Teen Book

After uncovering long forgotten secrets hidden deep beneath the earth, Silversong now finds himself in the middle of a battle for the soul of the Four Territories. On one side is the Heretic, the leader of the exiles intent on destroying the Wolven Code and conquering all wolfkind by force. On the other side is the Warden, who aims to impose her dogmatic and oppressive interpretation of the Wolven Code on all the packs.Silversong understands that the Four Territories cannot truly thrive when confined to the Warden's narrow vision, but he also can't let the Heretic bring devastation to all who resist him. By using his newfound powers, Silversong takes it upon himself to break the boundaries between the Four Territories and unite them as one, undermining the Warden's authority in the process. Only by standing together as true allies can they hope to defeat the enemy.

Reviews
"A mysterious, magically animated landscape juiced by superb sensory detail. The wolves of the Northlands are plagued by infighting among a threadbare alliance of packs. Enter Silversong, desperate to unite wolfkind against the enemy from without as well as the treachery within of blighted tradition and toxic loyalties. He is a hero with a brilliant weapon he can’t quite master and a jumbled head full of futures pitted against a dire present. Terrified and defiantly brave, frustrated and stalwart, Silversong is our guide to a world of wind weavers and quicksand conjurors. What an exciting, big-hearted romp into a fantastical kingdom that is eerily familiar." -- Tim Wynne-Jones, author of The Starlight Claim

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 13 to 17.

This is the second book in the Wolf in the Sun series.

Additional Information
250 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | Paperback

A bilingual (English and Inuktitut) traditional Inuit story from the North Baffin region.

In the Arctic, children are warned about the dangers of mysterious beings that lurk under the ice—the qallupilluit. But one child does not heed the warnings. . . .

David heads to the beach to play on the ice. But he quickly realizes he’s not alone. A webbed hand emerges from the water, and soon David finds himself cornered by sea monsters. David uses his wits and agility to escape them. But when he makes it back to his family, he learns that his little brother is missing—and had followed him to the ice. David races back to the ice to look for his brother, but will he be able to find him and escape the menacing qallupilluit a second time?

Based on creatures from traditional Inuit stories, Qallupilluit: The Takers of Children is a chilling cautionary tale.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

Bilingual (English and Inuktitut) traditional Inuit story from the North Baffin region.

Additional Information
52 pages | 8.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

In this haunting sequel to her deliciously scary debut, Cheryl Isaacs (Mohawk) explores the sharp edges of lingering trauma and the bonds of love that heal us--for fans of She is a Haunting and Sawkill Girls!

Only weeks ago, Avery pulled her best friend, Key, from the deadly black water. The cycle from her family’s Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) stories is finally broken, the black water is now a harmless lake, and her problems are far from supernatural: All Avery wants is a normal summer with Key, her now-boyfriend.

The trauma, however, casts a long shadow over the town. Some victims never returned. Terrifying memories threaten to resurface, but Avery pushes them down. Who she’s really worried about is Key. The two are supposed to be closer than ever—so why does he feel so distant?

Wracked by anxiety, Avery begins to see a chilling reflection in every mirror, one that moves on its own—and she’s not the only one. With her family’s safety in the balance, Avery must decide: Run away to the safety of normal life with Key, or return to lake’s edge and face her reflection, before her home is subsumed by darkness once and for all….

Reviews
"A deeply rewarding sequel that’s equal parts uncanny and moving. Isaacs compellingly juxtaposes supernatural horrors with Avery’s journey to accept truer versions of herself and those close to her and keeps readers hooked with shocking twists." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Scary and satisfying... this thrilling sequel delves into a dark mirror world of supernatural threats that spur Avery to connect with her true self and trust her friends and family in new ways. " — Booklist

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 13+

This book is the second book in the series The Unfinished.

Additional Information
336 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

Words bawling…Melody howling…Fierce Voice rising

Iz has everything she's ever wanted: she’s found the foster home of her dreams and is attending the prestigious music school she moved heaven and earth to get into. But secrets from her past keep threatening to spill into the present, and Iz is sure that her newfound loved ones will abandon her if they learn of her terrible history.

Despite these fears, Iz does her best to settle into her new life. Hoping to give at-risk children the musical experiences she longed for when she was little, she joins with her classmates and Teo (the boy she sort of kissed and then ghosted all summer) to start a musical outreach program at the community centre she used to go to.

She isn’t quite prepared for the chaotic group of children she’s paired with. And she’s even less ready for Skye, an angry foster kid who challenges everything Iz holds dear, gets a little too close for comfort, and has her own terrible secret.

To help Skye, Iz must make a dreadful choice—a decision that could free them both from their demons or completely destroy everything Iz has fought so hard for. Is raising her voice worth the risk?

Fierce Voice is the sequel to the White Pine Award nominee Iz the Apocaylpse.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

This book is part of The Métier Quartet series.

Additional Information
280 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

From the bestselling author of The Misewa Saga and When We Were Alone, comes 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga. This epic series of young adult graphic novels follows one Cree family over three centuries and seven generations.

Edwin, a Cree teenage boy, is struggling to feel connected to his family and his identity. From stories shared by his mother, Edwin learns about the history of his family, through the years of war, a smallpox epidemic, and residential schools, all the way through to the present and the conflicts Edwin faces in his own life.

Edwin must confront the past to heal in the present—but can his father, scarred by his own residential school experience, heal in time to help Edwin?

This special 15th anniversary edition brings together all four titles in the 7 Generations series, recoloured and relettered, with a preface from author David A. Robertson and an afterword from bestselling author Cherie Dimaline.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 15 to 18.

Includes the stories in the 7 Generations series.

Stone introduces Edwin, a young man who must discover his family’s past if he is to have any future. Edwin learns of his ancestor Stone, a young Plains Cree man, who came of age in the early 19th century. When his older brother is tragically killed during a Blackfoot raid, Stone, the best shot and rider in his encampment, must overcome his grief to avenge his brother’s death.

In Scars, the story of White Cloud, Edwin's ancestor, is set against the smallpox epidemic of 1870-1871. After witnessing the death of his family one by one, White Cloud must summon the strength to find a new home and deliver himself from the terrible disease.

In Ends/Begins, readers learn about the story of Edwin’s father, and his experiences in a residential school. In 1964, two brothers are taken from the warm and loving care of their grandparents, and spirited away to a residential school. When older brother James discovers the anguish that his brother is living under, it leads to unspeakable tragedy.

In The Pact, the guilt and loss of James’s residential school experiences follow him into adulthood, and his life spirals out of control. Edwin, mired in his own pain, tries to navigate past the desolation of his fatherless childhood. As James tries to heal himself he begins to realize that, somehow, he must save his son’s life—as well as his own. When father and son finally meet, can they heal their shattered relationship, and themselves, or will it be too late?

Additional Information
144 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 13 to 18.

This is the second book in the Dreams series.

Big Ideas: Aspects of Indigenous Cultures: Spirituality and Ceremony, Aspects of Indigenous Cultures: Sweat Lodge, Contemporary Setting, Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Addiction, Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Depression and Suicide, Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Identity, Social Justice: Family Separation, Social Justice: Intergenerational Trauma, Social Justice: Impacts of Colonization and Colonialism

Additional Information
80 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | 75 colour illustrations | Paperback

With four starred reviews, Angeline Boulley's debut novel, Firekeeper's Daughter, is a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, perfect for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.

Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.

Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.

Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

Awards

• 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards winner
• 2022 YALSA William C. Morris finalist winner

Reviews
"Firekeeper's Daughter is a gripping and unforgettable story of family, community and identity told through the eyes of a protagonist so powerfully realized on the page, you'll swear you can hear her heart beat. Daunis Fontaine is a force to be reckoned with—and so is Angeline Boulley. This is one bold, uncompromising and elegantly crafted debut." —Courtney Summers, New York Times-bestselling author of Sadie

"Intricate and moving. Boulley takes the reader on an incredible journey with the assurance of a veteran novelist." —Tochi Onyebuchi, award-winning author of Beasts Made of Night and Riot Baby

“A rare and mesmerizing work that blends the power of a vibrant tradition with the aches and energy of today’s America. This book will leave you breathless!” —Francisco X. Stork, acclaimed author of Marcelo in the Real World and Illegal

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 14 to 18.

