SuitabookHome and displacement
Gregory leaves the Navajo reservation, the only home he has known, and moves with his family to Tucson accommodation.
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Book details
Carolyn Marsden - Author
A tender story about upheaval, belonging and hope, centred on Gregory’s move away from home. School, art and an unexpectedly direct friendship offer points of connection as he faces difficult parts of his past.
Eleven-year-old Gregory and his family had to leave the Navajo reservation at Bird Springs—the only home they've ever known—and move to a motel in Tucson, Arizona. Gregory misses his absent father, but he likes school, particularly art class with the kind teacher. He also makes a new friend, Matt, who promptly informs him art class is really art therapy and that Gregory is staying in a shelter, not a motel. Even though Matt can be outspoken, he's just what Gregory needs now. He's honest and generous with his allowance so they can ride the Ferris wheel at the carnival.Award-winning author Carolyn Marsden paints a poignant story of a little boy who, as he confronts the more painful aspects of his past, is filled with a sense of hope.
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Sign in for personalised guidanceA tender story about upheaval, belonging and hope, centred on Gregory’s move away from home. School, art and an unexpectedly direct friendship offer points of connection as he faces difficult parts of his past.
Gregory leaves the Navajo reservation, the only home he has known, and moves with his family to Tucson accommodation.
Matt becomes Gregory’s new friend, speaks openly about Gregory’s circumstances and shares his allowance for a carnival outing.
Gregory confronts painful aspects of his past and is described as developing a sense of hope.
Gregory’s absent father, housing uncertainty and painful past may carry emotional weight. The book also includes a shelter, a family move and a friendship that may merit gentle discussion.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the current material supports only a cautious reading; another book-specific source is still needed.
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Anything not established here remains open; it is not being treated as absent or safe.