Healer of the Water Monster audiobook

I am delighted to recommend Brian Young's Healer of the Water Monster. Below, I will share some of the reasons why I think you should have this book on your school library shelf, and in your classroom library, and in your home library. If there's a Little Free Library in your neighborhood, get one for it, too! And if you're on a road trip, get a copy of the audio version. It is terrific! To start, let's look at the book description:When Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he’s in for a pretty uneventful summer, with no electricity or cell service. Still, he loves spending time with Nali and with his uncle Jet, though it’s clear when Jet arrives that he brings his problems with him.One night, while lost in the nearby desert, Nathan finds someone extraordinary: a Holy Being from the Navajo Creation Story—a Water Monster—in need of help.Now Nathan must summon all his courage to save his new friend. With the help of other Navajo Holy Beings, Nathan is determined to save the Water Monster, and to support Uncle Jet in healing from his own pain.Now, here are some of the reasons I highly recommend Healer of the Water Monster:#DinéVoiceBrian Young is Diné (Navajo). Whether you're an adult or child--but especially if you are a teacher--I suggest you begin with the Author's Note that starts on page 352. People who have attended my workshops or lectures know that I am deeply committed to Native writers. When teachers use their books in the classroom, they can say something like "We're going to start reading Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young. Brian is Diné." That last sentence in my scenario is what I want you to look closely at! Specifically, think about the word "is" in "Brian is Diné." A three-word sentence, with a powerful two-letter word. Those two letters push against the thousands of times students have heard past tense references to Native people. It tells students that we are still here. A teacher could then pull up the website for the Navajo Nation and say "Here is the website for the Navajo Nation." Of course, that's another use of present tense verbs but it also tells students that we use technology--that our nations have websites! I smiled as I read the early passages of Healer of the Water Monster when Nathan is trying to use his cell phone at his grandmother's home. When we do workshops with teachers, we ask teachers to become familiar with present-day life of the tribal nation in a given book. With his Author's Note, you learn that the Navajo people and their homelands have been exploited by the uranium industry, and that the mine in Healer of the Water Monster is an actual mine. The area of that mine remains radioactive, today. Brian's note also talks about coal mining and its devastation to Navajo homelands. Another dimension of Native life that Brian addresses is exploitation and misuse of Native stories. Some stories, he writes, are told during specific times. There are some beings within his own nation's spirituality that "cannot be replicated in drawings, writings, or films. Merely saying the names of certain Holy Beings outside of their ceremonial circumstance could diminish their healing abilities." He has more to say about that. It is a tremendous opportunity for teachers to think about respect of spiritualities different from their own. He knows of what he writes! That is what a tribally-specific voice can do that another one cannot. Indigenous LanguageIn spite of efforts to destroy who we are, our Native languages have persisted. There are revitalization efforts, everywhere, with elders leading the way in teaching our languages to our tribal members. When you read this book, you'll see Nathan's grandmother is teaching him their language. In real life and in this book, language revitalization is so exciting! In Healer of the Water Monster, each chapter opens with the Diné word for the number of the chapter. I love seeing Young using his language in that way! His book has thirty-three chapters. Each one opens with the Diné word on top and the English one beneath it. As you read through the book you'll see many Navajo words. Notice: none of them are in italics! Recently, the use of italics for non-English words is decreasing. That's a plus for all of us (to understand why this is an important shift in publishing, make time to watch Daniel Jose Older's video, Why We Don't Use Italics).In the author's note for Healer of the Water Monster there's an excellent note about Young's thought process regarding a glossary of the words he uses in the book. It prompts readers everywhere to think about seemingly innocuous things, like glossaries. Young's use of Diné for chapter headings is terrific! I can see Diné language teachers--especially ones who have Navajo children in their classrooms--using this book to demonstrate that their language matters, and then of course, assigning the book to their students because the story itself is so good! The storyCalling Young's story "soooo good", Dr. Jennifer Denetdale (she's Navajo, too, and a professor at the University of New Mexico) went on to say:It dawns on me that a marker of Indigenous fiction is how a writer centers the Indigenous/Diné world where the non-Indian worlds are peripheral and only appear at the edges, though the characters must grapple with what colonialism brings. She also said:This book celebrates a Diné sensibility of a world radiant with living beings that most of us are not aware.I often say that reviews by someone who is of the same tribal nation a book is about are the ones that matter, most of all. They know their tribal nation and its culture and history in ways that others won't know it. Dr. Denetdale's comment was on June 6, 2021 on her Facebook page (I am sharing it with her permission). I'll be thinking about what she said the next time I read Healer of the Water Monster. In what ways is the non-Indian world peripheral to the story Young has created? I definitely felt the radiance of a world that has living beings that some are not aware of... and I liked that radiance, very much! There are small passages that sparkle, too. I noticed, for example, the exchange between Nathan and a water monster who asked Nathan to tell her about her river (p. 308):"River?" Nathan was confused. There were so many rivers. "You might know it by the name the pale people forced upon it. The San Juan River," the water monster said. "But its original name, my name, is Yitoo Bi'aanii."Across the country, Native peoples have our own names for rivers and mountains and, well, the land. In that relatively small way, Brian Young reminds us that we are the original peoples of these lands. To some readers, this may pass unnoticed, but to others, they'll feel an immense pride as they read passages like that one.Closing ThoughtsI'm pleased that Healer of the Water Monster received starred reviews from mainstream review journals! Those stars mean librarians will purchase the books for their libraries. When you book talk it, consider drawing attention to the cover art. I am currently researching and writing a "Milestones" post that notes the first this-or-that in books by Native writers. I think this is the first book for middle grade readers that is written by a Navajo writer and illustrated by a Navajo artist. That artist is Shonto Begay. If you don't already do so, follow him on Facebook. There, he shares art from time to time. I am especially blown away by his Etch a Sketch art. Like I said earlier, I highly recommend Brian Young's book. Ask for it at your local library and bookstore. Visibility is of utmost importance, and books like this one deserve warm spotlights, everywhere.