This book is available in French: Une dose de rage

If you enjoyed this book, you can return to Sugar Island in Warrior Girl Unearthed.

Additional Information
512 pages | 5.77" x 8.27" | Paperback 

A teenage girl walks home in a burgeoning blizzard, happy to have an unexpected snow day. Ignoring an Elder’s warning about the terror the blizzard holds, she finds herself alone in her home with an unseen presence stalking and tormenting her. What does it want? And will she survive?

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

Additional Information
40 pages | 7.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

Ánte’s life has been steeped in Sámi tradition. It is indisputable to him that he, an only child, will keep working with the reindeer. But there is something else too, something tugging at him: his feelings for his best friend Erik have changed, grown into something bigger. Ánte is so aware of Erik and his body in relation to his own; everything he does matters so much. What would people say if they knew? And how does Erik feel? And Erik’s voice just the push of a button away. Ánte couldn’t answer, could he? But how could he ignore it? Fire From the Sky will warm your heart as Ánte experiences the magical, soul-combusting feeling of first love.

Reviews
[STAR] “A rare and triumphant look at what it means for queerness to stay put, with all the messiness and pain that entails… A fresh voice and a setting that’s pure fire.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“Fire From the Sky is a superb account of one boy’s struggle to be himself. Åstot does an exemplary job invoking Sami culture, and an especially good job of capturing Ante’s turbulent emotions, dramatically ratcheting up tension, as it is often agony for Ante to be around the friend he's so in love with. Much of Ante’s experience is universal, and empathic readers will hope urgently for his happiness.” —Booklist

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13 - 18.

Translated by Eva Apelqvist.

Additional Information
216 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Paperback

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms.

Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died five years ago, “home” has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a “ward of the state”. But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe.

Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his “friend-not-friend”, a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her.

They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has – had – a sister, and more siblings; a grandmother who’d look after her and a home where she would be loved.

But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance of normal she has had, and now the secrets she’s hiding will swallow her whole and take away the future she always dreamed of.

From the internationally-acclaimed and bestselling author Angeline Boulley comes an explosive story about seeking vindication from a past that won't let you go.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 14 to 18.

Angeline Boulley's award-winning canon of books puts compelling characters and fast-paced action at the center of narratives rich in historical context. Read Firekeeper's Daughter; Warrior Girl Unearthed; and Sisters of the Wind in any order; but like the world itself; there are echoes within each for the other stories.

Pick this up if you love:
- quiet girls with dark pasts
- explosive opening scenes
- wolves in sheeps’ clothing

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

Dearest Departed, I do not know when I decided I was going to write. I am not a writer. You are. You were.

Honorary twins Ally and Andy, born at the start and end of the same year, have always shared everything — until Ally dies, his passing ruled a suicide by overdose. A year later, Andy starts her first year at college without her other half, writing letters to Ally as she makes new friends who know nothing about him, falls in love for the first time, and strives to embrace her bisexuality and her Indigenous identity. When Andy discovers the poems Ally hid in their room, she pieces together these remaining fragments to make sense of her brother’s life — and his death.

A story told through letters and poems, The Fragments that Remain is a heart-wrenching and hopeful debut novel from Mackenzie Angeconeb.

Reviews
“[A] powerful exploration of identity and trauma. … An affirming account of an Indigenous teen’s experience with multiple forms of loss.” — Kirkus Reviews

“[The] Fragments that Remain takes the reader on a candid journey of brokenness and awakenings. Through layers of grief, the narrator navigates the path toward hope and healing with beautifully authentic thoughts, feelings and experiences. This novel, the first from Mackenzie Angeconeb, is a triumph.” — Valerie Sherrard, award-winning author of The Glory Wind and Standing on Neptune

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

Additional Information
270 pages | 5.37" x 8.00" | Paperback

Billy Buckhorn, aka Thunder Child, battles the Owl Clan and the Serpent Society when they renew their ancient evil alliance. First, they launch a series of supernatural events meant to usher in a new age of horrific Underworld dominance. Next, bizarre weather patterns produce raging floods, and fantastic beasts from Native American legends roam North America once again. Worst of all, the Snake Priest, riding the ancient and malevolent Winged Serpent, rises from the deepest regions below to exact revenge and take control of everyone and everything in the Middleworld! Can Billy and his dedicated, gifted team--his oldest friend Chigger, Osage girlfriend Lisa, the Intertribal Medicine Council, and his allies in the Upperworld--prevent this apocalypse from happening?

Billy Buckhorn and the War of Worlds is the third thrilling installment of the Thunder Child Prophecy Series.

Educator & Series Information
The publisher recommends books in the Thunder Child Prophecy series for grades 10 to 12; however, they note that this title is appropriate for ages 12+.

This is the third book in the Thunder Child Prophecy, following the first book Billy Buckhorn and the Book of Spells and the second book Billy Buckhorn and the Book Of Spells.

Additional Information
336 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | b&w illustrations, 1 bibliography | Paperback

Dévastée par la perte de son frère aîné bien-aimé, emporté par le cancer, Bugz retourne à l'endroit où elle a toujours trouvé du réconfort et de la force : le Floraverse, un jeu vidéo multijoueurs d’envergure internationale.Au cours de l'année écoulée, elle a retrouvé petit à petit tout ce qu'elle avait perdu dans ce monde virtuel. Mieux encore, elle travaille secrètement à la création d'un robot qui sera à la fois une arme redoutable et une source d'inspiration. Le robot Waawaate ressemble à s'y méprendre au frère qui lui manque tant, et agit même comme lui.Bugz se sent prêt à le montrer à Feng, qui est devenu son compagnon de route dans le Floraverse. Elle est impatiente de faire équipe avec son ami et son robot pour démontrer sa supériorité dans le jeu. Feng a toutefois ses propres problèmes à régler, surtout lorsqu'il apprend que ses parents sont vivants et veulent le contacter. Alors qu'ils s'efforcent de surmonter leur deuil et leur perte, Feng et Bugz se rapprochent de plus en plus.Mais les perturbations dans le Floraverse ne peuvent être ignorées, surtout lorsque Bugz se rend compte que son robot Waawaate devient de plus en plus puissant, sans qu'elle puisse le contrôler.Les frontières entre le monde virtuel et le monde réel deviennent dangereusement floues pour une jeune fille autochtone dans cette passionnante suite du roman fantastique Un pied dans chaque monde, de Wab Kinew.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+.

This book is part of Le Floraverse series.

This book is available in English: The Everlasting Road

Additional Information
Paperback

Sweet Tooth meets The Raven Boys in this queer young adult contemporary fantasy about what it means to belong from H.E. Edgmon.

You can never go home…

Every day, all across the world, inhuman creatures are waking up with no memory of who they are or where they came from–and the Caravan exists to help them. The traveling community is made up of these very creatures and their families who’ve acclimated to this new existence by finding refuge in each other. That is, until the morning five teenage travelers wake to find their community has disappeared overnight.

Those left: a half-human who only just ran back to the Caravan with their tail between their legs, two brothers–one who can’t seem to stay out of trouble and the other who’s never been brave enough to get in it, a venomous girl with blood on her hands and a heart of gold, and the Caravan’s newest addition, a disquieting shadow in the shape of a boy. They’ll have to work together to figure out what happened the night of the disappearance, but each one of the forsaken five is white-knuckling their own secrets. And with each truth forced to light, it becomes clear this isn’t really about what happened to their people–it’s about what happened to them.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 14 to 18.

Additional Information
320 pages | 5.38" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

The award-winning Righting Canada's Wrongs series is now available in French for Immersion classrooms.

In a highly visual and appealing format for young readers, this book explores the many forced relocation of Inuit families and communities in the Canadian Arctic from the 1950s to the 1990s. Governments promoted and forced relocation based on misinformation and racist attitudes. These actions changed Inuit lives forever. This book documents the Inuit experience and the resilience and strength they displayed in the face of these measures. Years afterwards, there have been multiple apologies by the Canadian government for its actions, and some measure of restitution for the harms caused.

Included in the book are accounts of a community forced to move to the High Arctic where they found themselves with little food and almost no shelter, of children suddenly taken away from their families and communities to be transported to hospitals for treatment for tuberculosis, and of the notorious slaughter by RCMP officers of hundreds of sled dogs in Arctic settlements.

