Apple (Skin to the Core)

Apple (Skin to the Core) is a critically acclaimed poetic memoir by Eric Gansworth, an enrolled member of the Onondaga Nation. Written in a mix of verse, prose, and original art, the book explores Gansworth's life, his family's history among the Tuscarora Nation, and the profound impact of government boarding schools on Native communities. The title directly addresses the slur 'apple' (red on the outside, white on the inside), which Gansworth powerfully reclaims as he grapples with his identity, his artistic aspirations, and what it means to balance multiple worlds. This book is ideal for young adults aged 12-18, offering a deeply personal and educational journey into Indigenous experiences, resilience, and the complexities of cultural belonging.

NOW IN PAPERBACK! WINNER, AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD HONOR, MICHAL L. PRINTZ AWARD LONGLIST, NATIONAL BOOK AWARD TIME 10 Best YA and Children's Books of the Year NPR Best of the Year Shelf Awareness Best of the Year Publishers Weekly Big Indie Books of Fall Amazon Best Book of the Month American Indians in Youth Literature Best of the Year CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Books of the Year "Stirring.. Raw and moving."--TIME "Beautiful imagery and with words that soar and scald."--The Buffalo News "Easily one of the best books to be published in 2020. The kind of book bound to save lives."--LitHub "A powerful narrative about identity and belonging."--Paste Magazine ★ "Timely and important."--Booklist (starred) ★ "Searing yet dryly funny."--The Bulletin (starred) ★ "Exceptional."--Shelf-Awareness (starred) ★ "Captivating."--School Library Journal (starred) The term "Apple" is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for someone supposedly "red on the outside, white on the inside." In Apple (Skin to the Core), Eric Gansworth tells his story, the story of his family--of Onondaga among Tuscaroras--of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young man fighting to be an artist who balances multiple worlds. Eric shatters that slur and reclaims it in verse and prose and imagery that truly lives up to the word heartbreaking.