I agree with the statement that this feels very Narnia-esque and here's why:

We follow Morgan, that lives in a foster house with Katie and James and Eli, the other foster kid. Morgan seems to be a very angry and disconnected-from-her-origins type of kid. She seems to be unhappy and not very friendly, even to Eli.
On the way to school one day Morgan decides to start talking with Eli and find out more about him. For example, why is he always caring a drawing pad with him to which he answers that it was a gift from his father. And the drawing pad is the start of their adventure.
I feel like the beginning of the book drags quite a lot and the real adventure/story only starts 2/3 into the book but when it picks up it get's really good.
Now back to the drawing pad! Unfortunately the one gifted by Eli's father gets ruined and Morgan decides to gift him a new one to cheer him up. When they get back home, Eli, starts drawing right away and he draws a snowy landscape that magically comes to life one night.
So when Eli decides to visit this new land, Morgan has no other option but to go too and get him back.
In this strange land they meet Ochek, a fisher and various other two-legged animals such as talking bears, owls, foxes and others. Another really important character is Arik, that later on joins the trio on their quest.
Ochek tells them they they are in the land of Askí more specifically Misewa. And in this strange land is always winter or the White Time like they like to call it. Ochek explains to the kids that the reason for this is because the Man stole the summer birds and they are stuck in the winter forever and that to get back the Green Time they need to get those birds back..
And so Morgan and Eli decide to help Ochek and therefore the rest of the village, that were dying of hunger, in this great new adventure.

This is the book I've been waiting for. Recent years have given us many heartbreaking stories about the residential school system and how that affected our indigenous population - this story gives you a glimpse in what life was like in the aftermath.
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.
The well-intentioned attempts of the (white) foster parents to connect the children with their indigenous heritage are uncomfortable, but they should be. This is a very difficult topic and does provide cringe-worthy scenes, all while showing some of the fascinating culture in Aski. I can't wait for book 2!

An intriguing introduction into the world of Askí, which is inspired by the author's Indigenous background. Reminiscent of the Narnia trope of going through a doorway into another world, the two children in "The Barren Grounds" must set out to rescue the Summer Birds from captivity. Absolutely loved the world building in this book. The author has done a fabulous job setting up the premise and I can't wait to read book 2 of this series!

This book was such a cosy read that shows how kids too have to grapple with the issues adults tackle too; belonging and community. Especially when you come from a minority culture.

It follows Morgan and Eli, two indigenous kids in Canada living with their white foster parents. Morgan, who is a few years older than Eli, has been in the foster system ever since she can remember. This makes her feel disconnected from her community and she is always angry as a result. Where does she belong? Does she even belong anywhere? Meanwhile, Eli has the memories of his community always with him as he ended up in the foster system much later in life. He can speak Cree. But he is always sad as he misses his community desperately. Morgan envies him, though because she feels he is more connected with their people than she is.

Eli, who is an artist, unknowingly opens a portal to another world, Askí where animals can talk. They cross over into this parallel universe where time moves much faster than it does here on earth and meet a hunter, Ocheck, who tells them that his village, Misewa, has been cursed for the past few years and now it is always winter. They agree to help Ocheck and the other Misewans vanquish the perpetual winter. This leads them on an adventure that will give them both closure on what it means to belong with their community.

The book gave me such a warm buzz with its callbacks to The Chronicles of Narnia, which is one of my favourite series' of all time. I was a young kid again, following Morgan and Eli as they helped save a world, and helped heal themselves too. I also learned a lot about the culture of the Indigenous community in Canada.

The poem at the end is so beautiful! It will linger in my mind for a while...

Some of my favourite quotes include:

"Say it again, like you remember it," Eli said. "Like you can speak it. Like you've always spoken it."

"In the books she read, it would exist only because of magic, but while there were talking animals on Askí, she was pretty sure there were no ice queens sleighing around, manifesting Turkish delights to tempt little boys."

"The land provides everything that anybody would need. If you take only what you need, the land renews itself so that it can provide more...When you take more than the land can provide, it stops giving."

"Nobody's really gone if they aren't forgotten."

I don’t often read middle-grade for no particular reason. There are a number of books on my TBR that actually happen to be middle-grade but for whatever reason, I’ve continually put off reading them. The Barren Grounds quickly reminded me how great these books can be, even if they’re intended for an audience much younger than myself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am going to get the negative out of the way by saying there is none. This is an amazing book, with amazing character development and world-building. It also serves as an introduction to indigenous culture for those who may not as familiar with it. This book had me in tears at one point, and I was so invested in the world. The books does have some similarities to the classic Chronicles of Narnia, but I personally found this much more interesting and engaging.

