Sees Behind Trees - by Michael Dorris (Paperback)

About the Book

By turns lyrical, wise, and funny, this compelling novel, set in 16th-century America, tells the story of how one Native American boy turns handicap into an advantage as he crosses the often blurred boundaries between being a child and becoming a man.

Book Synopsis

This beautiful coming-of-age story captures one young Powhatan boy's road to truly finding himself.

No matter how hard he tries, nearsighted Walnut just can't earn his adult name the way other boys do, by hitting a target with a bow and arrow. With his highly developed other senses, however, he shows he can "see what can't be seen" and earns a new name: Sees Behind Trees. But his special skill proves to be more important than he'd ever imagined when is invited to go on a journey to a mysterious land, a trek filled with unforeseen challenges and dangers.

Told with heart, this is a lyrical novel about an Indigenous boy searching for his place amongst his community.

★ "Set in 16th century America, this richly imagined and gorgeously written rite-of-passage story has the gravity of legend." --Booklist, starred

A School Library Journal Best Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book
A Book Links Best Book

Review Quotes

A School Library Journal Best Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Book
A Book Links Best Book

* "[An] eloquent, beautifully crafted coming-of-age...it's a thrilling read, with the pleasures compounding at every turn of the page."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "This richly imagined and gorgeously written rite-of-passage story has the gravity of legend."--Booklist, starred review

"With characters who are wholly believable yet true to their era...Dorris has captured the angst that is part of the invisible doorway between childhood and adulthood...The exquisitely crafted language remains so simple it can be enjoyed by middle-graders, while the brevity and adventure promise wide readership among...teenage readers."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Michael Dorris wrote several acclaimed and award-winning books for young readers and adults, including Guests, The Window, and Morning Girl, which received the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.