Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War

Gr 5–7—Frost's novel in verse examines the relationship between settlers and members of the Myaamia tribe just before the War of 1812 in what is now Fort Wayne, IN. Told through the experiences of two 12-year-old boys, the story explores friendship, loyalty, and fear of the other from both boys' perspectives. While the narration by Tom Picasso and Michael Bakkensen, who voice James and Anikwa, respectively, is excellent, the audio format does not serve the work especially well. The front matter includes a long list of characters, which is hard to follow when read. The story is told in the boys' alternating voices; in print, this conversation takes place on facing pages, each with a distinctive design. James's text is long and narrow like the stripes of an American flag, while Anikwa's zigzag poems suggest Myaamia ribbon work. Unfortunately, this visual enhancement and the author's notes about form are absent from the audiobook. For this reason, consider shelving audio and print together, and provide information about the Myaamia Community History blog (ow.ly/GWchV), where students can access Salt FAQ's for historical background from the Myaamia perspective.