The Birchbark House Series

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this award-winning sequel to Chickadee, acclaimed author Louise Erdrich continues her celebrated Birchbark House series with the story of an Ojibwe family in nineteenth-century America.

Named for the Ojibwe word for little bear, Makoons and his twin, Chickadee, have traveled with their family to the Great Plains of Dakota Territory.

There they must learn to become buffalo hunters and once again help their people make a home in a new land. But Makoons has had a vision that foretells great challenges—challenges that his family may not be able to overcome.

Based on Louise Erdrich’s own family history, this fifth book in the series features black-and-white interior illustrations, a note from the author about her research, and a map and glossary of Ojibwe terms.

Reviews
“Erdrich continues her excellent storytelling. She has a knack for creating humorous and endearing characters. This beautiful novel is quick moving and deeply affecting. Readers will thoroughly enjoy following Makoons and learning about Ojibwe life.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Warm intergenerational moments abound. Erdrich provides fascinating information about Ojibwe daily life. Readers will be enriched by Erdrich’s finely crafted corrective to the Eurocentric dominant narrative of America’s past.” — Horn Book (starred review)

“Erdrich’s simple text and delicate pencil illustrations provide a detailed, honest portrait of Plains life. A warm and welcome addition to the unfolding saga of a 19th-century Ojibwe family.” — Kirkus Reviews

Educator & Series Information
This is the fifth book in the Birchbark House Series, a series of Indigenous juvenile fiction novels written by Ojibwe writer Louise Erdrich.

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

Additional Information
192 pages | 5.12" x 7.62"

Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, Chickadee is the first novel of a new arc in the critically acclaimed Birchbark House series by New York Times bestselling author Louise Erdrich.

Twin brothers Chickadee and Makoons have done everything together since they were born—until the unthinkable happens and the brothers are separated.

Desperate to reunite, both Chickadee and his family must travel across new territories, forge unlikely friendships, and experience unexpected moments of both unbearable heartache and pure joy. And through it all, Chickadee draws from the strength of his namesake, the chickadee, to carry him home.

Chickadee continues the story of one Ojibwe family's journey through one hundred years in America. In a starred review, School Library Journal proclaimed, "Readers will be more than happy to welcome little Chickadee into their hearts."

The paperback edition includes additional material, such as an interview with the author and activities. This story of Chickadee and his family is based on Louise Erdrich’s own family history.

Educator & Series Information
This is the fourth book in the Birchbark House Series, a series of Indigenous juvenile fiction novels written by Ojibwe writer Louise Erdrich.

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

Additional Information
224 pages | 5.12" x 7.62"

Here follows the story of a most extraordinary year in the life of an Ojibwe family and of a girl named "Omakayas," or Little Frog, who lived a year of flight and adventure, pain and joy, in 1852.

When Omakayas is twelve winters old, she and her family set off on a harrowing journey. They travel by canoe westward from the shores of Lake Superior along the rivers of northern Minnesota, in search of a new home. While the family has prepared well, unexpected danger, enemies, and hardships will push them to the brink of survival. Omakayas continues to learn from the land and the spirits around her, and she discovers that no matter where she is, or how she is living, she has the one thing she needs to carry her through.

Richly imagined, full of laughter and sorrow, The Porcupine Year continues Louise Erdrich's celebrated series, which began with The Birchbark House, a National Book Award finalist, and continued with The Game of Silence, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

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

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

Additional Information
224 pages | 5.12" x 7.62"

Her name is Omakayas, or Little Frog, because her first step was a hop, and she lives on an island in Lake Superior.It is 1850, and the lives of the Ojibwe have returned to a familiar rhythm: they build their birchbark houses in the summer, go to the ricing camps in the fall to harvest and feast, and move to their cozy cedar log cabins near the town of LaPointe before the first snows.

The satisfying routines of Omakayas's days are interrupted by a surprise visit from a group of desperate and mysterious people. From them, she learns that all their lives may drastically change. The chimookomanag, or white people, want Omakayas and her people to leave their island in Lake Superior and move farther west. Omakayas realizes that something so valuable, so important that she never knew she had it in the first place, is in danger: Her home. Her way of life.

In this captivating sequel to National Book Award nominee The Birchbark House, Louise Erdrich continues the story of Omakayas and her family.

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

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

Additional Information
288 pages | 5.12" x 7.62"