Though apologies have been made, Inuit in northern Canada still face conditions of inadequate housing, schools that fail to teach their language, and epidemics of infectious diseases like TB. Yet still, the Inuit have achieved a measure of self-government, control over resource development, while they enrich cultural life through music, film, art and literature.

This book enables readers to understand the colonialism and racism that remain embedded in Canadian society today, and the successful resistance of Inuit to assimilation and loss of cultural identity.

Like other volumes in the Righting Canada’s Wrongs series, this book uses a variety of visuals, first-person accounts, short texts and extracts from documents to appeal to a wide range of young readers.

Educator & Series Information
This French book is part of the series Redresser les torts du Canada (Righting Canada's Wrongs series).

Recommended for ages 13 to 18.

This book is available in English: Righting Canada's Wrongs: Inuit Relocations: Colonial Policies and Practices, Inuit Resilience and Resistance.

Additional Information
8.50" x 11.69" | Paperback 

The award-winning Righting Canada's Wrongs series is now available in French for Immersion classrooms.

Canada’s residential school system for Indigenous children is now recognized as a grievous historic wrong committed against First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. Through historical photographs, documents and first-person narratives from people who survived residential schools, this book offers an account of the injustice of this period in Canadian history. It documents how official racism was confronted and finally acknowledged.

In 1857, the Gradual Civilization Act was passed in Canada with the aim of assimilating Indigenous people. In 1879, Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald commissioned a report that led to residential schools across Canada. First Nations and Inuit children were taken from their families and sent to residential schools where they were dressed in uniforms, their hair was cut, they were forbidden to speak their native language and they were often subjected to physical and psychological abuse. The schools were run by churches and funded by the federal government.

The last federally funded residential school closed in 1996. The horrors that many children endured at residential schools did not go away. It took decades for people to speak out, but with the support of the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit organizations, former residential school students took the federal government and the churches to court.

Their cases led to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. In 2008, Prime Minister Harper formally apologized to former native residential school students for the atrocities they suffered and the role the government played in setting up the school system. The agreement included the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which has worked to document the experience. More than five years after the TRC Report was released, there have been reports of unmarked graves of children being discovered at the site of former residential schools. This updated edition includes some of those findings and examines what has and what still has to be done in regards to the TRC Report’s Calls to Action.

Educator & Series Information
This French book is part of the series Redresser les torts du Canada (Righting Canada's Wrongs series).

Recommended for ages 13 to 18.

This book is available in English: Righting Canada's Wrongs: Residential Schools: The Devastating Impact on Canada's Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Findings and Calls for Action

Additional Information
8.50" x 11.69" | 300 Photographs | Paperback 

The award-winning Righting Canada's Wrongs series is now available in French for Immersion classrooms!

Starting in 1951, Indigenous children in Canada were taken by social welfare agencies from their families and placed in the care of non-Indigenous families. These children grew up without their birth families, cultural roots, and language. Many tried to run away and some died in the attempt. The taking of the children is known as the Sixties Scoop, though the policies and practices started before the 1960s and lasted long after. Today, Indigenous children are shockingly over-represented in the child welfare system across Canada.

Indigenous communities organized and fought back for their children. In 1985, an official government report condemned the practice.

In the 1990s, lawsuits were filed against the governments who had supported taking the children. In 2018 and 2019, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba apologized for their roles. In 2020, the Canadian government agreed to a settlement for survivors of the Scoop.

Through hundreds of photos and primary documents, readers meet many survivors of the Scoop. They learn how Indigenous communities fought back to save their children and won, and how Indigenous communities across Canada are working towards healing today.

Reviews
“The Sixties Scoop and the Stolen Lives of Indigenous Children embraces complexity in the history it tells, which is further enhanced by the inclusion of first-hand accounts from survivors of the Scoop. Their stories provide a plurality of experiences, adding additional nuance to the book… It is timely and well-researched, an excellent resource for teachers, librarians, and parents interested in educating young people about the harms these policies had – and continue to have – on Indigenous communities, as well as the continued overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care.” — Quill & Quire

Educator & Series Information
This French book is part of the series Redresser les torts du Canada (Righting Canada's Wrongs series).

Recommended for ages 13 to 18.

This book is available in English: Righting Canada's Wrongs: The Sixties Scoop and the Stolen Lives of Indigenous Children

Additional Information
8.50" x 11.69" | 300 Photographs | Paperback 

A wide-ranging anthology that shines a light on untold Indigenous stories as chronicled by Indigenous creators, compiled by the acclaimed team behind What the Eagle Sees and Sky Wolf’s Call.

For too long, stories and artistic expressions from Indigenous people have been written and recorded by others, not by the individuals who have experienced the events.

In Ours to Tell, sixteen Indigenous creators relate traditions, accounts of historical events, and their own lived experiences. Novelists, poets, graphic artists, historians, craftspeople, and mapmakers chronicle stories on the struggles and triumphs lived by Indigenous people, and the impact these stories have had on their culture and history. Some of the profiles included are:

• Indigenous poet E. Pauline Johnson
• acclaimed novelist Tommy Orange
• brave warrior Standing Bear
• poet and activist Rita Joe

With each profile accompanied by rich visuals, from archival photos to contemporary art, Ours to Tell brilliantly spotlights Indigenous life, past and present, through an Indigenous lens. Because each profile gives an historical and cultural context, what emerges is a history of Indigenous people.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+.

Table of Contents

A Note about Language and Terms 
Introduction: Ours to Tell 

Part One: We Tell Our Story in Images and Symbols

Part Two: We Report the Story

Part Three: Our History Is in Our Poems, Songs, and Written Stories

Part Four: Our Stories Bear Witness

Part Five: Our Hands Tell Our Story

Afterword: Our Stories Go On

Sources
Index 

Additional Information

136 pages | 7.50" x 9.25" | Paperback

Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers and edited by bestselling Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world’s best frybread.

The road to Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In slips through every rez and alongside every urban Native hangout. The menu offers a rotating feast, including traditional eats and tasty snacks. But Sandy June's serves up more than food: it hosts live music, movie nights, unexpected family reunions, love long lost, and love found again.

That big green-and-gold neon sign beckons to teens of every tribal Nation, often when they need it most.

Featuring stories and poems by: Kaua Mahoe Adams, Marcella Bell, Angeline Boulley, K. A. Cobell, A. J. Eversole, Jen Ferguson, Eric Gansworth, Byron Graves, Kate Hart, Christine Hartman Derr, Karina Iceberg, Cheryl Isaacs, Darcie Little Badger, David A. Robertson, Andrea L. Rogers, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Brian Young.

Reviews
"There's a lot of warmth and gratitude to revel in...Various characters thread through each other’s stories, allowing many of the players more depth and nuance had they only been in one tale, and encouraging the readers to make the thematic connections in cultural identities that are both individually specific and community-wide." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"17 Indigenous writers create a web of entertaining, intertwined stories in this uplifting and unusual anthology, ideal for the YA reader who longs for connection and authenticity. Themes of displacement and loneliness, as well as the importance of connection to family, friends, and tribe, permeate the entries, making the collection relevant and accessible for teen readers of any background. As Cheryl Isaacs says in "Heart Berry," "One way or another, Sandy June's never fail[s]." — Shelf Awareness

"The literary conceit that unifies these stories is a magical “NDN Country” frybread drive-in that serves up Native comfort food and wisdom, a “collective dream” where young people in need of connection or healing find themselves among an intertribal community of all ages...many stories mention historical events and all of them touch on family heritage, they also feel quite of-the-moment." — Horn Book Magazine

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

This collection of interconnected stories features voices of new and acclaimed Indigenous writers.

Additional Information
352 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

This thrilling romantasy about king’s Blade, Keera, and her epic quest to avenge her lover, save her people, and bring down a tyrant king is the final installment of Melissa Blair’s highly acclaimed series. The Halfling Saga showcases BIPOC and queer representation, love, passion, betrayal, magic, and great battles of the sword and the soul.

“Your land is not the one you take; it is the one you die for.”

Keera has tried to keep her final promise to Brenna, the partner she was forced to kill to save a kingdom—but that promise has led to the most difficult struggles of her life. She’s been at war with her worst self while battling King Damien for the freedom of the Halflings, and she’s lost too many along the way. But when she finally breaks the last seal, unleashing the Fae magic that’s been hidden away for hundreds of years, the conflict seems to be turning in the Halflings’ favor.

