Roberta John

Author

Roberta John

Roberta John grew up on the Navajo Reservation and currently works in Window Rock, Arizona. In 1982, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University, and in 1987, a Master of Arts degree in Communications from Brigham Young University. She is the author of the children’s picture book, Proud to Be a Blacksheep.

Books by Roberta John

Proud to Be a Blacksheep

Curious, headstrong, and impatient, Shundeen is a young girl always in search of adventure. As the only Navajo in her school, and growing up away from the Navajo Reservation, Shundeen faces some difficult issues: she must retain her culture while surrounded by peers who don’t understand it.

Every summer, Shundeen leaves her home in the city and lives with her grandparents on the Navajo Reservation. Her days are spent herding sheep, exploring the countryside, and learning more about her culture. With her constant companion Frosty, a black sheep almost as curious as herself, Shundeen wanders a little bit farther from home each day.
Near the home of her grandparents are some dangerous, narrow canyons that quickly fill with water during storms. Shundeens grandparents have forbidden her to explore those canyons, but Shundeens curiosity overcomes her common sense.

When a day of adventure culminates in a terrifying accident, Shundeen discovers there is more to herself and to her clan than she had ever imagined.