have been loving The Misewa Saga from the very beginning and this book did not disappoint! The author kept me engaged in the story the entire time with lots of action and some surprising twists and turns along the way. I could feel the author's connection to Norway House in his description of the place which was reminiscent of his previous work Black Water. My son is looking forward to reading this book as well and we can't wait for the series to continue. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the eARC.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for allowing me a sneak peek at this amazing continuation of the Misewa Saga. Much like the first two books, I absolutely fell in love with the story.

The Stone Child begins with Morgan and Eli at the base of the Great Tree. Eli is in a deep slumber and Morgan cannot wake him. She quickly realizes that Mistapew has taken Eli's soul and she must journey into the Northern Woods to rescue him before it is too late.

Of course, Arikwachas rejoins the group in this book and we also get much more development in Emily's character, when Morgan asks her to trust her and come along on the adventure. Mahihkan is also back in this story and his character truly warms my heart.

Without spoiling too much of the story we also learn more about Morgan and her family and she is able to continue her search of discovering who she is and where she comes from.

This book surpassed my expectations and leaves me wanting more and more of this Saga! I truly hope there are many more books to come.

Eli is unconscious, lying by the big tree, and Morgan must figure out what to do. She decides to return to our world and enlist the aid of Emily, the only friend she has at school, other than Eli. Bringing a shocked Emily back to Misewa to watch Eli, she asks the elders for help. None know what might help, so she decides to head out, with the ever helpful and inquisitive Eric, and Emily to look for a way to restore Eli. They have several dangerous encounters, reunite with a former friend, and Morgan begins really opening herself up to Emily.

I love this series so much! I have grown so fond of the two kids, Morgan and Eli, and their slow gaining of trust of each other and their foster parents. Morgan in particular has had to work hard to open up, and she's off balance for much of this book, after finding out about her mother at the end of the previous book. Morgan is raw and hurting, and at the same time determined not to lose Eli, her new family member. Recruiting Emily is an unusual choice, but at the same time, it shows how far Morgan has come from the person we met at the beginning of book one.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A great conclusion to the Misewa Saga!! I really enjoyed this Narnia-esque middle grade fantasy series set in both urban Manitoba and an alternate universe where filled with talking animals. The first half of this book saw Morgan going on a quest in Misewa to save her foster brother Eli's life. Then when they return to reality, the story deals with Morgan's birth mother's death and her desire to reconnect with her kokum (grandmother). I loved how the author seamlessly weaves Cree culture and traditions into the story - from sweatlodges to trapping and living off the land to the sad quality of life on reserves (high costs of fresh food and other amenities, etc). Great on audio too! Much thanks to NetGalley for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I am not usually a fantasy gal. But I LOVE this series and am looking forward to the next one! All people want to see themselves represented in texts, and Robertson writes another fabulous novel where Indigenous children will be able to do just that. Robertson weaves Cree culture, language, and significant issues that affect Indigenous families throughout this entire series. David, thank you for creating such a fabulous series where Indigenous children are represented. Readers will have trouble putting this one down!

This is the much-awaited (okay, people were drooling) third installment in the Misewa Saga. The 2nd book, The Great Bear, left us with a cliffhanger, with Eli non-responsive, having had his soul stolen by a sasquatch-like creature. This book takes Morgan back to Misewa, this time with Emily in tow, to try and save Eli.

This episode in the trilogy is action-packed, and as I read, I couldn't help think about what certain scenes would look like in the planned Disney TV series of the books. There are some very Tremors-esque worms, and students in Grade 5-7 would be hanging on every word in some of the action scenes. My students loved the relationships in the Barren Grounds, the first book in the series, and I think in this one they would just be on the edge of their seats through most of the book.

The world-creation is brilliant here. In each book, Robertson introduces the characters to different parts (or different time periods) of the alternate earth (Aski). Readers who are familiar with the series will be thrilled by the reappearance of some familiar friends (and not-so-friends?) in this book. There is also a lovely, subtle, developing 2SLGBTQ+ storyline that will feel very comfortable and familiar to some intermediate-aged readers. Lots of plot threads get wrapped up as well, which is very satisfying for 9-12 year old readers.

The Stone Child was utterly worth the wait! If you're a teacher, and you haven't introduced your students to this series, you might want to get on that! This one will keep you up finishing the story.

David A. Robertson has grabbed my heart, and soul, with this series. The Misewa Saga follows Eli and Morgan, as they venture into the alternate universe through a portal they have found in their attic. In their daily lives, they live with a foster family in Winnipeg who are doing the best they possibly can to support these two youth. But in Misewa, they are introduced to traditions and teachings that have been taken from them as they grew up.