Meanwhile, Keera’s discovery of a staggering secret about her lover and the kidnapping of one of her closest allies threatens to tip her back into darkness, but she has no time to rest. Opening the kingdom’s magical seals has transformed Keera in ways even the wisest Fae elders could not have anticipated, and the return of an evil thought long vanquished throws their rescue plans into chaos. And with the kingdom’s Halfling population suddenly posing a risk to the crown, the land is plunged into violence as the king begins a new blood purge. Keera and her allies must gather an army to meet Damien’s forces in a final confrontation of epic—and tragic—proportions.

The stunning conclusion of BookTok sensation Melissa Blair’s epically romantic series will leave readers breathless as Keera fights for her land, her people, and the promise of a better world.

Reviews
"[F]illed with high-stakes action, choices, and consequences... Romantasy fans should add this series to their reading list." —Library Journal

Educator & Series Information
Young adult/new adult fantasy series recommended for ages 18+.

This is the final book in The Halfing Saga.

Additional Information
432 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

“Because you believed me, I began to believe myself. Because of you, I am here.”

[Trigger Warning] Please note this book addresses sensitive topics including suicide, substance abuse, and family violence. While these emotionally challenging realities are held thoughtfully, and with love, this story may be triggering.

Jessica has contemplated suicide for a while now. Grappling with the reverberating grief of losing her beloved grandmother and the trauma of a broken home, young Jessica is reaching a place so far from herself, her community, and the traditional Indigenous teachings she once lived by, it is frightening.

When it all becomes too much, Jessica attempts to take the final step over the ledge. What follows is a journey through the sacred spaces within memory, song, and the spirit world, guided by two playful tricksters—eagles, who happen to have lifetimes of wisdom to share.

With a love of riddles and soaring beyond the edges of possibility, they turn and twist Jessica’s reality until she can finally ground herself in what she has known all along, and allow the love, strength and voice of her beloved grandmother to once again be remembered and heard. The trajectory of Jessica’s life will be changed forever.

From Hopi Elder, Pershlie "Perci" Ami, and Street Outreach Worker, Anthony Goulet, comes a creative, sensitive, and thoughtful approach to the topic of suicide. Combined, they have over forty years of experience in youth development and suicide prevention.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 14+ 

Trigger Warning: Please note this book addresses sensitive topics including suicide, substance abuse, and family violence. While these emotionally challenging realities are held thoughtfully, and with love, this story may be triggering.

Additional Information
109 pages | 5.50" x 7.50" | Paperback

TO: Angel Wilson (LawAngel@IBLO.gov)
FROM: Stevie Henry (shenry@gmail.com)
Thanks for coming to see me; but by the time you read this, it will be too late. No one will have started to panic, yet; but in less than two months nothing will be the same. What came first, The Chicken or the Egg Flu? I wish it mattered. But let’s just say, maybe go back to wearing a mask, bathing in sanitizer, and avoid birds and eggs for a bit…

I did not kill my brother. I did quite the opposite, really.

It’s the year 2052. Stevie Henry is a Cherokee girl working at a museum in Texas, trying to save up enough money to go to college. The world around her is in a cycle of drought and superstorms, ice and fire … but people get by. But it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

When a mysterious boy shows up at Stevie’s museum saying that he’s from the future -- and telling her what is to come -- she refuses to believe him. But soon she will have no choice.

From the author of the Walter Award-winning Man Made Monsters comes a YA novel that conjures our futures in startling life – the ones that we are headed towards, and the ones we can still work towards.

Educator Information
Young Adult Fiction

Additional information
400 pages | 5.95" x 8.55" | Hardcover 

In stunning full color and accessible text, a graphic adaptation of the American Book Award winning history of the United States as told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples—perfect for readers of all ages

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s influential New York Times bestseller exposed the brutality of this nation’s founding and its legacy of settler-colonialism and genocide. Through evocative full color artwork, renowned cartoonist Paul Peart-Smith brings this watershed book to life, centering the perspective of the peoples displaced by Europeans and their white descendants to trace Indigenous perseverance over four centuries against policies intended to obliterate them.

Recognized for his adaptation of W.E.B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk and his extensive expertise in the comics industry, Peart-Smith collaborates with experienced graphic novel editor Paul Buhle to provide an accessible introduction to a complex history that will attract new generations of readers of all ages. This striking graphic adaptation will rekindle crucial conversations about the centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial regime that has largely been omitted from history.

Reviews
“Adapting a work of history as dense and as vital as Dunbar-Ortiz’s An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (2014) to comics form is no easy feat, but Peart-Smith is up for the task . . . A thoughtful, radically hopeful work that is sure to resonate with readers of all ages.” - Booklist

Educator Information
The publisher does not provide a recommended age range, but notes in the description that this graphic interpretation "will attract new generations of readers of all ages".

Table of Contents 

Additional Information
120 pages | 8.22" x 10.28" | Hardcover 

In her remarkable second novel following her Governor General’s Award-winning debut, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, Jen Ferguson writes about the hurt of a life stuck in past tense, the hum of connections that cannot be severed, and one week in a small, snowy town that changes everything.

Overachievement isn’t a bad word—for Berlin, it’s the goal. She’s securing excellent grades, planning her future, and working a part-time job at Pink Mountain Pizza, a legendary local business. Who says she needs a best friend by her side?

Dropping out of high school wasn’t smart—but it was necessary for Cameron. Since his cousin Kiki’s disappearance, it’s hard enough to find the funny side of life, especially when the whole town has forgotten Kiki. To them, she’s just another missing Native girl.

People at school label Jessie a tease, a rich girl—and honestly, she’s both. But Jessie knows she contains multitudes. Maybe her new job crafting pizzas will give her the high-energy outlet she desperately wants.

When the weekend at Pink Mountain Pizza takes several unexpected turns, all three teens will have to acknowledge the various ways they’ve been hurt—and how much they need each other to hold it all together.

Jen Ferguson burst onto the YA scene with her first novel, which was a William C. Morris Award Finalist and a Stonewall Award Honor Book, and this second novel fulfills her promise as one of the most thoughtful and exciting YA writers today.

Reviews
"Set in Alberta, this introspective, character-driven story examines heavy topics, including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, depression, and anti-Blackness, with sensitivity and compassion. This sophomore outing by Michif/Métis and white author Ferguson features lyrical prose that softens the emotionally fraught narrative without sacrificing suspense, resulting in a mystery that subtly builds to a shocking reveal." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Ferguson's stirring narrative from multiple points of view features a friendship breakup, a manifestation of depression as perfectionism, and racism in the 'corrupt colonial country of Canada.' Achingly stunning prose, 'absolute mischief,' and exhilarating kisses compel a fast read." — Shelf Awareness (starred review)

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

Additional Information
352 pages | 5.31" x 8.00" | Paperback 

This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be.

These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.

When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.

But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.

After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon's dreams, their story isn’t over yet.

Awards

• American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner
• Book Riot’s Best Children’s Books
• William C. Morris Award

Reviews
"Debut author Graves (Ojibwe) presents a deeply personal look at grief, the weight of expectations, and the ways we find connections with those we have lost... This one shoots and scores." — Kirkus Reviews

"Debut author Graves, who is Ojibwe like Tre, doesn’t shirk from showing his community’s ugly experiences, but he never languishes in them. Well-paced and exciting—the action of the basketball games is exceptionally well written—this is a solid piece of sports fiction." — Booklist

"Influenced by Byron’s own experiences, the challenges Tre faces are realistically difficult, including a team-wide drinking habit that nearly derails everything and Tre’s crush and best friend hooking up behind his back. That realism is nicely balanced, however, by a story that dutifully follows the beats of great sports movies with motivational speeches, unbelievable comebacks, raucous crowds, heartbreaking losses, and a lot of heart up to the final buzzer." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+ 

This book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that publishes high-quality, contemporary stories about Indigenous young people in the United States and Canada.

Additional Information
368 pages | 5.31" x 8.00" | Paperback 

Uncover the Terrifying Intersection of History and Horror

Imagine a chilling horror collection that weaves classic monsters like werewolves and vampires with the true horrors of colonialism, domestic violence, and displacement. Man Made Monsters, by acclaimed Cherokee writer Andrea Rogers, delivers.

