Little Brother is a young Tennessee Cherokee who is frustrated he has not performed a brave deed to earn his permanent name. Life just gets worse as he tries to be brave, do any feat which would earn a "good" name. Readers, mainly children, learn about Cherokee life in fascinatng detail. Cherokees used to use turkey feathers as towels, sopapilla plants for soap, enjoyed games we play today such as lacrosse. Children learn about foods and their preparation, how families back then were like our families today, and aspects of Cherokee culture and religion and their deep respect for the Earth. As a teacher, I use Tenase Brave as a thematic base for about a month's teaching in 3rd grade -- tieing in math, science, language, and Native American studies. Culmination of the unit is on or near Thanksgiving. The author is elderly, but lives nearby in Smyrna, Tennessee, and is extremely sharp and lively. She often visits schools who are fortunate enough to find and use her book. Children love to be read to, and this book is written in a format that lends itself of storytelling. It has humor, high adventure and is a fascinatingly well written little book. I highly recommend it.