I'm blown away! This was such a gorgeous middle-grade story told with so much love and tenderness. Healer of the Water Monster will definitely stay with me forever. - Follows Nathan, a Navajo boy who stays with his Nani (grandmother) for the summer while his dad goes to Vegas with his new girlfriend and his mum is documenting pipeline protests. When Nathan meets a Water Monster, a Holy Being, he seeks Nathan's help... and it'll be up to Nathan to save his new friend.- I loved that the story explores friendship, even with the most unlikeliest of beings, and bravery. There's also this heartfelt subplot about Nathan's uncle who is a war veteran who has PTSD, and it explores the hard road of recovery.- I loved how Navajo culture was interwoven seamlessly and effortlessly - ranging Navajo science and agriculture to meeting the beings of Navajo mythology - immersing us into Nathan and his Nani's world.- Gosh, there were so many funny moments too! Nathan receives a pendant that allows him to speak to animals and Holy Beings, and there's a hilarious scene when Nathan helps a family of spiders! - Again, I think this book is told with just so much love. Reading this story felt like such a warm and comforting experience, even when it tackles some challenging stuff. Content warning: (adult) alcohol consumption, depressive episode, suicidal ideation (not explicit, implied)

Nathan insists on spending his summer with his grandmother at her summer mobile home, even if it means two months without electricity or running water-- anything to not spend time with his dad's new girlfriend. There's not much to do until he notices a strange horned toad stealing corn seeds from his new garden. What sort of horned toad walks on two legs donning turquoise jewelry? What Nathan discovers is more than he could have ever expected-- a real water monster, whose illness has prevented rainfall for thirty years. It's up to Nathan to venture to the Third World for a cure, with assistance from the Holy Beings, who in turn promise to help heal his Uncle Jet. Young has crafted a beautiful, heartfelt story of family and healing based upon Navajo teachings. Healer of the Water Monster is a stunning and powerful debut novel!

This is an immersive story of a Navajo boy who spends the summer with his Grandmother on the Navajo reservation. This story intertwines the life of a modern day kid with a Navajo Creation story, sending Nathan on an exciting adventure through his heritage in order to save the Water Monster and heal modern day wounds. Honestly I cannot believe this is a debut. The story is so immersive. He seamlessly and flawlessly inserts the Navajo language and ancestral beliefs into a modern timeline. This was done so beautifully. And the audio narration was stellar. This book needs to be in every 3rd - 5th grade classroom library. Absolutely phenomenal. Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, Depression, PTSD, Suicidal Ideation

I am totally blown away by this book! I am still wiping away the tears from reading this story. It’s a tender story of a family dealing with mental health issues, combined with the beautiful creative story of the holy beings. As a Diné woman in my 40s, I would’ve loved to have had this book available to me when I was a young reader looking for myself in the books in the library. I’m glad I can share this story with my family and young relatives.