Robertson handles all of these issues in a way that will be accessible and meaningful to so many youth and adults. I cheer these characters on as they fight monsters and escape harrowing situations, and I cry with them when they grieve the loss of loved ones on both sides of the portal. This is book 3, and I am already anxiously looking forward to book 4. I'm starting to share these books with my 9-year-old grandson, and I'm excited to talk with him about these tales.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my favourite (so far) book in a great series. I can't say much without spoiling the earlier books but if you enjoyed the first two, rush for this one.

The Stone Child is the third book in the Misewa Saga series by David Robertson. I have not read the first two books yet, but have heard lots about them! I am not a huge fantasy lover and coming in midway through the series was definitely a disadvantage for someone like me who doesn’t adapt easily to fantasy worlds, but I could tell right away that this is the kind of book middle grade readers will love and can see why the first two books in the series are spoken so highly about!

This story begins with Morgan and Eli under the great tree, Eli has had his soul taken by Mistapew and Morgan is going to do her best to try to save her brother. Her friend Emily and Arik also help along the way as they make their way to Misewa. There is definitely a race against time feeling in this story because of the time being different in Misewa, with minutes equally days or vice versa? Again, I’m really not great at this fantasy world stuff!

There are a few things that I really liked about this book, even if my comprehension of the fantasy side of things is subpar! The book starts out with a cree language guide and thus important cree words are integrated in the telling of the story. There are several elements of Indigenous culture throughout the book as well, including sweatlodges, longhouses, creation stories, elder knowledge and other land-based teachings. Finally, the book includes mention of the foster care system. Indigenous children are over represented in the foster care system and so offering a story where the characters are in care might actually make it even more relatable to young indigenous readers. Additionally, this series also shows the challenges with the foster care system and the importance of connecting Indigenous children who are in care with elders and other members of their cultural community.

I think this book would be a good fit for older Middle Grade readers, in the 10-14 range. Some of the word choices make this book a bit more in line with these older readers, both because of minor foul language (nothing crazy, but ‘crap’ is on the first page!) and higher level vocabulary. I think this is a great example of a high interest book that is written by an IBPOC author, that incorporates Indigenous teachings and is a must-have for all middle grade school and classroom libraries! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to check out this new series!

I received an e-galley of The Stone Child by David A. Robertson from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange or an honest review.

I absolutely love this book series - The Misewa Saga - by David A. Robertson and have been eagerly awaiting for this third book, The Stone Child, especially after that cliffhanger at the end of book 2, The Great Bear. And I was not disappointed with The Stone Child. The story picks up exactly where we left off at the end of The Great Bear with Morgan and Eli underneath the Great Tree. Morgan wakes up to find her brother next to her, but Eli is not waking up after having his soul taken by Mistapew. While the Elders don't believe that there's anything to be done, Morgan is not going to let Eli die without trying her very best to recover his soul. She is joined on her journey by Emily, who takes this new dimension and realm all in stride, Arik, and a surprise appearance of a friend they thought was long gone. The group make their way to the northern woods, not knowing what may be awaiting for them but determined to save Eli.

I really liked that Morgan is joined by her new friend back in the human realm, Emily, and that the two are able to strengthen their friendship as they make their way through Misewa. As always, Arik is such a fun and delightful character. There is a greater sense of urgency in this story as Morgan and her friends are on a tight schedule to save Eli. The story also makes room for Morgan's story, which gets a little waylaid by Eli's crisis. The shocking revelation of her mother at the end of The Great Bear is something that Morgan has to reckon with. And with the support of her friends and new family, Morgan reaches out to her past as it is also the group's only way back to Misewa. As usual, I loved being in Misewa on these adventures with Morgan, Eli, and Arik. And I cannot wait to see where this story takes these characters, especially with Emily now being back of the group.

I have been in love with the Misewa Saga since Book One. The Stone Child by David Alexander Robertson continues where we left off in The Great Bear. Eli has been discovered at the base of the Great Tree, his soul taken by Mistapew, and Morgan must do everything that she can to save him. She calls on help from her school friend Emily who quickly agrees to come to her side and is introduced to Misewa. Arik joins the team and they set out on a race-against-time (which is always more about Misewa math) to get Eli’s soul back so they can return back to their home in Winnipeg before their foster parents wake up. Can they do it? There will be challenges to face along the way. We are treated to the return of characters all ready to help, and answers about the fate of Mason.

