The Round House by Louise Erdrich

 The Roundhouse was such a great and fun read. I really enjoyed this book because it was an easy read and I can actually relate what I knew about Native Americans and their history to this book, especially because of the Pacific Northwest History class I’m currently in right now. This book was a great read for me because it covers such a heavy topic of rape, but Louise Erdrich keeps it light hearted with jokes and awkward moments of these 13-year-old boys growing up and experiencing changes of their emotions and of their bodies. I think Louise Erdrich really shows the true side affects of rape, not only to the victim, but family and friends and the community as well. I think Louise Erdrich also does a really great job of showing how life is still extremely hard for a modern Native American is, especially those living on a reservation close enough to the other white people.

I also think Joe is such a relatable character as well because Joe is a goofy, awkward, 13-year-old boy who has genuine feelings and is attracted to pretty women, but he also likes to goof around and get into mischief with his friends. He also shows how true empathy towards his mom and dad, his friends and family, and especially toward Sonja. Since I think Joe is such a relatable character, I think this would be a really good read for certain high school students. I don’t think I would use this book for teaching, but I would recommend it to those who I think who are mature enough to handle the heavy content of this book. As a future teacher, I could definitely see myself recommending this book for a book club, or maybe for a personal project or book report.