Summary
Sharice listens to her heart to find her own path in this autobiographical book. She learns early that “the best way to learn about people is to listen to them.” Sharice wants to follow in her army sergeant mother’s footsteps and be “a person who serves others,” so she worked hard at everything to accomplish her goals. Deciding that government needed different voices, she ran for Congress and won, becoming one of the first Native women in Congress and the first lesbian to represent Kansas.
Theme(s):
perseverance, inclusion, and diversity
Personal Response
I really liked how the book portrayed Native American women achieving their dreams, which was something uncommon for the location and time period of this book. In addition, I thought it allows for others to have various perspectives and understand the idea that anybody can achieve anything they put their minds to, no matter how hard the obstacles we face can be.
Teaching Ideas
The students could engage in an individual activity where they will have the opportunity to express what their own personal goals and dreams are, just like how Sharice David accomplished her dreams. The students could also draw “what the dreams would look like” and “what the dreams would feel like” which gets them to dive deeper into their critical thinking abilities. Finally, they would be able to share with the class what they have considered as a dream for themselves.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03