Morgan is still struggling to come to terms with the fate of her Mother, but knows that she has to be strong to help out her new brother, Eli. This book explores the legend of bigfoot, the definition of family, the foster care system, indigenous teachings, and land-based knowledge. I particularly enjoyed learning about the Sweat Lodge as well as exploring the geography of northern Canadian communities and the brief discussion about the cost of items in the store. I look forward to the next book in this Saga and can’t recommend these books highly enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The novel picks up right at the end of book two of the Misewa Saga. Without giving away spoilers, Morgan and Eli are exploring a different part of Askí, the Northern Woods, and they've brought new and old friends. This book definitely focuses more on Morgan (obviously given the circumstances they are in) but I hope to see more of Eli in the next one.

I loved seeing Morgan's relationship develop with Emily in a way that may be more than friends and finding the bravery to talk about her mother and reach out to her kokum. These parts made me teary especially since as a reader from book one, we've been able to see Morgan's growth as a young woman and have developed a connection with her and Eli's characters in these novels.

My nephew (10) and I have been reading the Misewa series together, and this one was eagerly awaited. It did not disappoint! I would strongly recommend this series for anyone with middle grade/young adult kids. I don't know how this would be as a stand-alone book, I would definitely recommend the first two. The series is about 2 indigenous foster kids in Winnipeg, Canada, who open a portal to Aski, similar to Narnia, but directly connected to their Cree heritage. My nephew's only complaint about the first two was that he didn't like the beginning part of the books, while the characters were on earth, but he loved the parts in Aski. This book starts in Aski, which was a big plus. We saw the return of some favorite characters and met some new ones. And the books are not exactly formulaic, there are some similar things, but some big changes in each of them.

This book does get into slightly older territory, there is a romance, which is very sweet and innocent, and I don't think my nephew even noticed it.

We are definitely looking forward to more books in this series!

Another heartwarming addition to this beautiful series! I love how the author keeps expanding the world, both Misawa and the real world. Morgan had some impressive character growth in this story, as it was heavily Morgan-centric. I love that we got to see more of Emily.

A wonderful continuation of the Misewa Saga, 'The Stone Child' follows Morgan as she works with her friends to save her brother, Eli, whos soul has been stolen by Mistapew (a bigfoot-like creature) at the end of the last book. This adventure features a new character to the adventures, Emily, who had a much smaller part in the previous two books. I love the addition of her character and feel like she brings a lot to the team.

I feel like this book continues the series strong. The character growth is ever present in these books - something I love - and we continue to learn more about Cree heritage from the author's own. Morgan and Eli are very lovable characters in my opinion, leading to me constantly wanting to know more about them and their adventures in Aski. And that doesn't end with this book - I hope the author continues to write more, as I still have so many questions!

I truly enjoyed this continuation of the adventure. While it does start out slow, it ends very strong. I loved being able to be along for the ride that these characters have been going on. I hold them near and dear to my heart and can't wait to see what adventures they go on next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

This third installment in the Misewa Saga centres around saving Eli, whose soul has been stolen by Mistapew. Misewa characters and Morgan's friend Emily rush against time to save Eli. Morgan is also consumed by thoughts of her mother and the family she was taken from.

This series has gripped me from the start. I highly recommend reading the first two books, The Barren Grounds and The Great Bear, before The Stone Child. The inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing, Indigenous characters of great inner strength, and fantasy elements hook kids early on, and what results is a series that has them clamoring for more stories about Misewa. I hope there is more to the series, as I still have many questions and need to know what happens to Morgan and Eli.

This third story is not as strong as the first two, and there was a lot of jumping around between time and space, and lots of description about how the continuum works. I found that part of the story confusing and unnecessary. I don't need to know how it works, just that it does. I give it a 3.5, rounded up to a 4. Emily is a great addition to the story, and I am so intrigued to know more about Eli's family now. Please, let there be another installment!

Thanks to Net Galley, Penguin Random House Canada and David A. Robertson for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Thank you to #Edelweiss+ and Penguin Random House Canada for an eARC of THE STONE CHILD by David A. Robertson (Release date: August 2/22)

If you aren’t familiar with The Misewa Saga, I highly recommend starting with the first book, THE BARREN GROUNDS, which was nominated for a Governor General’s Award in 2021. You may also have heard about the recent controversy surrounding the second book, THE GREAT BEAR, which was the subject of a book-banning discussion in Ontario in April. THE STONE CHILD is the third book in this Indigenous Narnia-inspired fantasy series. Morgan and her friends travel into the northern woods of Aski to search for Eli’s stolen soul, but they’ll have to face Mistapew, a Bigfoot-like creature, to retrieve it. They also discover the answer to a mystery from the past that will drastically change life as they know it and set them on a new course toward the future. The author’s Cree heritage infuses this story with traditional customs and beliefs, and I think readers of all backgrounds will learn something valuable while enjoying it.