Medicine Wheels by Byron Graves
on June 2, 2026
ISBN: 0063160420
Genres: Cultural / Indigenous, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

“Medicine Wheels” is a young adult realistic fiction novel by Byron Graves (Ojibwe and Lakota) about Bryce, an Ojibwe teenager who is dealing with the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent incarceration for drug possession. He is staying on the Reservation with his grandparents in his father’s old room and reconnects with old friends while learning how to skateboard. Graves does an excellent job at making the reader feel invested in the story. The characters are interesting and believable and readers will also learn a lot about issues that Indigenous people face. This is a must-buy for YA fiction collections.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.