Historical Fiction

Oolichan Moon is a beautifully illustrated children’s book about passing down traditional knowledge from Nisga'a Elders and the sacredness of traditional foods, particularly the oolichan fish.

Together, author Samantha Beynon and illustrator Lucy Trimble have created a children’s book rich with cultural knowledge and tradition that relates to their Nisga'a ancestry surrounding the oolichan fish.

With playful text and vibrant illustrations, young readers can learn alongside the two Nisga'a sisters as they are gifted with sacred knowledge from their Elders, passed down for many generations in the oral tradition.

A gorgeous celebration of Nisga'a language, history and culture, Oolichan Moon also includes historical and cultural information about the oolichan fish and related Nisga'a vocabulary.

Awards

• 2023 Indigenous Voices Awards Winner: Published Graphic Novels, Comics and Illustrated Books

Reviews
"Oolichan Moon is a wonderful story with such simple teachings for all of us. The oolichan were so important for many people of the rivers. The long winter is over, and Spring is here and so too the oolichans return to feed and provide for the people. Today, we still fish for the Oolichan but like most fish of the river their numbers are low. This story teaches all of us that we must only take what is needed and that we should always give something back. This is survival. This is the teaching." — Joseph Dandurand, storyteller and author of A Magical Sturgeon and The Sasquatch, the Fire

"Samantha Beynon and Lucy Trimble have created a beautiful, heart-warming story featuring a nutritious and iconic little fish of the Northwest Coast. Since time immemorial, oulachens have served as a food and esteemed condiment for the Nisga’a Peoples of the Nass Valley and for many other coastal First Nations from Alaska to the Columbia River. Through the delightful teachings of wise and kind grandparents, the granddaughters—and we, as readers—are able to learn about oulachens and their immense cultural value. We learn how and when they are caught, and how they are prepared, and especially how they are rendered into a nutrient-rich and highly valued oil. At the same time, we experience “history, laughter, and love,” and gain insights into the deep and lasting relationships that Indigenous Peoples have developed with the fish and other species of their homelands and how children and youth are taught about these profound connections. The illustrations are stunning." — Nancy Turner, Professor Emeritus, University of Victoria, and author of Plants of Haida Gwaii

“I had a little tear welling up in my eye as I thought how cool it will be for kids to be reading about part of their culture. This kind of story is long overdue and badly needed. I hope it is the first of many.” — Edward Desson, fisheries manager, Nisga’a Fisheries and Wildlife, Nisga’a Lisims Government

"Packed with traditional knowledge, family values and deep wisdom, this story instantly transports you to a timeless place! Like visiting with family, you can feel strength and warmth beaming from each page." — Lucky Budd, author of Peace Dancer and One Eagle Soaring

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 6.

This is the first book in the Sisters Learn Foods of the Elders series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 11.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover

“Elders say they were always here. The horses were small, but strong.”
“Like me?”
“Like you.”

As they await the birth of a new foal, a man teaches his grandchild about the Ojibwe Horses that used to roam the forests of northwestern Ontario. The horses once ran wild and free, but when Grandfather was a boy, they almost disappeared. Now he is the caretaker of his own small herd, keeping the breed alive for future generations and teaching his grandchild about the loving bond between human and animals.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is available in a dual-language format: Wiijibibamatoon Anangoonan/Runs with the Stars

Subjects: Character Education; Family & Friendship; History & Social Studies; Canadian History; First Nations & Indigenous Peoples; Science; Environmentalism; Conservation and stewardship; Reflecting Diversity

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Hardcover 

I don’t recall seeing books when I was a little boy. But the old people, they grew up listening to stories. And so, every night, when the old people were done their evening prayers, they would sit and they would tell us stories too.

At the time of the spring thaw, the Rocky Cree fill their canoes with furs, eager to trade with the new visitors in mistiwāsahak (Hudson Bay). But not all of the new visitors are welcome.

When the canoes return home to the shores of the misinipī river, the Rocky Cree begin to collapse one by one, drenched in sweat and slowly slipping into delirium. Kākakiw struggles to help the sick as more and more people pass into the spirit world. Exhausted physically, emotionally, and spiritually, he seeks guidance through prayer.

Hope finally comes with a visitor in the night: one of the Little People, small beings who are just like us. If Kākakiw can journey to their home, he will be given the medicine his people need. All he has to do is paddle through a cliff of solid bedrock to get there.

To save his people from certain death, Kākakiw must overcome doubt to follow the traditional teachings of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak and trust in the gift of the Little People.

In this illustrated short story for all ages, celebrated Rocky Cree storyteller William Dumas shares a teaching about hope in the face of adversity. This book is a companion story to The Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series.

