The Education of Little Tree

Rating:
Summary: SIMPLY A FINE, FINE BOOK
Review: Stop worrying about whether this book is factual, what organizations the author may or may not have belonged to, and so on, and so on, and so on. It comes down to a very basic question: why do we read? At least part of the answer, in nearly every case, is because we love to read.
Only four pages into The Education of Little Tree, I looked at my wife and said, "This is going to be one of the best books I've ever read."
It was, and it remains so.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, one of my favorites.
Review: You will cry and laugh out loud without caring who is looking. This is one of my top ten favorite books of all time. It's not only about Native American life, but about good values in a world that refuses to let them exist. It could have just as easily been set in my town with my family, and it would have had the same impacting effect. I highly recommend it as a piece of some of the greatest literature of all time.

Rating:
Summary: The Education of Little Tree
Review: This is what I have to say about the book whick I read many times over the years in a condensed version for Reader's Digest. When my youngest son was 12 yrs old he wanted $ really bad. I told him to read this short story and the money was his. I watch him read, he would laugh, then cry...get angry and then smile warmly. When he finished reading the book, he refused the $ and now at almost 20 years old, he still goes back every now and then...to read it again...and that is all I have to say about it.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Disappointing
Review: I was amazed to see the high rankings given by others on this site. As I read the book, without knowing anything about the author, I found it to be racist. Carter's portrayal of the Native Americans is stereotypical (e.g., the idea of the "Noble Savage"). Even the fact that the narrative is written in first-person, and in dialect - complete with misspellings - lets the reader know that these are uneducated people. Carter even goes so far as to draw a comparison between the Native Americans who went into the mountains istead of taking the Trail of Tears and outlaws who lived there because they were on the run from the government. Because the racist sentiments in the book are not overt, anyone who chooses to read this book must be aware of what the author is doing. Certainly, this is not a good representative piece of multi-cultural literature, and I would not recommend The Education of Little Tree to anyone unless they were interested in studying racism and stereotyping in literature.

Rating:
Summary: Everyone has a heart underneath...
Review: I finished reading "The Education of Little Tree" yesterday and it is one of the best books I have ever read. Wanting to find out more about the author, well, unfortunately, I did. Now that I am done crying, I realize I have learned something. This book teaches us to understand and accept others and that their actions may not be what we percieve them to be when we don't understand what's behind them. Let's take the good and the beautiful into the future and leave the bad and ugly in the past. I'll take "Little Tree" with me forever.

Rating:
Summary: The True Meaning of Family and Friends
Review: The Education of Little Tree is an incrediable read that taught you so much of the Indian ways. It was told with a voce that seemed so proud and sincere. I very much enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to other people. It makes you think about the beautiful and wondrous nature that surrounds us, and the true meaning of family and friends.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoy this book!
Review: ...Maybe the author did have such leanings at one time in his life, but would we judge a man for the worst thing he did or the best? The man who wrote the song Amazing Grace was a slave trader who later gave up his profession. Have you ever heard anyone speak out against this hymn on account of its racist background? If you did, wouldn't you wonder about them just for a second before you went back to enjoying the music? Well, feel sorry for those who speak out against this warm story briefly then dive back in to the tale of Little Tree.

Rating:
Summary: If interested in Native culture, do not read this book
Review: Forrest Carter was a racist KKK extremist who manipulated the little knowledge he had on Native American life and culture, and sold it as a factual life story. Anyone who wants to learn true Native history should NOT read this book - especially teachers who use this book as a cultural tool for young children. Boycott this book and read something with credit and accuracy. Do not support a man who lied about who and what he was.

Rating:
Summary: Only for the saps
Review: Complete Dreck. If you want to read good American Indian fiction, this is not it. Try Sherman Alexi.

Rating:
Summary: Should be required reading.
Review: This book is being sold as an autobiography of the Forrest Carter. It isn't!The Cherokee is one of the First American People that I have studied. The Cherokee names for things does not match what I have learned.

However; this book IS a delightful peice of prose that will give you a look into the life of a poor mountain family in the Great Depression trying to make ends meet (including making illegal whiskey).

This story begins with the death of "Little Tree"'s mother when he was 5 years old, then going to live with his grandparents in the mountains.

The story of the way "Little Tree" and "granpa" tricked two "city slickers" that was wanting to talk to "granpa" about making illegal whiskey for them is worth the price of the book alone! then there are other wonderful stories here too.

I hope you enjoy the book; Two Bears.

Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)