Follow a Cherokee family across centuries, from their ancestral lands in 1830s Georgia to the battlefields of World War I and Vietnam, and beyond. Each story offers a chilling glimpse into a different era, revealing how history's monsters intertwine with the supernatural.

Man Made Monsters is a powerful exploration of identity and the enduring legacy of colonization. Rogers masterfully blends Cherokee legends with chilling horror, creating unforgettable characters and monsters.

Each story is accompanied by haunting illustrations from Cherokee artist Jeff Edwards, incorporating the Cherokee syllabary for a truly immersive experience.

Don't miss out on this masterpiece! Man Made Monsters will stay with you long after the last page.

Reviews
“Man Made Monsters is a brilliant and expansive journey across time, seen through a Cherokee lens, written by the brilliant and essential voice of Andrea Rogers. This collection is full to the brim with voice and breadth, including but not limited to magic, horror, and fantasy. The book is fun, funny, and dead-serious. It is beautifully written, and it is full of monsters.” - Tommy Orange

"Although each of Cherokee author Rogers’ stories could stand alone (and versions of some were previously published individually), placing them in chronological order and thus in dialogue with each other results in a thematically richer read and allows readers the delight of tracing the family trees in the frontmatter to situate the characters in relation to other protagonists. " - Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18 by the publisher.

Additional Information
336 pages | 6.02" x 9.00" | Paperback 

Award-winning author Jen Ferguson has written a powerful story about teens grappling with balancing resentment with enduring friendship—and how to move forward with a life that’s not what they’d imagined.

Before that awful Saturday, Molly used to be inseparable from her brother, Hank, and his best friend, Tray. The indoor climbing accident that left Hank with a traumatic brain injury filled Molly with anger.

While she knows the accident wasn’t Tray’s fault, she will never forgive him for being there and failing to stop the damage. But she can’t forgive herself for not being there either.

Determined to go on the trio’s postgraduation hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, even without Hank, Molly packs her bag. But when her parents put Tray in charge of looking out for her, she is stuck backpacking with the person who incites her easy anger.

Despite all her planning, the trail she’ll walk has a few more twists and turns ahead. . . .

Reviews
"With a rhythm and tone that reads like poetry, Ferguson delivers an emotionally resonant tale in which profound interpersonal conflict unfolds against the lushly described natural backdrop of an adrenaline-inducing outdoor environment." — Publishers Weekly

"Explores disability and fat activism and fatphobia, with a side of romance." — Kirkus Reviews

"No matter who reads this book, they will find something in each character that will ring true. A must-buy for YA collections." — School Library Journal

"Conversations around love and intersectional analysis of Indigeneity, fatness, disability, queerness, blended families, and human interactions with nature are sure to pique the interest of readers also exploring the many facets of what makes them whole." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"A great read for all teenagers, and especially those who've graduated and are wondering what comes next."  — Booklist

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

This novel grapples with resentment, fear, grief, anti-Indigenous racism, and moving forward in a life you're not sure fits you. These difficult emotions and issues are handled thoughtfully and with empathy. 

Additional Information
352 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

Returning to his favourite setting of Fort Simmer, Northwest Territories, Richard Van Camp brings his exuberant style to a captivating teen novel that blends the supernatural with 1980s-era nostalgia to reflect on friendship, tradition and forgiveness.

For as long as Lawson can remember, his life in a small Northwest Territories town has revolved around “the Treaty” between the Dogrib and the Chipewyan, set down centuries ago to prevent the return of bloody warfare between the two peoples.

On the Dogrib side, Lawson and his family have done their best to keep the pact alive with the neighbouring Cranes, a family with ancestral ties to a revered Chipewyan war chief. But even as Lawson and his father dutifully tidy the Cranes’ property as an act of respect, their counterparts offer little more than scowls and derision in return, despite the fact that both families are responsible for protecting the treaty.

Worse still, it seems that one of the Cranes’ boys is doing all he can to revive the old conflict: Silver, fresh out of jail, has placed himself in the service of a cruel, ghoulish spirit bent on destroying the peace. Now it's up to Isaiah Valentine, a Cree Grass Dancer, Shari Burns, a Metis psychic, and Lawson Sauron, a Dogrib Yabati—or protector—to face what Silver Cranes has called back.

This latest feat of storytelling magic by celebrated author Richard Van Camp blends sharply observed realism and hair-raising horror as it plays out against a 1980s-era backdrop replete with Platinum Blonde songs and episodes of Degrassi Junior High. Unfolding in the fictional town of Fort Simmer—the setting of previous Van Camp stories—Beast delivers a gripping, spirited tale that pits the powers of tradition against the pull of a vengeful past.

Educator Information
Young adult fiction.

Additional Information
312 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | Paperback

In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This queer YA reimagining of The Secret Garden subverts the cishet and white status quo of the original in a tale of family secrets wonderful and horrifying.

Mary Lennox didn’t think about death until the day it knocked politely on her bedroom door and invited itself in. When a terrible accident leaves her orphaned at fifteen, she is sent to the wilderness of the Georgian Bay to live with an uncle she's never met.

At first the impassive, calculating girl believes this new manor will be just like the one she left in Toronto: cold, isolating, and anything but cheerful, where staff is treated as staff and never like family. But as she slowly allows her heart to open like the first blooms of spring, Mary comes to find that this strange place and its strange people—most of whom are Indigenous—may be what she can finally call home.

Then one night Mary discovers Olive, her cousin who has been hidden away in an attic room for years due to a "nervous condition." The girls become fast friends, and Mary wonders why this big-hearted girl is being kept out of sight and fed medicine that only makes her feel sicker. When Olive's domineering stepmother returns to the manor, it soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on.

With the help of a charming, intoxicatingly vivacious Metis girl named Sophie, Mary begins digging further into family secrets both wonderful and horrifying to figure out how to free Olive. And some of the answers may lie within the walls of a hidden, overgrown and long-forgotten garden the girls stumble upon while wandering the wilds...

Reviews
"Racism, colonization, and a love of nature are central themes gracefully woven into the story. An aching and emotionally immersive queer romance, unhampered by homophobia, unfolds through lush imagery blended with poignant and elegant prose. A rich and verdant revival of a classic." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Educator & Series Information
This book is recommended for ages 13 to 18.

This book is part of the Remixed Classics series.

Additional Information
304 pages | 5.52" x 8.24" | Paperback

Anishinaabe author Lois Beardslee shares how a life is lived within two cultures, revealing a worldview shaped by language and customs and expressed through verse both playful and somber. This collection of poems is a lattice of traditional wisdom, wordplay, and cunning modernity that forms a distinctive creative voice. Experiences of duality overlay an Anishinaabe annual cycle, emphasizing the practical nature of traditions and their dependence upon the landscape in which they develop over time. Poems like "Waatebagaagiizis" and "Gidanimibiisaa na" reveal the fortitude that maintains traditions against the encroaching backdrop of modernity. Others such as "Namegosag" and "Minowichige" playfully connect a moment's experience to the everyday practices that have endured, many through the author's own eyes, and others through kin spanning generations and cultures. These poems not only evoke a sense of spirit that transcends boundaries but they also bear traditional knowledge, notions of the seasons, and conceptions of how the spirit is shaped by nature.

Educator Information
Young Adult Nonfiction

Additional Information
80 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

A special abridged version of the award-winning book Orange Shirt Day: September 30th. Orange Shirt Day, observed annually on September 30th, is also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is an official day to honour Residential School Survivors and their families, and to remember the children who did not come home. What was initially envisioned as a way to keep the conversations going about all aspects of Residential Schools in Williams Lake and the Cariboo Region of British Columbia, Canada, has now expanded into a movement across Turtle Island and beyond. Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters aims to create champions who will walk a path of reconciliation and promote the message that 'Every Child Matters'. This version also explores a number of important topics including the historical, generational, and continual impacts of Residential Schools on Indigenous Peoples, the journey of the Orange Shirt Day movement, and how you can effectively participate in the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. With end of chapter reflection questions and a series of student art submissions, readers are guided to explore how they, and others, view and participate in Residential School reconciliation.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 17.

This book is available in English: Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters: Condensed Edition

Additional Information
112 pages | 8.46" x 10.97" | Paperback 

A tender tale of two cousins

In Cousin Bear Comes to Visit, Metis artist Halie Finney introduces us to Francis the Bear as she prepares to reunite with her cousin. The pair haven't seen one another in quite awhile, so it's time to catch up, laugh–and uncover Cousin's big secret.