Reviews
"A tale rich with warmth and wonder that not only documents traditions but carries them on." — David A. Robertson, author The Barren Grounds

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 11.

Reading Level: Lexile® Framework for Reading: 870L

This book is a companion story to The Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak series. This series is about the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak (Rocky Cree) of Northern Manitoba. Corresponding to the six seasons of sīkwan (spring), nīpin (summer), takwakin (fall), mikiskow (freeze-up), pipon (winter), and mithoskamin (break-up), the books explore the language, culture, knowledge, territory, and history of the 17th century Rocky Cree people through story and images. The groundbreaking series centres Indigenous ways of knowing and includes insights from a wide range of disciplines—cross-cultural education, history, archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, literature, oral culture and storytelling, experiential and community-based learning, and art.

Contains some Cree language/words, and a glossary of them.

Additional Information
48 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover

As they await the birth of a new foal, a man teaches his grandchild about the Ojibwe Horses that used to roam the forests of northwestern Ontario. The horses once ran wild and free, but when Grandfather was a boy, they almost disappeared. Now he is the caretaker of his own small herd, keeping the breed alive for future generations and teaching his grandchild about the loving bond between human and animals.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Translated by Kelvin Morrison.

This is the dual-language version of Runs with the Stars.

Subjects: Character Education; Family & Friendship; History & Social Studies; Canadian History; First Nations & Indigenous Peoples; Science; Environmentalism; Conservation and stewardship; Reflecting Diversity

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Hardcover 

Based on the true story of the author’s biological mother and aunt, this middle-grade novel traces the long and frightening journey of two Kaska Dena sisters as they are taken from their home to attend residential school.

When Maddy discovers an old photograph of two little girls in her grandmother’s belongings, she wants to know who they are. Nan reluctantly agrees to tell her the story, though she is unsure if Maddy is ready to hear it. The girls in the photo, Aggie and Mudgy, are two Kaska Dena sisters who lived many years ago in a remote village on the BC–Yukon border. Like countless Indigenous children, they were taken from their families at a young age to attend residential school, where they endured years of isolation and abuse.

As Nan tells the story, Maddy asks many questions about Aggie and Mudgy’s 1,600-kilometre journey by riverboat, mail truck, paddlewheeler, steamship, and train, from their home to Lejac Residential School in central BC. Nan patiently explains historical facts and geographical places of the story, helping Maddy understand Aggie and Mudgy’s transitional world. Unlike many books on this subject, this story focuses on the journey to residential school rather than the experience of attending the school itself. It offers a glimpse into the act of being physically uprooted and transported far away from loved ones. Aggie and Mudgy captures the breakdown of family by the forces of colonialism, but also celebrates the survival and perseverance of the descendants of residential school survivors to reestablish the bonds of family.

Awards

• City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize 2022

Educator Information
Middle-grade novel recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Additional Information
144 pages | 5.50" x 8.00" | Paperback

Do you know about the time that chocolate stopped? The time that KIDS gave up eating candy? Do you believe it?

This is a story about the coolest war in history. A war led by children and inspired by the candy bar. A war that began in the small Vancouver Island town of Ladysmith and travelled across Canada. A war that brought children and parents together in a war against price hikes on candy bars in 1947. A year that saw a group of children band together and boycott the chocolate bar. 

Educator & Series Information
Part of the Awkward+Awesome children’s book series celebrating unlikely heroes and inner weirdos.

A fun book for children and adults to teach both the power of history and working together.

Based on true events.

Additional Information
34 Pages | 8" x 8" | Paperback

On a journey to uncover her family’s story, Spotted Fawn travels through time and space to reclaim connection to ancestors, language, and the land in this essential graphic novel.  

In the dreamworld, she bears witness to a mountain of buffalo skulls, a ghostly monument to the slaughter of the buffalo—a key tactic to starve and contain the Indigenous People onto reservations.

Spotted Fawn must travel through her own family history to confront the harsh realities of the past and reignite her connection to her people and the land. Her darkroom becomes a portal, allowing her glimpses into the lives of her relatives. Guided by her ancestors, Spotted Fawn’s travels through the past allow her to come into full face—like the moon itself.

Adapted from the acclaimed stop-motion animated film of the same name, also by Strong, Four Faces of the Moon brings the history of the Michif, Cree, Nakoda, and Anishinaabe Peoples alive on the page.

Backmatter by Dr. Sherry Farrell Racette (Michif), an associate professor of Native Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Manitoba, provides information on Michif culture and history.

