''Queer Person'' is a

children's novel Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

Ralph Hubbard Ralph "Doc" Hubbard (June 22, 1886 – November 14, 1980) was involved in promoting and preserving Native American culture. He wrote two children's novels with Native American settings, ''Queer Person'' (1930) and ''The Wolf Song'' (1935). Hubba ...

. It tells the story of a

deaf-mute Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was either deaf and used sign language or both deaf and could not speak. The term continues to be used to refer to deaf people who cannot speak an oral language or have som ...

boy who is raised among the

Pikuni The Piikani Nation (, formerly the Peigan Nation) ( bla, Piikáni) is a First Nation (or an Indian band as defined by the '' Indian Act''), representing the Indigenous people in Canada known as the Northern Piikani ( bla, script=Latn, Aapátohsip ...

. The novel, illustrated by

Harold von Schmidt Harold von Schmidt (May 19, 1893 – June 3, 1982) was an American illustrator, who specialized in magazine interior illustrations. Early life Born in Alameda, California in 1893, he was orphaned at the age of five. After a year in an orphanage ...

, was first published in 1930 and was a

Newbery Honor Newbery is a surname. People *Chantelle Newbery (born 1977), Australian Olympic diver *David Newbery (born 1943), British economist *Eduardo Newbery (1878–1908), Argentine odontologist and aerostat pilot *Francis Newbery (disambiguation), seve ...

recipient in 1931.

Plot summary

When a lost four-year-old deaf-mute wanders into a Pikuni camp he is shunned by them as marked by evil spirits. They give him the name "Queer Person". An old medicine woman takes him in and raises him. She predicts greatness for him and ensures he is worthy of it. During his test of bravery as an adolescent, he rescues the chief's son. He wins the heart of the chief's daughter and eventually becomes a leader of the tribe.

References

1930 American novels American children's novels Newbery Honor-winning works Novels set in Montana 1930 children's books Children's books set in Montana Novels about Native Americans Children's books about Native Americans {{1930s-child-novel-stub