BCTELA

Charras Coyle is a student at the South Surrey/White Rock Learning Centre.

Middle Row(Orca, 2008) is very much about racism and discrimination. The protagonist of the novel is Vince whose father dis- approves of his having a Native girlfriend and thinks he should “stick to his own kind” because “that’s the way it is.” The story takes place in a small town that has been separated into two different worlds: the white folks in their houses and the Natives on the Reserve. The two almost never mix, but when Vince and Raedawn start going out, the boundaries start to slip. The two set out on a journey (that is mostly Raedawn’s idea) to find Dune, a missing boy from school that no one really notices is gone.

This book also has a cautionary meaning that warns the reader about the dangers of getting involved with someone who grows or sells drugs. In this case, Vince, Raedawn and Dave are shot at while crawling around in a field of marijuana plants, outside of a house they know Dune and his mother are in. Growers will do anything to protect their crop, and for anyone who doesn’t already know that, it comes through in the book.

I feel like the title means a lot. You might not notice it at first, like me, but it is very significant. In the story all the First Nations children sit at the front of the school bus and all the white kids sit at the back. Raedawn and Vince are the only ones who sit together, in the middle row.

I am a grade 11 student and a very capable reader when I choose to be. Middle Rowis an easy read as well as a slightly predictable one. If I were to suggest this book to a teacher or student it would be for grades 6-9. Middle Rowis a quick, easy read. The text is clear and accessible to students. It opens discussion on discrimination. The book has an adolescent protagonist. The book has content on alcohol, marijuana and racisim.