I learned some new things about indigenous culture from this book that sparked an internet deep-dive into the history of many First Nations people, their beliefs and cultural practices. I found my eyes opened to a culture, that I was aware of but never truly saw. This book opens the readers to a fantasy world, yes, but it also opens a part of our world so often forgotten or overlooked. I want everyone to read this book, be moved by the story, and be inspired to learn more. I recommend reading this book, and then going out and finding out more about the beautiful stories that inspired this one.

This book was so much fun and so amazing! For anyone looking for a fast paced read with adventure and storytelling, this is the book for you! The description is perfect, Narnia meets Indigenous stories, and that's exactly how it feels.

I loved Morgan's character, I liked how her anger felt real and didn't feel forced throughout the story. There are some people who just find it easier to be angry than feel all their other emotions and Morgan was this character. I appreciated her, even as an adult I find myself just being angry because it's easier. Than on the flipside you have Eli. Who I would really describe as cool, calm, and collected, so basically the opposite of Morgan. But the two of them together made for an amazing story. They had this natural protectiveness of each other in totally different ways. Morgan protected him like he was her younger brother, and Eli protected her from herself. It was a nice insight to see Eli basically calling her out on her wrongs, but in a nice way.

The world itself seemed very simplistic, but it was appreciated for a middle grade novel. Some YA or adult fantasy can go on and on about the worldbuilding, but for a middle grade novel, it was kept to the point. I loved the story and the conflict that the characters are facing. I can't go too much into detail without giving the entire book away, but it was done in such a way that didn't just seem like another fantasy novel. There are many similarities between Narnia and this book, such as portal to another world, talking animals, magic, and even the time halting. But I really liked that it didn't completely feel like a fantasy novel.


Either way, I cannot wait for the next book to be out and be able to read the rest of the series! I'm excited to see how it all comes together.

Morgan and Eli are Indigenous foster children who live in the same foster house in Winnipeg. Eli has just moved in, and even though Morgan moved in two months before, she doesn’t feel comfortable yet because she hasn’t ever had a comfortable long term home. Their foster parents try to make the children feel more at home by bringing in Indigenous traditions, but it only pushes them away further. One night, Morgan and Eli sneak up to the attic and discover a portal into Misewa, a land with talking animals. Misewa has become barren, with a winter that has lasted years. Morgan and Eli have to help their new friend, Ochek the fisher, bring the green time back to their land while also learning about their Indigenous heritage.

This story reminded me of the Chronicles Narnia, but with Indigenous roots. The land that they travel to has talking animals who walk on two legs and speak Cree. This story had some creative aspects because Morgan is a writer and Eli is an artist. It is through Eli’s drawing that they find the mysterious land. As a writer, I liked how these creative arts connected that world with ours.

Though Morgan is from an Indigenous background, she doesn’t know their traditions. She has been in foster care for as long as she can remember, so she doesn’t feel a connection to her heritage. When her foster parents bring in Indigenous food and moccasins for her to wear in an attempt to get closer to her, it pushes her further away because she doesn’t have that connection to her heritage. This reminded me of the residential schools in Canada. Years ago, Indigenous children were taken from their homes and sent to residential schools to remove their traditions and cultural history. The way that Morgan didn’t know her own background reminded me of that because she had also been removed from her family and heritage. However, this wasn’t quite as devastating for Morgan as it was for the children who were sent to residential schools because she was able to learn some of her Indigenous heritage on their trip to Misewa.

This is a beautiful middle grade story. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this #ownvoices middle grade fantasy book about two Indigenous kids in Winnipeg, Manitoba coming together and going on an epic adventure is so beautifully written and such a great addition to the middle grade fantasy genre! It's the first book I've read by David Alexander Robertson but I definitely want to read more! It's about adventure, discovery and family. I related so much to Morgan and her smart banter was so refreshing and fun to read! Eli is also an amazing character and a sweet, sensitive balance to Morgan's sharp and edgy wit. This book is definitely compared to the Chronicles of Narnia but with traditional Indigenous stories. I would definitely recommend a re-read of Narnia just to see if it stood up to time and how an #ownvoices also stands up to a classic. I would also recommend This Tender Land which also has elements of children on an adventure and family that is created but it does not have a fantasy element to it and it's not middle grade. But adult readers who loved this might love This Tender Land as I did. I also would say it could lead to a reading of A Wrinkle in Time as it also has some fantasy and travel in it. It's also a great book for kids who had enjoyed The Magic Treehouse series as a younger reader and want to try a middle grade book that has the same elements of adventure and travel.