Awards

• 2023 Snow Willow Award, Saskatchewan, Young Readers' Choice Award
• 2022 Great Graphic Novels for Teens, YALSA

Reviews
“Worthwhile . . . and offers interesting perspectives on the search for Indigenous identity.” — CM Reviews, 03/05/21

“This is magnificent storytelling. This is Spotted Fawn magic.” —Richard Van Camp, author of Little You, and We Sang You Home

“Moving and intense . . . the graphic novel effectively portrays how Indigenous youth can reconnect to their ancestors through art, language, and cultural knowledge.”  — School Library Journal, 04/30/21

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+

Unique visuals: This is a groundbreaking project with stunning spreads adapted from award-winning stop-motion animation film of same name. Art is all manipulated and modified stills from the film, that itself uses elaborate sets and puppetry.

This is an #ownvoices story.  Amanda Strong is a member of the Michif Nation.

The book includes a note from the author. Strong did a lot of research about family and their involvement in historical events like the Red River Rebellion, discovering connections to personal and political history later in life. Additional resources at the end of the book by Dr. Sherry Farrell-Racette (Michif), an associate professor of Native Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Manitoba, provides information on Michif culture and history and the injustices of colonialism. Includes information on:
1. Moon – cycles, symbols, cultural ties
2. What is a Michif? What is a Métis
3. Historical events
4. Timeline

Additional Information
208 pages | 7.10" x 10.10" | Hardcover 

The dual-language edition, in English and Mi'gmaq, of the Silver Birch Express-nominated title, The Train.

Ashley meets her great-uncle by the old train tracks near their community in Nova Scotia. Ashley sees his sadness, and Uncle tells her of the day years ago when he and the other children from their community were told to board the train before being taken to residential school where their lives were changed forever. They weren't allowed to speak Mi'gmaq and were punished if they did. There was no one to give them love and hugs and comfort. Uncle also tells Ashley how happy she and her sister make him. They are what give him hope. Ashley promises to wait with her uncle by the train tracks, in remembrance of what was lost.

Educator Information
This is the dual-language (Mi'gmaq and English) version of The Train.

Recommended for ages 6 to 9.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Translated by Joe Wilmot | Hardcover

When a young boy is assigned a project about the fur trade by his teacher, he doesn’t know who to turn to because his mom works all day. With help from his grandfather and the internet, they travel back in time and discover how the fur trade began, a new people emerged, the Métis’ role in the fur trade, Louis Riel and the Red River Resistance, and the reason behind a holiday named Louis Riel Day.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 9.

A wonderful way to introduce the important history of the Métis people and why Louis Riel Day is celebrated.

This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of a young boy who, through a class assignment, learns about the history of the fur trade, the Métis people and Louis Riel with the help of his grandfather.

Louis Riel Day is a provincial statutory holiday observed on the third Monday of February in Manitoba.

Themes: Fur Trade, Métis, Red River Resistance, History, Indigenous.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover 

A twelve-year-old Iroquois boy rethinks his calling after witnessing the arrival of a mystical figure with a message of peace in this historical novel based on the creation of the Iroquois Confederacy.

Twelve-year-old Okwaho's life has suddenly changed. While out hunting with his best friend, his friend is kidnapped by marauders from a neighboring tribe. Okwaho barely escapes back to his village where everyone lives in fear of raids and killings: The five tribes of the Iroquois have been at war with each other for far too long, and no one can even remember what it was like to live in peace.

Okwaho seeks only revenge, which will just perpetuate the violence. But before he can retaliate, a visitor with a message of peace, as told in the lore of the of the Iroquois nation, comes to him in the woods. The Peacemaker--a vision in white buckskin with a calm demeanor and soothing words--tells the boy that he can convince even the most warlike leaders of the wisdom of peace. Okwaho joins the legions of others who believe, and is present when the great treaty creating the Iroquois Confederacy is enacted.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Additional Information
160 pages | 5.69" x 8.56" | Hardcover

In the Road Allowance Era, Echo’s story picks up again when she travels back in time to 1885.

The Manitoba Act’s promise of land for the Métis has gone unfulfilled, and many Métis flee to the Northwest. As part of the fallout from the Northwest Resistance, their advocate and champion Louis Riel is executed. As new legislation corrodes Métis land rights, and unscrupulous land speculators and swindlers take advantage, many Métis settle on road allowances and railway land, often on the fringes of urban centres.

For Echo, the plight of her family is apparent. Burnt out of their home in Ste. Madeleine when their land is cleared for pasture, they make their way to Rooster Town, settling on the southwest edges of Winnipeg. In this final installment of her story, Echo is reminded of the strength and resilience of her people, forged through the loss and pain of the past, as she faces a triumphant future.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages  12+.

