Charlie's Raven Book

You might think I've fallen into a slough of despond and am just going for an easy read.
Wrong, although it IS an easy read, Jean Craighead George's books always come loaded for bear.

Charlie is a young (13ish) American Indian boy who spends his summers with his grandparents out in the boonies. His ailing grandfather, a retired naturalist, begins to teach Charlie about ravens when Charlie commits the sin of stealing a hatchling from a nest.

While Grandpa and Charlie are also teaching US about ravens (actually really fascinating), we learn about the ways a contemporary American Indian family manages to blend western life while adhering to the important tribal relationships and rituals..

The story itself is nicely paced, engaging, quite full of clues (to a child) as to how to learn new things (as well as to be a helpful young person in a household), a good rainy-afternoon read as well as a great read-aloud to a sophisticated younger child (or a friend or spouse). And not didactic.