This debut work by Halie reveals a small snippet of the mythology of characters that she has created and modeled after her own hometown and the people who reside there. She uses the tales that come from her imagined world to explore themes of family, nostalgia, and grief from Indigenous and small-town perspectives.

Educator Information
The publisher recommends this work for ages 12+.

Additional Information
120 pages | 4.25" x 6.25" | Paperback

My name is Corinne George. I am Wet’suwet’en with Gitksan lineage from the Gidimt’en (Bear) Clan. This is my truth, and through sharing my truth, I strive for ongoing healing and to continue the journey of reconciliation. As a Wet’suwet’en woman born and raised on what is now known as the “Highway of Tears,” it was not uncommon to receive inferior treatment. There were even times when I was overtly targeted. It has been very common for people to outwardly refuse to acknowledge my existence as a human being. I was always afraid to share my truth because I did not want to be stigmatized. I am the daughter of a residential school survivor and a WWII veteran. As a result of colonization, I have encountered incredible levels of trauma. I need to acknowledge and speak my truth. As I share my pain and experiences, I have gathered self-awareness and every time I speak about my trauma, I heal a little bit more. I do not deserve to be treated like I do not exist. Despite the historical impacts of colonization and trauma, my connections to my ancestral ways and my identity have been critical. This is how I survived and how I strive to thrive.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 16+.

Additional Information
128 pages | 5.10" x 7.50" | Paperback

In her stunning debut, Cheryl Isaacs (Mohawk) pulls the reader into an unsettling tale of monsters, mystery, and secrets that refuse to stay submerged.

When small-town athlete Avery’s morning run leads her to a strange pond in the middle of the forest, she awakens a horror the townspeople of Crook’s Falls have long forgotten.

The black water has been waiting. Watching. Hungry for the souls it needs to survive.

Avery can smell the water, see it flooding everywhere; she thinks she's losing her mind. And as the black water haunts Avery—taking a new form each time—people in town begin to go missing.

Though Avery had heard whispers of monsters from her Kanien’kéha:ka (Mohawk) relatives, she has never really connected to her Indigenous culture or understood the stories. But the Elders she has distanced herself from now may have the answers she needs.

When Key, her best friend and longtime crush, is the next to disappear, Avery is faced with a choice: listen to the Kanien’kéha:ka and save the town but lose her friend forever…or listen to her heart and risk everything to get Key back.

An unmissable horror novel for readers who devoured Trang Thanh Tran’s She Is a Haunting or Claire Legrand’s Sawkill Girls!

Reviews"
Sharp prose and humorous banter permeate this stellar debut by Isaacs, who crafts an atmospheric mystery filled with intrigue and harrowing imagery that shimmers brilliantly amid the eerie setting." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A harrowing work that combines suspense with a coming-of-age journey of cultural exploration." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 13+

This book is the first book in the series The Unfinished.

Additional Information
336 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover  

Miikwan and Dez are in their final year of high school. Poised at the edge of the rest of their lives, they have a lot to decide on. Miikwan and her boyfriend, Riel, are preparing for university, but Dez isn’t sure if that’s what they want for their future.

Grief and anger take precedence over their plans after the remains of 215 children are found at a former residential school in British Columbia. The teens struggle with feelings of helplessness in the face of injustice. Can they find the strength to channel their frustration into action towards a more hopeful future?

We Are the Medicine is the moving final volume of the best-selling Surviving the City series.

Reviews
"Tasha's graphic novel gives us an unflinching view of youth sovereignty and the reclamation of Indigenous philosophy and sacred spaces in Winnipeg's core. Guided by an Elder, the friends at the centre of the story confront uncomfortable truths that have sustained our colonial past, riding on the edge of emotions and activism to uphold the integrity of their ancestors. A must-read for all youth who want to build an equitable, just society." — Elder Albert McLeod, author of Between the Pipes

“A fantastic read for teens to learn about Indigenous issues through a clear and accurate representation.” — Youth Services Book Review

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

This is the third volume in the Surviving the City graphic novel series, which is also part of the Debwe Series. 

Surviving the City is a contemporary graphic novel series about young Indigenous women navigating their way in an urban environment. It includes:

Surviving the City
From the Roots Up
We Are the Medicine 

A Teacher Guide is available: Surviving the City Teacher Guide: Exploring Identity, Allyship, and Social Action for Meaningful Change in Grades 7-12 

Recommended in the Indigenous Books for Schools catalogue as a valuable resource for English Language Arts and Social Studies in grades 8 to 12. 

Caution: This work's topics include residential schools, death, violence, police brutality, and racism.

Themes: Coming of Age, Community, Connection to Culture, Healing, Residential Schools.

Additional Information
64 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

After inadvertently starting rumors of a haunted cemetery, a teen befriends a ghost in this brand-new young adult novel exploring grief and belonging by the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of The Marrow Thieves series.

Winifred has lived in the apartment above the cemetery office with her father, who works in the crematorium all her life, close to her mother's grave. With her sixteenth birthday only days away, Winifred has settled into a lazy summer schedule, lugging her obese Chihuahua around the grounds in a squeaky red wagon to visit the neglected gravesides and nursing a serious crush on her best friend, Jack.

Her habit of wandering the graveyard at all hours has started a rumor that Winterson Cemetery might be haunted. It’s welcome news since the crematorium is on the verge of closure and her father’s job being outsourced. Now that the ghost tours have started, Winifred just might be able to save her father’s job and the only home she’s ever known, not to mention being able to stay close to where her mother is buried. All she has to do is get help from her con-artist cousin to keep up the rouse and somehow manage to stop her father from believing his wife has returned from the grave. But when Phil, an actual ghost of a teen girl who lived and died in the ravine next to the cemetery, starts showing up, Winifred begins to question everything she believes about life, love and death. Especially love.

Awards

• 2023 White Pine Award
• 2024 The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence - Best Juvenile or YA Crime Book

Reviews
"Winifred is an engaging lead with an emotional and fulfilling journey. Artfully melding horror, deadpan humor, and an impossible romance, this well-crafted narrative from Dimaline follows lived-in characters who are tortured by grief. Atmospheric, intimate, and melodic; the rich storytelling sings." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

"[A] story of healing. Dimaline has created a rich world of complex characters with a narrative that oscillates from love story to suspense-thriller — sometimes within the same chapter — without any tonal whiplash. Funeral Songs for Dying Girls is a complex exploration of grief, family, and love that will appeal to teens and adults alike." —STARRED REVIEW, Quill & Quire

"Contemplative prose excels in its portrayal of a reclusive protagonist longing for connection and overcoming grief while living in a neighborhood that shuns her for perceived shortcomings, presenting a textured narrative about loss and love." —Publishers Weekly

"This lyrical ghost story portrays how a bond between two girls — one living, one not — transforms the grief that roots them both in place. . . . Wrenching and poignant, Funeral Songs for Dying Girls is a haunting tale about what it means to search for home — not the place, but the feeling you carry with you." —BookPage

"Dimaline’s intense, bittersweet, and often funny novel is more than a ghost story. Extended portions about the life and death of Phil, a sympathetically rendered ghost character who becomes one of Winifred’s first loves, allude to the real-life neglected epidemic of MMIWG2S (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People). Through this novel, Dimaline honors those lost." —The Horn Book

"With beautiful, biting prose, Dimaline’s tale of loss and love will challenge its readers to consider how the past can haunt the present if we let it." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Winifred’s narration is startling in its honesty . . . and the result is a deep intimacy that is warm but melancholy." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 14+

Additional Information
280 pages | 5.56" x 8.31" | 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 

This book features the Stoney Nakoda First Nation language in context and in action. The book contains a collection of stories by Trent and Valentina Fox, with each teaching culminating in a learning section. To assist in nuances of the language, the book also includes audio components as web links. The Îethka Stoney Nakoda People are an integral part of the Treaty 7 group of Indigenous Nations in Southern Alberta. Their spoken language is part of the Dakota-Sioux linguistic group.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 14 to 18.

Additional Information
144 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

In this complex and emotionally resonant novel about a Métis girl living on the Canadian prairies, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person—and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.

