Book Review: Counting Coup

Reading Level

Ages 9-12

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This book is a wonderful look inside the growth of a young man in Native American cultures. It is written by the main character, so it is an autobiography of sorts. It is also fascinating.

The author, Joseph Medicine Crow, speaks succinctly and naturally humbly. His wide-eyed at the world never seems to end, even when he's a old man. He walks the reader through his life as a victim of the Department of Indian Affairs. We see how difficult is was to keep the Native American culture alive in a world growing even smaller.

The descriptions are vivid and the writing precise. The subject matter is entertaining, and the outcome is not always a foregone conclusion.

The author describes all manner of adventures, both as a boy and as an adult. He is witty and funny and sad and melancholy and honest and distrustful of the world around him. He is a delight to read and a wonderful storyteller.

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