Graphic Novels

In 1964, two brothers are taken from the warm and loving care of their grandparents, and spirited away to a residential school, miles from home. James, assigned to manual work on the grounds, sees less and less of his younger brother, Thomas. James soon discovers the anguish that Thomas is living under, which leads to unspeakable tragedy. The pain and guilt that dogs James continues to affect his troubled son, Edwin (introduced in book 1). But a new understanding is dawning between them... Ends/Begins is book 3 in the graphic novel series 7 Generations.

Educator & Series Information
7 Generations is an epic, 4-book graphic novel series by David Alexander Robertson that spans three centuries and seven generations. The central character in the series is Edwin. Edwin, an Indigenous teenager, must learn of his family’s past if he is to have any future. The impact of his journey of discovery, and the revelation that follows, will change his life.

The stories that run through 7 Generations explore the following historical concepts:

• Social customs
• Political structures
• Plains Cree culture
• Spiritual practices and rituals

Recommended for grades 9–12.

Books in this series include:
Book 1: Stone 
Book 2: Scars
Book 3: Ends/Begins
Book 4: The Pact

Additional Information
30 pages | 6.50" x 10.00"

Referencing a classic Haida oral narrative, this stunning full-colour graphic novel documents the powerful story of Red, a leader so blinded by revenge that he leads his community to the brink of war and destruction.

Set in the islands off the northwest coast of B.C., it tells the tale of orphan Red and his sister, Jaada. When raiders attack their village, Red, still a boy, escapes dramatically. But Jaada is whisked away. The loss of Jaada breeds a seething anger, and Red sets out to find his sister and exact revenge on her captors.

Red blends traditional Haida imagery into a Japanese manga-styled story. Tragic and timeless, it is reminiscent of such classic stories as Oedipus Rex, Macbeth and King Lear.

This innovation in contemporary storytelling consists of 108 pages of hand-painted illustrations. When arranged in a specific order, the panels of the narrative create a Haida formline image four metres long. The sequence for this complex design is displayed on the inside jacket.

Educator & Series Information
Haida manga is a contemporary style of Haida comics and print cartoons that explores the elements of both traditional North Pacific Indigenous arts and narrative, while also adapting contemporary techniques of artistic design from the western portion of the North Pacific, namely the Japanese manga from which its name derives.

This book is available in French: Red: Un manga haïda 

Additional Information
120 pages | 8.00" x 8.75"

The year is 1870, and the last great smallpox epidemic is sweeping the prairies. After witnessing the death of his entire family, White Cloud, a young Plains Cree boy, summons the strength to deliver himself from the terrible disease and journey to a new home. Readers also reconnect with Edwin, a lost young man on his own quest who must summon his own courage and travel to confront the main source of his own despair.

Educator Informaiton
Scars is Book 2 in the graphic-novel series 7 Generations.

7 Generations is an epic, 4-book graphic novel series by David Alexander Robertson that spans three centuries and seven generations. The central character in the series is Edwin. Edwin, an Indigenous teenager, must learn of his family’s past if he is to have any future. The impact of his journey of discovery, and the revelation that follows, will change his life.

The stories that run through 7 Generations explore the following historical concepts:

• Social customs
• Political structures
• Plains Cree culture
• Spiritual practices and rituals

Recommended for grades 9–12.

Books in this series include:
Book 1: Stone 
Book 2: Scars
Book 3: Ends/Begins
Book 4: The Pact

This resource is also available in French: 7 Générations: Volume 2.

Additional Information
30 pages | 6.50" x 10.00"

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. Following a vision quest, Stone aspires to be like his older brother, Bear, a member of the Warrior Society. But when Bear is tragically killed during a Blackfoot raid, Stone, the best shot and rider in his encampment, must overcome his grief and avenge his brother's death. Only then can he begin a new life with his bride, Nahoway. It is Stone's story that drives Edwin to embark on his own quest.

Educator & Series Information
Stone is the first book in the graphic novel series, 7 Generations. 7 Generations is an epic, 4-book graphic novel series by David Alexander Robertson that spans three centuries and seven generations. The central character in the series is Edwin. Edwin, an Indigenous teenager, must learn of his family’s past if he is to have any future. The impact of his journey of discovery, and the revelation that follows, will change his life.

The stories that run through 7 Generations explore the following historical concepts:

• Social customs
• Political structures
• Plains Cree culture
• Spiritual practices and rituals

Recommended for grades 9–12.

Books in this series include:
Book 1: Stone 
Book 2: Scars
Book 3: Ends/Begins
Book 4: The Pact

This resource is also available in French as 7 Générations: Volume 1.

Additional Information
30 pages | 6.50" x 10.00"