An exciting start to a series. The information on indigenous ways of being is skilfully tied into a strong story, without too much of an information dump. Undoubtedly Morgan is the most deftly drawn character, her emotions and emotional journey are evocatively described. Ochek, , Arik Eli and the others have interesting characteristics as well, but we don’t really get into their heads as much. As it is a series, there may be time and space in future books to journey from another character's perspectives. While this journey and plot were quite satisfying, there are so many worthy elements about the past and future of Aski, its connection to our earth left unanswered, that readers have a lot to look forward to.

Irritated Morgan is thirteen year old First Nations kid. She has lived in White foster homes all her life. Morgan doesn’t believe that anyone could like her. So when a classmate comes up to her at lunchtime and asks if she can sit with her, she is not friendly. When her foster parents get another foster kid, she finds that he is a young Cree boy who likes to draw. There is a blowup at the dinner table when Morgan is given a pair of moccasins by her foster mother. She runs to her secret hiding spot in the attic. Eli goes up to the attic a and finds Morgan. They talk. Eli shows Morgan his drawings and Morgan hangs up one picture of a village. They are surprised by the hung up drawing looks as it looks like you could walk into another world. Morgan wakes up because she is freezing in bed. She feels a cold wind blowing from the attic. She goes to check on Eli and finds him not in his bed or the house. She decides to go up to the attic. When she looks at the drawing, she can tell Eli has gone into the drawing. She decides she must go in and bring Eli home. What will Morgan find? She finds Eli within a building with Ochek (Fisher)who is a native of Misewa. The natives of Misewa are animals that walk on two legs and talk. Misewa is in a constant state of winter known as the White Time which is causing the natives a slow starvation. Someone has stolen the birds that control the four seasons. It it critical for Ochek and the two humans to find the birds. The three of them are given the blessings of the elders and community. Will they succeed? Will they find help along the way?

In this fantasy, I found myself completely absorbed in it.. I loved their adventures with the surprising twists and turns while on the trail. There are a few surprises that I didn’t expect. There is friendship, loyalty,bullies, and forgiveness in the story which added to the novel. It’s a great beginning for the series. I can’t wait for the next book to read!

The Barren Grounds, by David A. Robertson, is a middle-grade fantasy unlike any other.

At first, The Barren Grounds calls to mind Narnia with children traveling from the real world into a magical land covered in snow. There are walking, talking animals who live in houses. There’s an evil villain whose actions have left the land in permanent winter.

But The Barren Grounds is more than that. The book is built on traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations, and it is so much better for it. As a white reader, I was fascinated by the traditions, I empathized with white foster parents who are trying their hardest and still not “getting it,” and my heart ached for Morgan and Eli. I can’t speak to whether it embodies truths of Indigenous peoples, however, author David A. Robertson is a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, and I trust he knows his stuff.

The Barren Grounds has to main elements.

First, it is a story of self-discovery. Morgan is angry. She’s angry at everyone and everything that crosses her path. But there’s a part of Morgan that wants more, which in turn, makes her angrier. Morgan has never really experienced love. She’s never been fully included in a family. So when it’s offered to her, she doesn’t know what to do. The one thing she does know, is that she doesn’t want to go backward. Her inner dialogue, her regulation of feelings and the tidal wave of emotions that flow from the pages ring true.

Eli, who plays a more supporting role, is also working through how he ended up in foster care. This is Eli’s first placement, though, and his experiences help put Morgan’s situation in perspective.

The second element is the adventure. The magical world in which the children find themselves is both foreign and familiar. In many ways, they feel more at home there. This grounds the fantasy and helps the reader place themselves in Misewa.

The Barren Grounds is the first book in a planned series, and I look forward to where Robertson takes readers next.

This middle grade fantasy novel, featuring two indigenous youths, is the first in David Robertson’s Misewa Saga. Morgan and Eli are living in a supportive foster home. The attic of the house contains a painted over door that turns out to be a portal into Aski and the Misewa people.
Morgan has no memory of her family. She’s been in numerous negative homes and has trust and abandonment issues. This is Eli’s first time away from his family. The two of them are staying with a professional couple who are foster parenting for their first time. They are trying to do a good job, but make mistakes. Morgan has taken Eli under her wing and the two children have bonded.

