Sky

Children's Literature

Georgia's family loses everything in a flash flood that occurs when the dam in Birch Creek, Montana is washed out. Georgia and her grandparents, Paw Paw and Gramma, stay with relatives. When they return to their land on the edge of the Blackfeet Reservation to survey the damage, Georgia finds a colt that has somehow survived the flood. She names him Sky, and Georgia's efforts to tame and train the colt mirror the family's efforts to rebuild their homestead. In this first person narrative, Georgia's voice is interrupted by the author's. Information about prejudice against the Indians of the Blackfeet Reservation is included in the tale of a girl and the horse who survive a real life tragedy. Realistic black and white drawings complement the text. This story is based on the 1964 flood in Montana, and in an author's note at the end, the reader learns that the story of Sky and Georgia is based on the true story of Georgia Salois Phillips. 2004, Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre, Ages 9 to 12.
—Mary Loftus

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-This simple tale elegantly showcases a girl's story of triumph over adversity. Georgia Salois, 11, lives with her grandparents in 1964 Montana, near a Blackfeet Reservation. After a spring of record rainfalls, a local dam bursts and a flood completely destroys the family's house and barn. Miraculously, the girl and her grandparents escape with their lives, car, and a few meager belongings. They stay in a shelter and with Georgia's uncle until they can find a new home. While searching through the wreckage of their old homestead, Georgia discovers a foal that survived the flood, adopts her, and names her Sky. As the family struggles to put their lives back together, she learns that caring for the animal can be a form of healing, too. Georgia tells her story in a straightforward manner. None of the harshness of her life is diminished, from the extent of the flooding to her difficulties in school to the prejudice the family experiences because of their Indian heritage. Lovely black-and-white illustrations bring the characters and events to life and add to the book's charm. For those interested in history or just a good story, this will fit the bill.-Kristen Oravec, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Strongsville, OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.