The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls

*Signed Bookplate*

A middle-grade novel by James Bird about a boy sent to his Ojibwe family to straighten out his life.

Benjamin Waterfalls comes from a broken home, and the quickest fix hes found for his life is to fill that emptiness with stuff he steals and then sells. But hes been caught one too many times, and when he appears before a tough judge, his mother proposes sending him to boot camp at the Ojibwe reservation where they used to live.

Soon he is on his way to Grand Portage, Minnesota, to live with his father the man Benny hasnt seen in years. Not only is boot camp not what he expects, but his rehabilitation seems to be in the hands of the tribal leaders daughter, who wears a mask. Why? Finding the answer to this and so many other questions prove tougher than any military-style boot camp.

Will the answers be enough for Benny to turn his life around and embrace his second chance?

“An amazing debut full of heart, authenticity, and courage.” School Library Journal,starred review