LOW FLAT RATE $9.90 AUST-WIDE DELIVERY

Close Notification

Your cart does not contain any items

The Barren Grounds

The Misewa Saga, Book One

David A Robertson

$37.99

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

QTY:

English
Prentice Hall Press
08 December 2020
Narnia meets traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations in an epic middle grade fantasy series from award-winning author David Robertson.

Narnia meets traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations in an epic middle grade fantasy series from award-winning author David Robertson.

Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home -- until they find a secret place, walled off in an unfinished attic bedroom.

A portal opens to another reality, Aski, bringing them onto frozen, barren grounds, where they meet Ochek (Fisher). The only hunter supporting his starving community, Misewa, Ochek welcomes the human children, teaching them traditional ways to survive. But as the need for food becomes desperate, they embark on a dangerous mission. Accompanied by Arik, a sassy Squirrel they catch stealing from the trapline, they try to save Misewa before the icy grip of winter freezes everything -- including them.
By:  
Imprint:   Prentice Hall Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 218mm,  Width: 146mm, 
ISBN:   9780735266100
ISBN 10:   0735266107
Pages:   256
Publication Date:  
Recommended Age:   From 9 to 12 years
Audience:   Children/juvenile ,  English as a second language
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

DAVID A. ROBERTSON is the author of numerous books for young readers including Governor General's Literary Award winners On the Trapline and When We Were Alone. The Barren Grounds, Book 1 of The Misewa Saga series, was a Kirkus, NPR, and Quill & Quire best middle-grade book of 2020, as well as a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection. The third book in the series, The Stone Child, was a 2023 co-winner of the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award (Older Category). Winner of the Writers' Union of Canada's Freedom to Read Award, as well as the 2021 Globe and Mail Children's Storyteller of the Year recipient, Dave is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg, Canada. For more information, visit his website- www.darobertson.ca and follow him on X- @DaveAlexRoberts.

Reviews for The Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga, Book One

David A. Robertson has written such a fine, beautiful novel. He manages to combine hard truths about our history with a Narnia-like fantasy, sweeping us into the world of the story while opening our hearts as well. --Susin Nielsen, author of We Are All Made of Molecules and No Fixed Address This middle-grade fantasy deftly and compellingly centers Indigenous culture. --STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews This is a book that is rich in its characterization, evocative in its descriptions, and skillful in its weaving together of traditions of the past and life in the present. --CM Magazine Reminiscent of C.S. Lewis's Narnia stories, this fantasy is very much its own tale of ruptured Indigenous culture, of environmental reciprocity and care. --Toronto Star


  • Nominated for Governor General's Literary Award - Young People's Literature - Text 2021
  • Nominated for Governor General’s Literary Award - Young People’s Literature - Text 2021
  • Nominated for Panda Book Award 2021
  • Nominated for Silver Birch Award for Fiction 2021
  • Short-listed for Diamond Willow Award 2021
  • Short-listed for National Chapter IODE Violet Downey Award 2021

See Inside

See Also