I don't often cry while reading, but this book made me weep. Beautifully and lovingly told, it is funny, thoughtful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. At its surface a quest story, Healer of the Water Monster accessibly introduces painful topics including colonialism, poverty, climate change, PTSD, alcoholism, divorce... yet it does so with such skill that I found myself absorbing its meaning as I eagerly finished each new chapter. Our hero Nathan is Navajo boy given the responsibility of saving two characters: his friend Pond, a water monster with the power to heal a drought-stricken land, and his uncle Jet, a former soldier who is the victim of a dark spirit. Along the way we meet wonderfully crafted characters, my favorites being his grandmother, the spiders who live in his woodpile, and a neighborly healer. So many children will find something to relate to in this story. It has the power to ease burdens and soothe wounds.

Oh, this was fantastic. I already liked it near the beginning, but by the end, with how the character development and worldbuilding and themes came together, I really really loved it.I love the focus on Navajo religion and culture, there were some beautiful and poignant moments as well as humor, and the themes and ideas are strong without being overexplained - Young trusts his audience the perfect amount.And a special mention to Shaun Taylor-Corbett as the narrator! it was such a treat to listen to the Navajo words by a narrator who clearly knows what he's doing, and I love the character voices he did so much. Truly one of my favorite narrations, and y'all know I'm a hard sell on audiobooks!Also, if you're someone who sometimes skips the author's note, I strongly recommend not skipping this one!CW: Animal death, alcoholism, PTSD, fatphobia

Very good book to jump into if you enjoy fantasy

Healer of the Water Monster felt more like an absorption than a read. Young’s details awakened the narrative so much that I felt surrounded by images and beauty and the very beginning of new understandings. I laughed. I cried. I finished with dried tears on my face. Nathan is the every day hero I hope all young people aspire to be: kind, brave, insightful. He is both bound by love and by duty to that love. He is both protector and needs to be protected. He both teaches and learns. He is at once empathic and scientific. Secondary characters, both human and from Navajo traditional tales, are sharp, at times riotously funny, and compassionate. The metaphors are stunningly beautiful and heartbreaking. The privilege of reading this tale is mine alone. I have yet to have the opportunity to teach students of an Indigenous culture. Yet, I know that opportunity will come and, when it does, this is the book I will gently place in their hands in the hope that they’ll connect a bit more to their history if they haven’t already. Moreover, this book is a window (Sims Bishop) into a culture that, for so many more of my students, is misunderstood. Finally, the author’s note and glossary should be required reading for anyone who reads Healer of the Water Monster. I appreciated Young’s statement regarding cultural appropriation and hope it is heeded by white people and other non-Native races. I look forward to adding Healer of the Water Monster when it comes out this spring, and I’m excited to read more from this #ownvoices author.

When Nathan goes to spend his summer with his grandma on the Navajo reservation, he doesn't expect to meet a Holy Being from the stories he's heard all his life. He certainly doesn't think he'll be sent on an epic quest to save one.

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Far out!!! I absolutely adored this book. It had everything, and in perfect balance. Nathan was at the exact right spot between relatable and aspirational. I loved his relationship with Nali, and am so grateful to Brian Young for writing an absolutely radical relationship between Nathan and his uncle Jet. It blew my mind, first of all that Jet's PTSD and alcoholism was treated with such compassion. Jet did some things that would make him the villain in a lot of books, but this book never let the reader see Jet as the monster. I was also amazed to see the discussion about traditional healing and ceremonies being complementary to medical establishment help. I'm so happy that kids reading this will get a story that validates tradition without negating some of the ways the medical establishment can still be necessary, and that they will be given a much more compassionate framework for viewing their loved ones who are struggling and acting out. So many kids need all of those special touches Young gave this story.And what a story! An epic quest that will garner lots of comparisons to Rick Riordan and RR Presents, and while lots of fans of fantasy and magic will be just as into this story, to me it feels a bit off calling it magic. It feels closer than that. I think Young walked a really delicate line with Diné traditions and spirituality, showing you can be respectful and still tell a real banger of a story. I really appreciated all the notes in the back!Highly highly recommended to kids who like epic quest stories.

Despite this being a first novel, I think Young already has a great handle on balancing lightheartedness with more serious, tense moments and topics. This mix of fun and tension, fantasy and reality, is key to winning a young reader's heart. More than anything, though, I found myself drawn to Nathan's unrepentant tenderness. He's not without resentment and flaws, but the fact that he chooses forgiveness over and over, and that makes him read as a genuinely heroic character.