Illustrated by Robert Hynes. 32 p., Tilbury House, 1996.
When other kids call you names as an ethnic insult, sometimes you can reclaim the name in a positive way. Such is the case for Jeannie, who is of Native American and French descent. At her school there are two groups of kids. One group lives "uptown" in clean white houses and wear brand-new clothes. Jeannie belongs to the other group, who live in trailers and old cottages by the lake. When she tries to tell the "uptown" kids about the wonders of the lake, they respond using words like "dirty," "gross," and "crazy." They call Jeannie and her neighbors Lake Rats, which hurts her feelings. Jeannie confides in her Grampa, who uses a traditional Native American creation story to help her to see Lake Rats in a whole new way - as representing creative force. In a dream, she identifies with this creative force, an identification that her Grampa understands. Then she doesn't have to worry any more when kids call her a Lake Rat. Using the wisdom inherent in her culture and her Grampa's support, she has transformed and detoxified an insult.
Ages 4-7
Main character's cultural background: Native American
Cultural context: multicultural
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