I'm glad it exists, even though it took a pandemic to make it!

A beautifully-written middle grade novel in verse about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on families, especially those that are marginalized. Malian was visiting her grandparents on their Wabanaki reservation when the country went into lockdown and now she is living with them for the foreseeable future. One day a stray dog shows up and makes itself at home, transforming Malian's life and helping her feel closer to her native roots.

What a great book! I loved how we could get a look into life on the reservation during COVID. We all need to read it and act accordingly. The people there deserve our respect at the conditions they live in and any help we can provide.

This is what some librarians call a quiet book, it is very thoughtful. It follows an Native American child as she lives with her grandparents while the pandemic is on. She continues learning about her culture and her grandparents ways of living and knowing about the world around them. While current themes such as the pandemic are involved there is also some exploration of events that have happened as part of the systemic racism by North American governments such as taking Native children from their families. It is woven into the story, but is not the subject of the story. This was also effective, I thought, and could start conversations with students.

This is the first book I’ve read that took place during the pandemic. Malian is a Wabanaki girl sent from Boston to live on the reservation with her grandparents. It was a quick read, but packed in a lot of Native American history. Malian struggles with limited internet connectivity to learn virtually, but spends a lot of time learning about the history of her people through her grandparents’ storytelling. Through a school project from a caring teacher trying to get them all to feel safe and learn about each other, she learns about the Eugenics project and other things from her family’s past. I’ve always admired Joseph Bruchac’s storytelling and this modern tale is no exception.

Malian is visiting her grandparents on the Penacook reservation when the COVID-19 pandemic strikes. The shelter in place orders prevent her from returning home to her parents in Boston. Malian tries her best to keep up with her online schooling, even with spotty internet, and does what she can to keep her grandparents safe as they do the same for her. She finds companionship in a dog who appears at the door of her grandparents’ house. While she misses her parents, Malian soaks in the stories told by her grandparents. Some of the stories focus on Wabanaki traditions while others focus on the treatment her grandparents and parents experienced growing up. Told in verse, this book is a beautiful piece that will help readers to process current events while thoughtfully connecting them with the past.

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Books for sharing this eARC with me for a review.

3 things about this book:
1-power and importance of storytelling
2-pandemic life
3-verse novel

I hope you read this book!