Copyright © 2024 Linda Ahdieh Grant and Ceylan Isgor. All Rights Reserved.
This story is a work of fiction, inspired by and celebrating the life of Patricia Locke. While the characters and events are entirely imagined, they honor the spirit and contributions of Patricia Locke. Any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.
Cover illustration by Marty Two Bulls Sr.
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-7362220-4-1
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-7362220-5-8
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-7362220-6-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023924147
Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data
Names: Grant, Linda Ahdieh, and Locke, Kevin, authors.
Title: Patricia Locke & Me : Trailblazing a Path into Service / by Linda Ahdieh Grant & Kevin Locke.
Description: Includes bibliographical references. | Decatur, GA: One Heart Books, 2024.
Identifiers: LCCN: 2023924147 | ISBN: 978-1-7362220-4-1 (paperback) | 978-1-7362220-5-8 (hardcover) | 978-1-7362220-6-5 (ebook) | BISAC JUVENILE FICTION / Indigenous / Life Stories | JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Values & Virtues | JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Activism & Social
Patricia Locke & Me
TRAILBLAZING A PATH INTO SERVICE
Written by
Linda Ahdieh Grant & Kevin Locke
One Heart Books
Illustrated by
Marty Two Bulls Sr.
Khéya was curious. Her mom continued:
“When Patricia was a child, she went to a movie theater with her sister. The manager of the theater told them they were required to sit in the back of the room because they were Indian. They couldn’t see anything from the back because they were so small.”
Khéya’s dad continued: “When Patricia got home and told her parents about this, her mom went to talk with the manager at the movie theater and told him to never let this happen again.”
Khéya asked: “Did it work?” Her mom replied: “It did.”
She paused and then continued: “This was Patricia’s introduction to learning that our actions can impact the world around us.”
Hearing the story was Khéya’s introduction to the importance of courage. Khéya thought about this story every time she went to a movie and every time she had a choice about where to sit. In honor of her heroine, she always sat in the front, just like she had that day.
After hearing this story, she wanted to learn everything she could about Patricia Locke. Her parents had known Patricia Locke well. Khéya felt that she was the reason that her parents got married in the first place because they had met while at a tribal college that Patricia had founded.
As Khéya flipped to the next page, she saw a picture of herself carrying a stack of books. In the picture, Khéya was 6 years old and had just started first grade. The entire grade was challenged to read 100 books in one year.
Khéya decided she was going to try for 200.
A few days later, her mom shared another story about Patricia Locke.
She said: “Khéya, do you know that Patricia Locke also loved to read? She read every single book in the library, starting with the As and going all of the way to the Zs. When she finished, she did it all over again.”
Khéya thought this was incredible and decided to do the same thing!
Stories about Patricia Locke came up almost every day. Khéya felt Patricia Locke was a bonus parent for her and helped her to grow up. Going to a school named after Patricia Locke was the most exciting thing about moving back to South Dakota.
End of this sample.
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