Eli is a gifted artist whose artwork turns out to have paranormal qualities. When one of his paintings is combined with the attic door, the two children end up in the world of animal people. One of them, Ochek, (Fisher) rescues them from the barren ground separating the portal from the community of Misewa. The people in the community are starving because in earlier times a man came through the portal and stole the green time. This left the people in perpetual winter. Food is scarce and it is just a matter of time before they all die.

Morgan and Eli end up going on a quest with Ochek and Arik (Squirrel) to find the man and return the summer to the people. Morgan is at first an unwilling participant in this endeavor, but during their journey in Aski she has vision/dreams. By the end, she begins to remember her mother and heritage.

The book is referred to as an indigenous Narnia, and while there are some similarities, I find the comparison irritating. The Barren Grounds stands out all by itself. There is enough action and adventure to keep all kinds of readers engaged. The group has to outwit and defeat a wolf person, steal the birds of summer from the thief, and then make it back to Misewa. It's a fast paced adventure filled with thoughtful interludes that will appeal to indigenous and non indigenous readers alike.

The Barren Grounds left me full of questions: questions about the characters and their families of origin, questions about the Aski community, and questions about future books. When will the next be published?

I can’t help but see parallels between the animal people in the world of Aski who are starving because of one man stealing their green time, and the situation of animals disappearing here in our world because of people causing habitat loss. I wonder what other readers will connect to.

The Barren Grounds by David A Robertson is a wonderful blend of reality and fantasy, or is it? The characters in this book are very well drawn, both in the real world and the other one. I can't wait for further adventures of Eli and Morgan.

3.5 stars rounded up

The blend of Narnia and Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations cinched my decision to read this book. The gorgeous book cover was also one of the reasons I picked it up. I am glad to say I enjoyed reading The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson.

The Barren Grounds is instantly engaging. I could easily relate to Morgan and Eli's disconnect with their foster family and their difficulty in fitting in their school. I could also relate to their foster parents' attempts to win over their hearts.

Due to the disconnect they feel with their current surroundings and their intense longing for their families and community, they both are lonely. Consequently, both stick to themselves and do not interact with others.

Further, Morgan has difficulty believing she deserves kindness from the world. Her mother left her resulting in her low self-esteem. This, in turn, results in her lashing out at others. Eli, on the other hand, is the quiet kid who understands a lot more than he lets it on.

It is only when Morgan is being kind to Eli, and he behaves the same way, that she realizes the fault of her ways.

The Barren Grounds is mysterious and gripping. The portal to Aski plunges Morgan and Eli down a rabbit hole and changes their lives forever. It was exciting to travel with Morgan, Eli, Ochek, and Arik on their perilous adventure and watch them overcome the obstacles on the way.

The book is vividly descriptive. I could visualize the Barren Grounds, the village of Misewa, and the North country. It is a journey of self-discovery, finding your family, and facing your fears head-on. It is also a commentary on how man's greed is destroying nature and inhibiting its ability to provide more for us.

The book starts on a great note, however, at 38% becomes a little boring. The pace picks up again after 45%. The actual journey does not start until after 60%.

The Barren Grounds has a self-sacrificing noble hero, two brave kids eager to go on an adventure, talking animals, and most importantly, snow.

Lots of snow.

The book will appeal to young children a lot. Further, it is a perfect script to be adapted into a movie.

However, I felt the book could have been better. In my humble opinion, the comparison to Chronicles of Narnia might have worked to the book's disadvantage. It is not as grand as the former.

It seems like sequels are possible, and I will be glad to read them as well.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and heartily recommend it for children looking for an exciting adventure.

I loved this book. It is the first in a middle-grade/Indigenous/Fantasy series. It has been described as Narnia meets traditional tradition indigenous stories and that's what drew me to it. I thought the storytelling and imagery were beautiful.

It took me a little while to get through this book for a variety of reasons. Part of it was that I wasn't totally pulled in until about 2/3 of the way through. I didn't especially connect with Morgan until later in the book, but I really liked Eli and some of the other characters they met as they moved along on their adventure. By the end I was rooting for Morgan.

The confrontation with the villain felt a bit anti-climactic, but otherwise I did enjoy the ending. If there is ever a sequel, I'd look forward to reading it.

My Review: I found the synopsis for this one to be very intriguing and was happy I was able to pick it up. It definitely gave me Narnia vibes but with a very different twist. It is slow moving with not a lot of climax but it was more focused on the characters. I really loved following the way Morgan and Eli's characters developed throughout the story and how their relationship changed the more they learned about each other. The Indigenous adds another element to the story, making it so different than other portal stories. The world is so atmospheric, you will feel like you are there, maybe a great book for winter vacation reading. I am definitely intrigued to read more in the series as they come out.

