The Barren Grounds, David A. Robertson
The Barren Grounds, David A. Robertson
List: $17.99 | Sale: $12.59
Club: $8.99

The Barren Grounds
The Misewa Saga, Book One

Author: David A. Robertson

Narrator: Brefny Caribou

Unabridged: 7 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tundra Books

Published: 10/13/2020


Synopsis

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, Askí, 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.

About The Author

DAVID A. ROBERTSON is the author of numerous books for young readers including When We Were Alone, which won the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award and was nominated for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. Strangers, the first book in his Reckoner trilogy, a young adult supernatural mystery, won the 2018 Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction (Manitoba Book Awards). A sought-after speaker and educator, Dave is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg. For more information, visit his website: www.darobertson.ca and follow him on Twitter: @DaveAlexRoberts


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lisa on May 01, 2022

I was drawn to this book because my mother was born in Winnipeg and spent her first eight and a half years there, and also I love orphan stories foster kids stories, Native stories, school stories, and children’s literature. It pains me to rate this with only 3 stars and I even considered it rating i......more

Goodreads review by Katy O. on July 04, 2021

Middle grade Indigenous adventure / fantasy MAGIC. A fellow reader recommended this as a perfect swap for, or comparison to, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and that was spot on. The messages in this story about the horrors inflicted by Whites upon Indigenous peoples in Canada, as well as the......more

Goodreads review by Jenna on November 15, 2020

Review originally published 4 Sept. 2020 at Falling Letters. I first encountered Robertson’s work about eight years ago, during my undergrad uni days studying children’s literature. Courses with topics such as graphic novels and Indigenous literature highlighted his work.. At that time, Robertson was......more

Goodreads review by Darla on September 01, 2020

Finding a portal into another world is the dream of every kid. For Morgan and Eli, a well-drawn sketch of the Barren Lands transports the two into a parallel world in need of their help. The Barren Lands are in perpetual winter and its walking, talking animals are running out of food. Morgan and Eli......more

Goodreads review by Read by Curtis on February 16, 2021

I really wanted to love The Barren Grounds, but I can honestly say that it was, at best, okay. Here's what I liked: Local author, with several references to Winnipeg and Winnipeg locations. Go Winnipeg! The main characters are foster children (all students deserve to see themselves rep......more


Quotes

A 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award for Young People's Literature Nominee
One of Quill & Quire's Best Books of 2020
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the 21st Century
Recommended by booksellers on NPR's Code Switch
One of CBC Books' Best Middle-Grade and Young Adult Books of 2020
One of Canadian Children's Book News’ Best Books of 2020
A CBC Books Bestseller

PRAISE FOR The Barren Grounds:

"This middle-grade fantasy deftly and compellingly centers Indigenous culture." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

“[T]he treatment of Cree culture resonates, and the engaging characters and folklore ensure readers will look forward to the next installment.” —Publishers Weekly

“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

The Barren Grounds has a strong message about living with the earth and not taking more than you need.”Toronto Public Library

"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


Awards

  • Diamond Willow Award
  • First Nations Communities Read Award
  • Governor General’s Literary Award - Young People’s Literature - Text
  • National Chapter IODE Violet Downey Award
  • Panda Book Award
  • Rocky Mountain Book Award
  • Silver Birch Award for Fiction
  • Surrey Schools Book of the Year
  • TD Canadian Children's Literature Award