YA Book Central reviews “Cady and the Bear Necklace”

What worked:
The book features modern-day Indians living in Upper Michigan and the importance of preserving their heritage. Cady takes a 20-minute bus ride to attend an Indian school even though a public school is located only minutes from her home. Her father isn’t knowledgeable about their tribe’s history but he thinks it’s important for Cady to learn. Cady is respectful of her Indian past and is open to this learning, an attitude not shared by all young people. She jumps at the chance to interview a friend’s grandmother for a school project, and that’s when the book jumps into the meat of the plot.
The mystery of an old beaded necklace with a bear figure attached consumes Cady’s character. The conflict arises while she’s interviewing John Ray’s grandmother. The woman happily answers all of Cady’s questions until she asks about a photograph that had dropped to the floor. The woman becomes terse and agitated and tells Anna she needs to leave. This severe contrast in moods creates confusion for readers and Cady spends the rest of the book trying to uncover the story behind the necklace. Why won’t anyone talk about it? Readers will learn more about Cady’s family history as well as the tribe’s heritage and customs.
Cady is the main character and the story faces many challenges. Her relationship with her father changes after he remarries and her stepmother seems more like an older sister. Cady loves her baby brother but his presence changes the family dynamics, as he demands constant attention. Also, Cady has feelings for John Ray but she’s not sure how he feels about her. Her principal tells her that finding an eagle’s feather might be a sign from the spirits that she needs to complete a special task or solve a mystery. There are too many clues to be a coincidence and Cady is confused as to why she’s been given the task. The grandmother’s reaction to the photograph and Cady finding a hidden necklace make her determined to understand the history behind it.

What didn’t work as well:
An effective hook in the opening chapters of this short book would help grab readers right away. Sharing Cady’s problems with school, living with a very young stepmother, a new baby brother, and learning about her Indian heritage don’t do it. Once the bear necklace is introduced, the story becomes a mystery and carries the rest of the plot, although the conflict lacks strong emotions and tension.

The Final Verdict:
Trust the power within yourself. The most enjoyable part of the book is the emphasis on Indian heritage and culture. Times are changing and it’s important to honor the history of our ancestors. Resolving the mystery of the necklace feels more like a personal project than an actual conflict, so the story would be improved with more suspense or drama. Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to readers who like Indian storytelling

Read the entire review on YA Book Central

Chlorophyll

‎ 978-1-61599-642-1
$15.95
Poems about Michigan's Upper Peninsula
In stock
1
Product Details
UPC: ‎ 978-1-61599-642-1
Brand: Modern History Press
Binding: Paperback
Audiobook: Audible, iTunes
Edition: 1st
Author: Raymond Luczak
Pages: 98
Publication Date: 09/01/2022
Join me on a journey to the unspoiled forests of Upper Michigan
A long time ago young men wishing to be tall
scaled the mast of my octopus arms
and scanned the horizon of Lake Superior
for a glimmer of Canada. Usually we were cut down ...
For many of those who've lived there, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan can seem like a magical place because nature there feels so potent and, at times, full of mystery. After having grown up there, Raymond Luczak can certainly attest to its mythical powers. In Chlorophyll, he reimagines Lake Superior and its environs as well as his houseplants as a variety of imaginary and historical characters.

Ghosts dress in only gray and white.
This is how they camouflage their volcanic selves.
Lake Superior is bottled with them.
You can't see them but they move like fish ...

"In Raymond Luczak's Chlorophyll, the devastating natural beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula is imbued with passions its reticent human inhabitants are loathe to express. Trees, lakes, and stones air their infatuations, their grudges, their mythologies and griefs. Through this forest of the otherwise unsaid, we catch glimpses of a speaker who knows there is no line to blur between 'person' and 'nature.'" --Emily Van Kley, author of Arrhythmia and The Rust and the Cold

Spring is a girl who's cried all night
only to find that morning easily forgives
the coldness of him having left her
stranded among the thicket of evergreens ...

"Giving voice to the natural world, Raymond Luczak allows the rocks, trees, lakes, insects, and flowers that are part of flora and fauna of the region to speak for themselves, and they remind us that we are human, living in a more than human world." --William Reichard, author of Our Delicate Barricades Downed and The Night Horse: New and Selected Poems

"Evocative yet personal communing with nature. One of my sons summed up poetry as saying a lot with a few words. This collection does that. There is a piece of prose smuggled in and the poems vary in length considerably. There are some poems with traditional rhyme (and assonance) and the main themes are nature, anthropomorphised and used as metaphor. Dependability of nature and changing seasons also feature. The author reveals much of his story and relationships as well as the geography he inhabits and appreciates. I would advise reading this in small sips, as I did. That way you'll be able to savor the poems and their messages. I have deducted a star as many have already been published previously - and for the inclusion of prose (albeit informative) amongst the poems." --Daryl P. Goodwin, M.D.

"Being born a Michigan girl and now living in Texas; I miss the seasons, the tall beautiful trees, the clear rushing water of the rivers, the many lakes, and of course the Great Lakes surrounding Michigan. This collection of poems paints the visuals into a picturesque moving picture of the landscape, Lake Superior, insects, trees, animals, flowers, grass, life and death, etc. You don't have to be a Michigander or an outdoorsman to appreciate nature's beauty coming to life in the spring, the lazy dog days of summer, the colorful and chillier days of autumn, and the frigid cold and stark white of winter. This collection provides escapism to ordinary day!" --Laura Spinnett

"Luczak has a fantastic command of language and human emotion. Get a box of Kleenex, a bottle of wine, and some uninterrupted reading time. I have already reread it, told people about the book, and am expecting this book will win many awards. Very impressive." --Carolyn Wilhelm, Midwest Book Review

Raymond Luczak grew up in the Upper Peninsula. He is the author and editor of numerous titles such as Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories. His book once upon a twin: poems was chosen as a U.P. Notable Book for 2021. He resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota
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