My Review: This was such a great book, I love that some readers will be able to see themselves in this book when there are so few available. I also really enjoyed the way that Megan and Eli were able to grow throughout the story and adventure, it was a great start to a coming of age series. I give it a rating of Four Paws!

"When you take more than the land can provide, it stops giving."

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I really wanted to love this book, but everything that happened in The Barren Grounds was just way too convenient. I had to suspend my disbelief often. Morgan would yell and lose her temper, only to realize seconds later that she was wrong and projecting her feelings of anger, insecurity, and fear onto others. Her emotions would "boil" and "bubble" inside of her until she exploded, but an outburst never lasted long. I don't think a thirteen-year-old is that in control of themselves. I'm thirty-one and even I can't be fuming one second and easily rationalize my anger the next. It takes time.

The other characters were the same way - - everyone was just so understanding. Fisher would get worked up, yell, and then immediately apologize for his behavior. He would even concede that someone else was right, and that he had been in the wrong. People rarely do that! It made everyone's actions feel fake and nearly impossible to relate to. In a perfect world, yes, people would instantly apologize for any and every transgression, and they would see where they were wrong. However, this isn't a perfect world, and children don't have that much self-awareness (at least not in my experience).

I also wasn't a fan of how easy everything was for the characters. They had to travel across a permanent winter wasteland, yet they encountered very few problems. When they did, those problems resolved themselves almost as quickly as they appeared. A solution would just fall out of the sky, or someone would have a change of heart. It wasn't believable. The characters should have struggled more to save the world and learn life-changing lessons.

Morgan's dreams, visions, memories - - whatever they were - - weren't explained very well and made little to no sense. Sure, they were able to help Morgan come to terms with her current situation (the fact that she was in foster care, not that she fell into a magical world). Additionally, her anger seemed to evaporate without really being addressed. I'm not sure how less than a week in Misewa was able to change her personality so drastically, but she was downright bubbly after a few days. She learned how to live off the land (sort of), understand a mom she doesn't remember (sort of), and save people she initially didn't care a about (sort of).

Other things that bugged me:

1) Morgan's teacher told her that her poem was good, but refused to grade it because it lacked "heart." I'm sure Morgan's poem was better than some of the others in her class, and she actually spent a lot of time on it. The teacher's response was dumb. Then she tells Morgan to redo her poem (in a single day), and her reaction to Morgan's revision was equally as frustrating.

2) "When she got to the other side, she let out a huge breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding."

3) A "bad guy" told them that he was going to kill them after x happened, and they apparently forgot all about his warning despite it being a BIG DEAL. They were so surprised when x actually happened, but didn't think to have someone keep watch? Ochek kept a midnight vigil earlier in the book for no real reason, so his lack of a defense was baffling and unbelievable. Ochek is also super good with traps, so why didn't he set one?

4) The way the animals talked, the information they knew, how their world worked - - confusing. It was poorly explained, and rarely elaborated on. Someone from Misewa would say something super vague, and then tell the kids not to worry about it. What?? You have to elaborate when you're describing a fantasy world! Details and the inner-workings are important! Also, what they knew about humans versus what they didn't was super convoluted.

5) Maybe the most important of them all: The animals have been living in an endless winter - - dying from the cold, hunger, etc. - - and the solution was just over a mountain? It took them like two days to get there. Why didn't they band together when it first happened and send scouts in all directions? They would have been better equipped, had more numbers and resources, and probably had fewer problems overall. They've never had to defend or protect themselves before?

That brings me to the conclusion of the book: It was unsatisfying and came together way too easily. The "final confrontation" was worse than some of the fights my three-year-old's have with each other. Basically, it was people yelling nonsense on repeat. I'm sure the author was trying to make a point about people taking more than they should (something that was repeated multiple times throughout the book - - we get it), but the Villain was ridiculous. It was also WAY TOO EASY for them to "fix" everything. Nothing was heavily guarded or patrolled, and their thought-of-it-on-the-spot plan was laughable. I was expecting more after all of the build up.

There's a death in the book that should have gutted me, but I honestly didn't care. Their death was a waste and totally avoidable. Pretty much every issue they had was preventable, if they'd just thought through what they were going to do beforehand. Poor planning and sloppy execution were their downfall. Besides, what they needed to retrieve would have been dead long before they'd arrived, if they'd really been kept in those conditions. Also, no explanations whatsoever (other than the greed of humans and what have you).

