Action / Adventure

Kaya and Tala, the adventurous twins, are back from their exploits in Spirit Quest on a new mission to discover why children are disappearing from one of their tribe''s villages. Earth dwarves are being blamed for the missing children, but the twins are sure they''re not at fault. Something very sinister is happening, so once again the sister and brother set out with Yahet (Y for short), their friend and companion, to rescue the kidnapped children. Along the way they meet a mysterious owl, a cedar ogre, demons galore, Aixos, the most ferocious of all sea serpents, and the Thunderbird himself!

Additional Information
88 pages | 6.00" x 9.00"

Baron has always been fascinated by bears—their gentle strength and untamed power. But the Bearwalker legend, passed down by his Mohawk ancestors, tells of a different kind of creature—a terrible mix of human and animal that looks like a bear but is really a bloodthirsty monster.

The tale never seemed to be more than a scary story . . . until a class camping trip deep in the Adirondacks, when Baron comes face-to-face with an evil being that is all too real.

Reviews
“This fast-paced survival story is a great read for mystery fans, and it also addresses the delicate balance between humans and nature.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Bruchac spins a striking story, filled with interesting information about bears, chilling moments around the campfire, and life–or–death chase scenes. Readers will return again and again to this adventure tale.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Additional Information
240 pages | 5.12" x 7.62"

Devin, Nadia and Marcus are on their way to visit their environmentalist parents who are working to stop a logging company from clear-cutting a remote valley. When their plane crashes and the pilot is killed, the kids are left to survive in the wild with Wiley, a government bureaucrat, who is the only other passenger on the plane. Learning to build a shelter and make a fire in the woods, they discover that Wiley is working with the logging company and will do anything to stop the secret getting out. On the run and in mortal danger, the three must outrun Wiley, escape a raging forest fire and outwit a hungry grizzly bear to make it to safety.

Combining pulse-pounding adventure and survival skills in a colorful graphic novel format, Graphic Guides are sure to be a hit with young readers. Wild Ride is packed with survival tips including how to build a fire and set a broken limb.

Educator & Series Information
This graphic novel is part of the A Graphic Guide Adventure series.

Recommended Ages: 9-12.

Additional Information
64 pages | 5.75" x 8.00"

Sometimes even shamans get cranky. That was baby Wolverine’s misfortune — to be cursed by an out-of-sorts shaman frustrated by his own baby daughter’s incessant crying. Not only has shaman Paaliaq forbidden the future marriage of Wolverine to Breath, Paaliaq’s beautiful but teary baby girl, he has cursed Wolverine, banishing him when he becomes a young man. And even when a contrite Paaliaq later revokes the curse, the shaman’s even crankier magic animal will not. Now Wolverine finds himself stranded on a barren island, locked in a life-or-death struggle to return to his home, his family and a very special young girl.

Michael Kusugak, consummate storyteller and bestselling author, conjures up an Inuit tale of adventure, perseverance and first-time love shot through with humanity and humour. This is a story perfect for its pre-teen and ’tween audience, where even the strong and the mighty have bad days, the bully gets his due and a dream can come true.

Author's Note: "I was thinking The Curse Of The Shaman, A Marble Island Story would make a wonderful book for those studying Inuit in social studies programs."

Reviews
"Wonderful! I loved every minute of it. Native story-telling at its best."— Tomson Highway, author of Fox on the Ice and Dragonfly Kites

Additional Information
168 pages | 5.50" x 8.25"

The year is 1959, and fifteen-year-old Nipishish returns to his Métis reserve in northern Quebec after being kicked out of residential school, where the principal tells him he's a good-for-nothing who, like all Indians, can look forward to a life of drunkenness, prison and despair. 

The reserve, however, offers nothing to Nipishish. He feels even more isolated here. He remembers little of his late mother and father. In fact, he seems to know less about himself than the people at the band office. He must try to rediscover the old ways, face the officials who find him a threat, and learn the truth about his father's death.

Adolescents will find inspiration in his courage to reclaim his identity and claim his rightful place on the reserve. The book also provides great insight into the roots of many ongoing Indigenous issues.

Awards

• Winner of the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 12-15.

Curriculum Connections: Indigenous Studies, History, Geography, Social Sciences, English

Additional Information
256 pages | 4.25" x 7.00" | Written by Michel Noel. Translated by Shelley Tanaka.