This is a powerful and poignant story of a small boy and two cultures. Little Tree is an orphan who is taken in by his Granpa and Granma. Granma is Cherokee. They live in the mountains of eastern Tennessee in the 30's. They teach Little Tree the Cherokee Way-gentleness, responsibility, pride, how to hunt and to hunt only what he needs; how to respect the land, trees, weather, animals and birds. He learns respect for reading, thinking and the elders.

In addition, he learns how to run an illegal still and make whiskey. Granpa firmly believes that to survive in this world one must have a trade. Granpa is proud of his trade even though he knows the objections to it. Finally, Little Tree learns how to survive in a residential school long enough to escape. There is pain, racism, ignorance and hardship, but the story has a realistic and happy ending.

The book is 216 pages; too long for all but independent readers to tackle on their own. Also students find it difficult to read out loud because of the use of dialect and incorrect grammar.

The Education of Little Tree is best read to, or with, students in order to deal with misunderstandings caused by colloquial language. More importantly, the instructor can then discuss the racism and cruelty of the residential system and support students who may need to do personal healing work because of experience with the residential school system.

The book was originally thought to be a true story and when this was found to be untrue the publishers were concerned. They decided that because Forrest Carter is part Cherokee and the Cherokee people continue to hold this book in high regard, they will continue to publish it. This is our good fortune.