The Education of Little Tree. Forrest Carter. 1976, 1986, 1991.

Book Review by Jane
This book was recommended by a friend at work who is an avid book reader and who apparently knows a good book when she reads one. It was read by the book club, with some members claiming this to be the best selection to date. We finished this book in one meeting; everyone delighted in the ease with which this book read. Those of us with older children recommended the book to them.

Little Tree and his family are precious sweethearts who share the experience of Cherokee life during the Great Depression. By the time Little Tree was five or so, he had lost both his parents. His Cherokee grandparents brought him into their Smoky Mountain home and taught him not only how to read and write, but the intricate realities of the balance of nature and human values that are often overlooked in youngsters' upbringings.

The Education of Little Tree brought about a close look at values in everyday matters of living, as well as big matters, such as bigotry and grief. This book confronts a type of prejudice that was unthinkably directed towards a small child at an orphanage. Forrest Carter writes with a style as a child looking through some heavy glasses, often bringing lots of humor to this valuable autobiographical story. Many reviews of this book are positive and even acclaim this book as no less than a classic. It won an Abby Award Book of the Year. It is definitely worth purchasing a copy for future rereading.

There are many strange claims about Forrest Carter on the Internet. Some claim he was a drunken racist. I am not sure I can believe these claims after reading this book. I would like to find an accurate depiction of his life; often, the Internet does not provide the most reliable information. There are also claims that this story may not be an autobiography, but rather fiction.