Lou has enough confusion in front of her this summer. She’ll be working in her family’s ice-cream shack with her newly ex-boyfriend—whose kisses never made her feel desire, only discomfort—and her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago without a word.

But when she gets a letter from her biological father—a man she hoped would stay behind bars for the rest of his life—Lou immediately knows that she cannot meet him, no matter how much he insists.

While King’s friendship makes Lou feel safer and warmer than she would have thought possible, when her family’s business comes under threat, she soon realizes that she can’t ignore her father forever.

Reviews
"Debut author Ferguson, who is Métis and White, touches on intergenerational family suffering at the hands of the state, mental health, substance abuse, racism, sexual harassment and assault, and missing and murdered Indigenous women—all with nuance and care. Heart-rending and healing; a winning blend that will leave readers satisfied."— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Young adult readers can relate to the struggles Lou is facing as she navigates her transition from high school to college, and also use them as a conversation starter about race, identity, sexuality, dating, and friendship." — Horn Book (starred review)

"In a layered first-person portrayal of a young Indigenous woman navigating the edge of adulthood, Ferguson (who is Métis and white) tackles necessary issues—of identity and sexuality alongside colonialism, generational trauma, racism, physical and sexual assault, and substance reliance—through well-wrought, complicated characterizations and prose that sings with poetry." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Ferguson’s frank and powerful debut opens readers’ eyes to the multiplicity of daily traumas faced by people of color, especially Indigenous women and girls. Ferguson, herself Michif/Métis and white, boldly writes on many challenging topics, including racism, physical violence, sexual identity, sexual assault, and teen alcohol use. Lou is complex, smart, and honest, and a narrator readers will trust, love, and learn from as she works to repair friendships and gain security for her treasured family." — Booklist (starred review)

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+

This book is part of the Heartdrum imprint centers a wide range of intertribal voices, visions, and stories while welcoming all young readers, with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country and on the strength of young Native heroes. In partnership with We Need Diverse Books.

Content Warnings for The Summer of Bitter and Sweet: discussion of sexual assault, instances of racism, instances of physical assault, instances of intimate partner abuse, discussions of drug use, discussions of under-aged alcohol use, instances of arson.

Additional Information
384 pages | 5.31" x 8.00" | Paperback

The thrilling third entry in the high fantasy saga that started with BookTok sensation A Broken Blade.

A new king is on the throne and the rebellion lies in ruins. Keera spends her days drinking and her nights avoiding the strange dreams that have haunted her since she returned from the capital.

Keera’s family in Myrelinth won’t let her go without a fight. With new intelligence about the magical seals left behind by Keera’s ancient kin, the Light Fae, she rallies to face her demons and unleash the formidable powers she inherited from her people. But a shocking truth is hiding in plain sight, one with the power to unravel the entire rebellion...

The pivotal third installment in the Halfling Saga will upend everything Keera thought she knew about her enemies . . . and her allies.

Reviews
"Gripping and fierce. This is much-needed fantasy with its fangs honed sharp by the power of resistance. Melissa Blair has built a tremendous world."—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

Educator & Series Information
Young adult/new adult fantasy series recommended for ages 18+.

The third entry in the Halfling Saga, the epic tale of a deadly assassin with a mysterious past, set in a lush fantasy world of Mortals, Elves, Halflings, and Fae, A Vicious Game is perfect for readers who enjoyed the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and other romantic fantasy books, especially those seeking LGBTQ+ romance or BIPOC representation.

Additional Information
448 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

Centuries have passed since the forces of nature won the war against humanity. Sentient animals now rule a healing world, and as the stain of mankind continues to dwindle, a young wolf called Silversong is determined to rise in the hierarchy of his pack. Strong at manipulating wind and air, all he needs is a way to prove himself to his Chief.

Before he can get the respect he deserves, however, Silversong's aspirations are cut short by the Heretic and his outcast wolves. Against all odds, the Heretic and his band of exiles escape their imprisonment far to the west and wreak havoc on Silversong's pack. The exiles pose a threat unlike any other, and their enigmatic leader won't stop his brutal conquest until all wolfkind submits to him.

Silversong can't let a monstrous wolf like the Heretic roam free. With the wind at his back, he pursues the leader of the exiles into forests of shadow and into ancient places better left forgotten. But the further he strays from home, the more he comes to realize that maybe his enemies aren't so evil after all. Maybe there's a reason for the destruction they seek... and maybe there's a far greater danger lying in wait.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 13 to 17.

This is the first book in the Wolf in the Sun series.

Additional Information
243 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | Paperback

Eva and Cole are back just in time to face Mihko’s latest threat: the terrifying results of human experimentation.

Cole and Eva are reunited once more. A new terror looms as Mihko Laboratories latest human experiments are about to be unleashed. Cole is on the long road to recovery, but he’s still struggling with survivor’s guilt. He must stay focused as he, Eva, and their friends prepare for the final showdown with Mihko.

After the events of Version Control, Brady’s mind is fractured, and he can’t distinguish between what really happened and what Mikho made him believe. Eva and Cole may have to face this terrifying threat without him. It’s a grim prospect, but a new discovery might just change everything: God Flare.

Will Brady recover enough to join the fight? Can Cole come to terms with his abilities in spite of his PTSD? And will God Flare help even the odds against Mihko?

Reviews
The art style is realistic and gritty, reflecting the serious and dystopian tone of the story. Colors are dark and muted, actions are clear, and special effects of the supernatural pop off the page, a marked contrast to more normal backgrounds and objects.” — Youth Services Book Review

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for grades 8 to 12.

This book is part of the graphic novel series, The Reckoner Rises, a continuation of The Reckoner trilogy.  It is Book 3 in the series.

Additional Information
72 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

Human Stories series by Jason Bone Oshkaabewis (Helper/Writer) and Midewid (One Who Works With the Sound of the Drum), Ron Indian-Mandamin. Baagak (The Flying Skeleton) is a Being known by many. With Tellings of Baagak by Keith Berens, Isaac Murdoch, and more.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for grades 10 to 12.

This book is Volume 1 in the Human Stories series.

Additional Information
96 Pages | Paperback

First Nations culture is living, vibrant, and evolving, and generations of Indigenous kids have grown up with pop culture creeping inexorably into our lives. From gaming to social media, pirate radio to garage bands, Star Trek to D&D, and missed connections at the pow wow, Indigenous culture is so much more than how it’s usually portrayed. Indiginerds is here to celebrate those stories!

Featuring an all-Indigenous creative team, Indiginerds is an exhilarating anthology collecting 11 stories about Indigenous people balancing traditional ways of knowing with modern pop culture. Includes work by Alina Pete, PJ Underwood, Kameron White, Rhael McGregory, and many more.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

Full Creator Listing: Tate Allen, Ida Aronson, Jordanna George, Raven John, Nipinet Landsem, Rhael McGregor, Sam “Mushki” Medlock, Alina Pete, Wren Rios, PJ Underwood, Kameron White

Additional Information
120 pages | 6.62" x 10.25" | Paperback

In her powerful debut novel, Looking for Smoke, author K. A. Cobell (Blackfeet) weaves loss, betrayal, and complex characters into a thriller that will illuminate, surprise, and engage readers until the final word. A must-pick for readers who enjoy books by Angeline Boulley and Karen McManus!

When local girl Loren includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway to honor Loren’s missing sister, Mara thinks she’ll finally make some friends on the Blackfeet reservation.

Instead, a girl from the Giveaway, Samantha White Tail, is found murdered.

Because the four members of the Giveaway group were the last to see Samantha alive, each becomes a person of interest in the investigation. And all of them—Mara, Loren, Brody, and Eli—have a complicated history with Samantha.

Despite deep mistrust, the four must now take matters into their own hands and clear their names. Even though one of them may be the murderer.

