Smiler's Bones

A striking novel based on the harrowing true story of Minik, an Eskimo boy who is seized from his tribe in 1897 Greenland by famed explorer Robert Peary, along with five other Eskimos, to be presented to the American Museum of Natural History.

About the Author :
Peter Lerangis is the author of The Sword Thief and The Viper's Nest, Books 3 and 7 in the bestselling multi-media adventure series The 39 Clues. He has written more than 150 books for young readers in many different genres. He's also a Broadway musical theater actor/singer, a marathon runner, and a father of two sons. He currently lives in New York City.

Review :
SLJ 6/1/05 Gr 5-8 -In 1897, arctic explorer Robert Peary took six Polar Eskimos to New York City to be part of a living exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. In a series of flashbacks, the youngest "specimen," eight-year-old Minik, tells the tale of his journey to New York and the fate of his father, Qisuk, called "Smiler." The wide-eyed boy experiences candy and circus visits, happily unaware that he is a curio for public display. When his father and three others die of pneumonia, the exhibit is closed and Uncle Will, a benevolent museum curator, becomes his new guardian. Chapters alternate between the naive young Minik and the mature teenager who has trouble coping with the bizarre circumstance of his youth and feelings of isolation. He is devastated to learn that he has been betrayed by Uncle Will, who has allowed Qisuk's skeleton to be macerated and kept in the museum as an artifact, rather than properly buried. The first-person point of view works well as Minik ages, and vivid dreams keep him tied to his family. By juxtaposing chapters, the depressed and cynical teen contrasts sharply with the innocent child brought up in a trusting Eskimo culture. Minik is an unforgettable character, and issues of racism and scientific arrogance will not be lost on readers.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, May 2005 (Vol. 39, No. 3)) The cover, featuring a small Inuit face peering out soberly, even fearfully, from a fur hood, is perfect for this tale based on the sad experiences of a real-life Inuit boy. In 1897, explorer Robert Peary brought back six Inuit from Greenland to New York City. Minik, who was about seven at the time, and his father, known as Smiler, were among them. Soon, however, four died of consumption, including Smiler, and one returned, leaving only young Minik. This novel opens in Quebec City in 1909, with a distraught 19-year-old Minik planning to commit suicide. We then flash back to his childhood in Gr