A Girl Called Echo is a graphic novel series by Governor General Award-winning writer and author of The Seven Teaching Stories Katherena Vermette. This graphic novel series explores the life of a Métis teenager through illustrated storytelling. Each book follows Echo Desjardins and her travels back through time, which illuminates important periods and events Métis history in an engaging, visually stimulating way for teenage audiences.

This is Vol. 4 in the A Girl Called Echo series.

This book is available in French: Elle s'appelle Echo Tome 4: L'ère des réserves routières 

Additional Information
48 pages | 6.50" x 10.00"

Cort Dogniez’s Road to La Prairie Ronde, takes the reader on an imagined journey of his ancestor, Frederick Dumont, from his home in Batoche to the Métis settlement of La Prairie Ronde, known today as Round Prairie. Frederick was a relative of the famous Métis leader, Gabriel Dumont. Frederick’s journey takes place just a few years prior to the tragic events of the 1885 Resistance.

This charming coming-of-age story focuses on young Frederick learning valuable lessons from his family as he begins his own journey from boyhood to manhood. The Cree and Métis concept of wâhkôtowin is a central part of this story. Wâhkôtowin is about maintaining and affirming relationships with the Creator and the natural world and with families, communities, and Indigenous nations. We have a relationship to all things.

Elegantly illustrated by Jade McDougall, Road to La Prairie Ronde is complemented with a Michif glossary, a teachers’ guide, and suggested learning activities. This comprehensive learning package gives readers and educators an opportunity to learn more about traditional Métis lifeways and history.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended by the publisher for ages 9+.

Chapter book themes: Transportation, Family, Métis communities, Genealogy—kinship, Relationship with the land, Relationship with the Dakota, Travel pre-1885, Coming-of-age, Bison hunting, Humour, Familial relationships

"Dogniez says, “My intent with all my stories is to ensure that Métis cultural components are woven throughout the stories to encourage children to learn more about us, but also to think about their own cultural traits and practices.”" - from "Métis road trip tale shows snapshot of everyday life in late 1800s" on Praire Books NOW.

This book is the first in a historical fiction series from Cort Dogniez.

Additional Information
44 pages | Paperback 

She was named Omakayas, or Little Frog, because her first step was a hop.

Omakayas and her family live on an island in Lake Superior. Though there are growing numbers of white people encroaching on their land, life continues much as it always has.

But the satisfying rhythms of their life are shattered when a visitor comes to their lodge one winter night, bringing with him an invisible enemy that will change things forever—but that will eventually lead Omakayas to discover her calling.

By turns moving and humorous, this novel is a breathtaking tour de force by a gifted writer.

Educator & Series Information
This is the first book in the Birchbark House Series, a series of Indigenous juvenile fiction novels written by Ojibwe writer Louise Erdrich. The Birchbark House Series follows a character known as Omakayas and her Ojibwe community.

The series is set in the nineteenth century, in the same era as Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic Little House books, but narrated from the points of view of members of an Ojibwe family. These books offer a unique and crucial perspective for fans of historical fiction.

The books in this series in order include: 
The Birchbark House
The Game of Silence
The Porcupine Year
Chickadee
Makoons

This story was inspired by Louise Erdrich and her mother's research of their own family history.

Additional Information
272 pages | 5.12" x 7.62" | Paperback

Wild Waters is Larry Loyie’s, Cree, exploration of the little-known side of the fur trade, the side of Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Canadien (French Canadian) paddlers who powered the canoes. After seeing his four times great-grandfather’s name, Tomma, in Chief Trader Archibald McDonald’s 1828 journal, Larry, with partner and co-author Constance Brissenden, began researching and writing about a challenging canoe voyage from Montreal to Hudson Bay, and then on to the Pacific. Larry was determined to combine his creative vision of Tomma’s life with the entries in McDonald’s journal to honour the unacknowledged voices of history. Some of the people in Wild Waters existed; others are based on the authors’ view of the fur trade and its people. Wherever possible, real dialogue was used. Weights and measures are consistent with usage of the era.

Reviews
“Wild Waters, Inside a Voyageur's World is an authentic, atmospheric tale of the voyageur and Hudson’s Bay Company days. Not only do you admire the strength and courage of the paddlers in navigating the wild waters, but also how they negotiated the intense personalities and rivalries of the Europeans they laboured for. An excellent historical account of the voyageur’s life!” -- Darlene Adams, Curator, High Prairie & District Museum, High Prairie, AB.

Educator Information
The publisher recommends this novel for grades 6 to 12 and for Adult Education.

Additional Information
152 Pages | Paperback