He Who Dreams - Paperback

by Melanie Florence (Author)

Juggling soccer, school, friends and family leaves John with little time for anything else.

One day at the local community center, following the sound of drums, he stumbles into an Indigenous dance class. Before he knows what's happening, John finds himself stumbling through beginner classes with a bunch of little girls, skipping soccer practice and letting his other responsibilities slide. When he attends a powwow and witnesses a powerful performance, he realizes that he wants to be a dancer more than anything. But the nearest class for boys is at the Native Cultural Center in the city, and he still hasn't told his family or friends about his new passion. If he wants to dance, he will have to stop hiding. Between the mocking of his teammates and the hostility of the boys in his dance class, John must find a way to balance and embrace both the Irish and Cree sides of his heritage.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Author Biography

Melanie Florence is a writer of Cree and Scottish heritage based in Toronto. She was close to her grandfather as a child, a relationship that sparked her interest in writing about Indigenous themes and characters. She is the author of Dreaming in Color in the Orca Soundings line, Missing Nimâmâ (Clockwise Press), which won the 2016 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, and Stolen Words (Second Story Press), which won the 2018 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. She lives in Toronto.