''Queer Person'' is a

children's novel Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

by Ralph Hubbard. 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 hearing impairment, deaf and muteness, could not speak. The term continues to be used to refer to deaf people who cannot speak ...

boy who is raised among the Pikuni. 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 The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

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 Blackfoot in popular culture {{1930s-child-novel-stub