Morgan's lack of self-preservation was also noticeable, and her bravado unconvincing. Her lackluster everything didn't make her a very likable or relatable character. Eli, Ochek, and Arik were better, but not by much. The animals knew some human expressions but not others, and it all just felt weird and off. We also don't learn why Morgan or Eli were in foster care to begin with, or why Eli has such a violent, knee-jerk reaction to a wolf.

Okay, so things I did like:

1) The book focuses on Indigenous children!

2) Foster care!

3) The foster parents weren't monsters (although Morgan does talk about previous bad experiences), and they tried to incorporate the children's culture into their home to make it feel more welcoming. They accepted the children and didn't want to change them into some cookie cutter version they had in their heads.

4) The book discuses respite care (an aspect of foster care), which isn't something I've seen before in books.

5) I love that there was Cree (an Indigenous language) peppered in throughout the book. Most of the words and phrases were explained, and others I understood based on the context.

6) The story is based on traditional Indigenous stories, but with a modern twist.

7) Misewa was a really interesting (albeit confusing) place, and I only wish it had been better explained and explored.

I know The Barren Grounds is meant for a younger audience, but I felt like I was reading the bones of the book. Like, the author hadn't yet added all of the fleshy bits needed for it to function properly. Maybe the finished product will have more substance and hardship, because I do think this book has a lot of potential. It's unique despite clearly being inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. Everything just happened too easily, the impossible was accepted with hardly any pushback, and important elements were left unaddressed. (★★★⋆☆)

I really enjoyed this book! This book has a fantastic cast of characters that never allows for a dull moment. The writing was wonderfully whimsical in a not too flowery way. Robertson does a great job of balancing the contemporary talk and the fantasy talk. The Cree language and traditions were very important aspects to this world and I loved that Morgan (and the reader) learned new words and phrases and stories along with her. The story had a strong message about importance of the relationship between people, animals and the land. This book also puts forwards the truths of the foster care system in Canada that has an over-representation of Indigenous children. It shows the deep emotional effects it has on children who are removed from their people at such young ages and put into situations that leave them questioning and wondering about who they are.

Overall, is a story about family and finding home in people who may not be blood, but with whom you share ties with. It’s a story about adventure and valuing yourself. It’s about sticking up for yourself and knowing how to practice compassion. It warmed my heart even though it brought the chilly vibes! I think it is a perfect fall or winter read if you really want to be immersed in the atmosphere and feel that bite of the wind!

Oh gosh, this book is so amazing! I have so much to say, but I don’t think I could ever do it justice. Iam beyond words.

This is the story of Morgan and Eli, First Nation teenagers living in a foster home. Morgan is thirteen, angry and frustrated most of the time; she’s not afraid to let’s her thoughts and opinions known. Eli is twelve and is new to the foster home and to the school; he is quiet by nature and a talented artist.

Katie and James are their new foster parents. They seem like good people and are trying to learn and understand the background of their First Nation foster kids.

Although, Morgan and Eli have great foster parents, they still feel empty and lonely. Missing their blood family or missing the idea of them. They have no real friends, and are usually left to rely on each other.

While hiding out in a secret space in the attic, they discover a portal that takes them to Aski. In Aski they meet hind leg walking and human talking animals. But they also meet humans. Together they form friendships and fight for survival on this frozen barren land.

The Barren Grounds is the first book of the Misewa series. Although, intended for the MG individuals, I found that this book could easily grab the attention to anyone 9 and up. Publicized as “Narnia meets Indigenous stories" it is all that and more.

So now for the personal side of my review. You see for me, this book makes my heart hurt, but it maybe it shouldn’t. My First Nations father was also raised in the foster care system. He too, like Morgan, went from foster home to foster home -always a stranger in whatever small community he was taken to, always a stranger in whatever new school he was enrolled in. What would he have given to find a secret potal to a far off land. Would being in Aski be the adventure he needed, would it have been the place where he felt he belonged. Would the struggle in Aski out weight the struggle of real life? Yes, my father had a hard life. But my fathers story would end up better than most, arriving in his final foster home at the age of sixteen and having a good 30+ year relationship with his foster parents until their passing. I was proud of him and with the peace he made. My father was lucky. Unfortunately, not too many First Nation foster kids were.

The Barren Grounds is the type of book I would love to see read in all North American schools. I’m sure there are many First Nation and Non-First Nation kids who could relate to this story or to learn something new from it.

With tears in my eyes, I would like to thank David A. Robertson for writing this amazing book and I look forward to the next one.