The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls

February 15, 2022
Grades 5-8 After 13-year-old Benny's arrest for shoplifting, his mom makes a deal with the judge to send him to his father, who she hopes can turn Benny's life around by putting him through Native boot camp, an Ojibwe form of rehabilitation. No drill sergeants or work details emerge, however; instead Benny finds himself trailing along with Niimi, the 12-year-old daughter of the local chief, as she helps community members to mend the errors in their ways. Benny is predictably resistant to both Niimi's techniques and his father's new family, which includes stepmother Wendy and her son, George. Bird's strengths include his multidimensional characters (each of whom has flaws that they struggle to overcome) as well as the vivid descriptions of Grand Portage, Minnesota, home of the Gitchi Onigaming Ojibwe. Of equal importance is the more understated message that Indigenous ways of knowing and approaches to problems can be extremely effective, despite the dominant culture's insistence on discounting them. While parts of the ending feel a bit pat, Benny's progress is heartening and sure to encourage readers.

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April 25, 2022
Thirteen-year-old Ojibwe Benjamin Waterfalls excels at shoplifting and justifies his myriad offenses by citing the usurping of Native lands (“This is America. Everybody steals. This country was founded on theft”). When a judge sentences him to juvenile detention, though, his mother suggests an alternate punishment: sending Ben to the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, three hours north of their home in Duluth, Minn. There, he will spend time with his father, whom he despises, and stepfamily, while attending an Ojibwe “boot camp” led by the chief’s 12-year-old daughter Niimi Waatese, who wears a mask over her eyes. As Ben struggles through the camp’s regimen, he must reconcile the thrill of stealing with the growing awareness that his actions affect others, and that this may be his last chance to “find the right path home.” While a too-neat ending undercuts the book’s emotional resonance, Ben’s voice is snappy and captivating, and Bird (The Brave), who is Ojibwe, delivers an uplifting narrative that demonstrates how returning to one’s roots can have transformative power. Select chapters open with an Ojibwe word or phrase; Native customs and traditions feature throughout. Ages 10–14. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

November 4, 2022

Gr 5 Up-Benjamin Waterfalls is used to being in trouble, but when his most recent shoplifting lands him a sentence in 'boot camp' with his Ojibwe family, it turns out to be so much more than he's expecting. Not only does he find himself required to live with his dad who left Benjamin behind years ago, he's also forced to help the Chief's mysterious daughter teach people how to be their best selves. Will Benjamin find his own way, or is everything just an elaborate trick to embarrass him for his actions? Set in modern-day Grand Portage, MN, this realistic fictional tale of redemption and retribution leans heavily on Ojibwe traditions to find family healing. VERDICT A heartfelt, endearing, and inspiring story of second chances and first steps toward greatness. Recommended for purchase.-Emily Beasley

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