Red Bird Danced

An American Indian Youth Literature Award Honoree With lyrical verse and powerful emotion, Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe) tells the story of urban Native kids who find strength in connection with those who came before and in the hope that lets them take flight.

Ariel and Tomah have lived in the city’s intertribal housing complex all their lives. But for both of them, this Dagwaagin (Autumn) season is different than any before.

From his bench outside the front door of his building, Tomah watches his community move around him. He is better at making people laugh than he is at schoolwork, but often it feels like his neighbor Ariel is the only one who really sees him, even in her sadness.

Ariel has always danced ballet because of her Auntie Bineshiinh and loves the way dance makes her feet hover above the ground like a bird. But ever since Auntie went missing, Ariel’s dancing doesn’t feel like flying.

As the seasons change and the cold of winter gives way to spring’s promise, Ariel and Tomah begin to change too as they learn to share the rhythms and stories they carry within themselves.

This first middle grade novel by Dawn Quigley is a tour de force. She is known for her American Indian Youth Literature Award–winning Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series and young adult novel Apple in the Middle.

Give Red Bird Danced to readers who love Jasmine Warga and Christine Day!

As Ariel confronts an unthinkable tragedy and Tomah faces his own hidden fears, can they find a way to heal themselves and their community?

• A Powerful #MMIW Story for Young Readers: When Ariel’s beloved Auntie Bineshiinh goes missing, she must navigate her grief and find her own voice to advocate for justice.
• Healing Through Jingle Dress Dancing: Ariel trades her ballet shoes for the healing power of jingle dress dancing, discovering a new way to connect with her ancestors and her community.
• A Storyteller Who Struggles to Read: Tomah hides his reading disability behind jokes, but his true strength lies in the stories he carries and his quiet watchfulness over his friends.
• The Strength of Friendship and Community: Set in a vibrant urban Intertribal Housing Complex, this novel celebrates the power of found family and the friends who see you for who you truly are.