Content report card
Two Roads parent’s guide: what’s inside
Violence
Language
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
A note for parents
Two Roads is a historically grounded coming-of-age novel set during the Great Depression that explores Native American identity and resilience. While it addresses the difficult realities of government boarding schools and economic hardship, the tone remains hopeful and focuses on friendship, cultural discovery, and personal strength. The book is age-appropriate for middle-grade readers interested in history and identity, though some children may find the institutional setting and separation themes emotionally heavy.
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From the publisher
A boy discovers his Native American heritage in this Depression-era tale of identity and friendship by the author of Code Talker. "Cal's cleareyed first-person narration drives the novel. Meticulously honest, generous, autonomous and true, he sees things for what they are rather than what he'd like them to be. The resu... A boy discovers his Native American heritage in this Depression-era tale of identity and friendship by the author of Code Talker. "Cal's cleareyed first-person narration drives the novel. Meticulously honest, generous, autonomous and true, he sees things for what they are rather than what he'd like them to be. The result is one of Bruchac's best books."—New York Times Book Review It's 1932, and twelve-year-old Cal Black and his Pop have been riding the rails for years after losing their farm in the Great Depression. Cal likes being a "knight of the road" with Pop, even if they're broke. But then Pop has to go to Washington, DC--some of his fellow veterans are marching for their government checks, and Pop wants to make sure he gets his due--and Cal can't go with him. So Pop tells Cal something he never knew before: Pop is actually a Creek Indian, which means Cal is too. And Pop has decided to send Cal to a government boarding school for Native Americans in Oklahoma called the Challagi School. At school, the other Creek boys quickly take Cal under their wings. Even in the harsh, miserable conditions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, he begins to learn about his people's history and heritage. He learns their language and customs. And most of all, he learns how to find strength in a group of friends who have nothing beyond each other.
Shelved under
- Juvenile Fiction
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ISBN 9780735228887 · Penguin