Reviews
"A stunning debut, as beautiful as it is bold. Cobell has woven an aching examination of grief in an Indigenous community with a thriller brimming with so many secrets and twists, it’ll leave you breathless." — Diana Urban, award-winning author of All Your Twisted Secrets

"A gripping debut thriller with dynamic characters who leap off the page and demand to be heard."  — Jessica Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of The Counselors and The Legacies

"With a complex and beautifully drawn cast of characters and a world that comes to life in vivid color, Looking for Smoke will draw you deep into a mystery that's steeped in grief and shrouded in secrets. This is a story that moves with the relentless beat of the drums, and its echoes reverberate long after you've read the final page." — Ginny Myers Sain, New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies

"An absolute thrilling mystery, that's beautifully told! Looking For Smoke completely blew me away."  — Nick Brooks, author of Promise Boys

"Looking for Smoke opens a heartbreaking window onto the ongoing plague of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, exploring its real world costs. These unforgettable young characters give voice to this ever-growing trauma. Their stories will leave you with a richer understanding of what it means just to survive, as a young Indigenous person today.” — Eric Gansworth, author of Printz Honor Book Apple (Skin to the Core)

"A breathtaking debut thriller filled with raw emotions, life-like characters, and a vivid setting that centers on the all-too-real epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. KA Cobell is a talent to watch, and I can't wait to see what she does next." — Liz Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of the Agathas series and The Lucky Ones

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+

Additional Information
416 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

Ezra Cloud hates living in Northeast Minneapolis. His father is a professor of their language, Ojibwe, at a local college, so they have to be there. But Ezra hates the dirty, polluted snow around them. He hates being away from the rez at Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation. And he hates the local bully in his neighborhood, Matt Schroeder, who terrorizes Ezra and his friend Nora George.

Ezra gets into a terrible fight with Matt at school defending Nora, and that same night, Matt’s house burns down. Instantly, Ezra becomes a prime suspect. Knowing he won’t get a fair deal, and knowing his innocence, Ezra’s family sends him away to run traplines with his grandfather in a remote part of Canada, while the investigation is ongoing. But the Schroeders are looking for him…

From acclaimed author Anton Treuer comes a novel that’s both taut thriller and a raw, tender coming-of-age story, about one Ojibwe boy learning to love himself through the love of his family around him.

Reviews
“Where Wolves Don't Die will lift you up and not let you down. Anton Treuer knows how to tell a gripping story and the suspense doesn't let up for a single page. Along the way you'll learn about Ojibwe lifeways, languages, sharp jokes, gentle humor, and how to keep romantic love alive from youth to old age. I couldn't put this book down until I'd finished it, and then, I could not forget it.”—Louise Erdrich, Pulitzer Prize winner and owner of Birchbark Books

“I am in awe, crying and smiling at the same time. Where Wolves Don’t Die is a love letter to our Ancestors.”—Angeline Boulley

“Treuer immerses the reader in Ojibwe culture in this suspenseful novel of wilderness survival… An essential illumination of contemporary Indigenous life.”—Booklist

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

Set in the Canadian wilderness, Where Wolves Don't Die is a thrilling YA coming-of-age novel that has garnered praise from Angeline Boulley, Booklist, and more. A suspenseful adventure tale for teens.

Additional Information
256 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

In this engrossing graphic novel, teen hockey player Chase learns more about himself and his identity in the face of prejudice and homophobia.

Thirteen-year-old Chase’s life and identity should be simple. He’s the goalie for his hockey team, the Eagles. He’s a friend to Kevin and Jade. He's Kookum's youngest grandchild. He’s a boy. He should like girls.

But it’s not that simple. Chase doesn’t like girls the way that the other boys do. It’s scary being so different from his peers. Scarier still is the feeling that his teammates can tell who he is—and that they hate him for it. If he pretends hard enough, maybe he can hide the truth.

Real strength and change can’t come from a place of shame. Chase’s dreams are troubled by visions of a bear spirit, and the more he tries to hide, the more everything falls apart. With the help of an Elder, and a Two-Spirit mentor, can Chase find the strength to be proud of who he is?

Between the Pipes explores toxic masculinity in hockey through the experiences of an Indigenous teen.

Reviews
“Highlights the importance of community and cultural connection as roots for embracing one’s identity.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The authors deftly confront multiple layers of intolerance exacerbated by toxic masculinity. Ojibwe artist RL uses saturated full color (with well-placed, empowering rainbows) to capture Chase’s self-empowering journey. The result is a compelling, hope-giving antidote against potential at-risk suicide among 2-Spirit/Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ youth.” — Booklist

“This hopeful...story offers valuable insight into Chase’s experience as a gay, Indigenous teen. Hockey and identity collide in this affirming graphic novel about recognizing and valuing one’s authentic self.” — School Library Journal

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 - 18.

Reading Level: Fountas & Pinnell Y

Additional Information
56 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

Young Ryan Fox gets good grades, but he’s not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. It isn’t until he meets a Blackfoot doctor during a school assembly that he starts to dream big.

However, becoming a doctor isn’t easy. University takes Ryan away from his family and the Siksikaitsitapi community, and without their support, he begins to struggle. Faced with more stress than he’s ever experienced, he turns to partying. Distracted from his responsibilities, his grades start to slip. His bills pile up. Getting into med school feels impossible. And now his beloved uncle is in jail. Can Ryan regain his footing to walk the path he saw so clearly as a boy?

This inspiring graphic novel for young adults is based on a true story.

Awards

• NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book 2025 Winner
• CBC Young Adult Favorites 2025 Winner
• 2025 Next Generation Indie Book Award (Graphic Novel) Winner

Reviews
“Readers will root for Chase as he struggles with realistic problems like failing grades, acute stress, near-alcoholism, bills, and suddenly becoming a dad….The Rez Doctor is an uplifting and realistic narrative of achieving your dreams and giving back to your community.” — Youth Services Book Review

“…this graphic novel would be a good addition to any collection.” — School Library Journal

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+

Themes, Subjects, and Big Ideas: YA Fiction, Graphic Novels, Coming of Age, Careers, Occupations, New Experiences.

Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) Level: Z

Additional Information
64 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

In this moving graphic novel, thirteen-year-old Reanna grieves the loss of her older sister. Can she find comfort through her family’s Ojibwe traditions?

It’s been a year since Reanna’s sister, Chelsea, went missing on her way home from school. Without any idea of what happened, Reanna and her family struggle to find closure.

Driven from their home by memories, Reanna’s mom moves to the big city. Left behind on the reserve, Reanna and her little brother go to live with their dad.

Reanna is hurt and angry that her mom has run away. She feels lonely, abandoned… but she is not alone. Lights turn on in empty rooms, and objects move without being touched.

There are little moons everywhere.

Reviews
"Little Moons has all the hallmarks of becoming a cherished companion for young hearts navigating the turbulent waters of grief and loss. This graphic novel not only offers solace but also illuminates the path toward healing. Little Moons gently guides readers through the darkest of nights, reminding them that even in moments of profound sadness, there is still light to be found."—Tasha Spillett, New York Times bestselling author 

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

Subjects, Themes, and Big Ideas: Death, Grief, Siblings, Paranormal, Graphic Novels, Socail Justice, MMIWG2S, Prejudice and Racism, Social Emotional Learning, Aspects of Indigenous Cultures, Smudging, Powwow, Spirituality and Ceremony, Regalia, Traditional Art, Contemporary Setting, Strong Female Characters.

Fountas & Pinnell Z+

Additional Information
64 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Paperback

Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She’s always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories.

Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he’s been cast from home. He's found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake.

Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli’s best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven’t been in centuries.

And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.

Darcie Little Badger introduced herself to the world with Elatsoe. In A Snake Falls to Earth, she draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed.

Reviews
"Evokes the timeless feeling of listening to traditional oral storytelling.”—Kirkus Reviews

“If Elatsoe was a ten out of ten, then A Snake Falls to Earth is a solid 11. This book could have been twice as long and I still would have begged for more. Although aimed at a young-adult audience, it has the kind of easy appeal and heartfelt tone that will entice younger kids and older adults as well. Anyone reading or buying YA needs to add this to their shelves immediately.” — Locus

“This is a delightful and imaginative novel with alternating protagonists. One is Nina, a teenager trying to translate a story told by her great-great-grandmother in her native Athabaskan language, Lipan. The other is Oli, a cottonmouth snake with the ability to shapeshift, who is learning to find his way after being pushed from the nest. Climate change features, informed by the author’s geoscience degree and PhD in oceanography. Another theme is linguistic diversity and the crucial role of storytelling in keeping cultures alive. A Snake Falls to Earth is also very much a story of friendship.”—Five Books

Educator Information
Recommended by publisher for ages 12 to 18.

#OwnVoices Lipan Apache author.

An original work of Indigenous futurism that draws on Lipan Apache storytelling traditions.

Additional Information
384 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Paperback