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The Barren Grounds

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The Barren Grounds
AuthorDavid Robertson (writer)
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Misewa Saga
GenreChildren's literature, Fantasy
PublisherPuffin Books
Publication date
September 8, 2020
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover and Paperback)
OCLC1225150679
Followed byThe Great Bear 

The Barren Grounds is a middle-grade children's book by David A. Robertson, published September 8, 2020 by Puffin Books. The publisher has named it a juxtaposition between traditional Indigenous stories and C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia.[1]

In the book, two Indigenous foster children, Morgan and Eli, find a portal in an unfinished attic bedroom that leads them into another reality, Askí. There, they meet friends and foes, and learn traditional Indigenous modes of survival.

Reception

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The Barren Grounds was a CBC Books number one bestseller for children's books for six nonconsecutive weeks,[2] and remained on the list for over a year following publication.[3]

The book was well received by critics, including a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, who highlighted how the novel "deftly and compellingly centers Indigenous culture".[4] Joanne Peters, writing for CM Magazine, "highly recommended" the novel and called it "an amazing book, pulling together diverse strands of ageless mythic traditions and contemporary stories of children who traverse portals in which other times and other worlds intersect." Peters further highlighted how the book "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."[5] According to Publishers Weekly, "the humans’ and animals’ voices are somewhat homogenous". Despite this, they found that "the treatment of Cree culture resonates, and the engaging characters and folklore ensure readers will look forward to the next installment."[6]

CBC Books and Quill & Quire named The Barren Grounds one of the best books for young people in 2020.[7][8] NPR's Code Switch team named it one of five underappreciated books published in 2020.[9]

Awards and honors for The Barren Grounds
Year Award/Honor Result Ref.
2020 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's Literature Finalist [10][11]
USBBY Outstanding International Books List Selection [12]
2021 Silver Birch Fiction Award Finalist [13]
Forest of Reading Nominee [14]
Canadian Children's Book Centre Book Awards Shortlist [15][16][17]

Adaption

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On October 7, 2021, Robertson announced that ABC Signature had bought film rights to the Misewa Saga series.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "The Barren Grounds". CBC Books. May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "The bestselling Canadian books". CBC Books.
  3. ^ "The bestselling Canadian books". CBC Books.
  4. ^ "The Barren Grounds". Kirkus Reviews. June 3, 2020. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  5. ^ Peters, Joanne (May 22, 2021). "The Barren Grounds". CM: Canadian Review of Materials. 26 (36). Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  6. ^ "Children's Book Review: The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga #1) by David A. Robertson". Publishers Weekly. September 30, 2020. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  7. ^ CBC Books (December 15, 2020). "The best Canadian YA and middle-grade books of 2020". Canadian Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  8. ^ Deziel, Shanda (November 23, 2020). "2020 Books of the Year: Books for Young People". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Grisby Bates, Karen; Meraji, Shareen Marisol; Devarahan, Kumari; Donnela, Leah (December 30, 2020). "Code Switch: The Books That Got Away". NPR.org. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  10. ^ "2020 Governor General's Literary Awards finalists". Canadian Children's Book Centre. May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  11. ^ CBC Books (May 4, 2021). "The finalists for the 2020 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — text". CBC. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  12. ^ Deogun, Inderjit (January 26, 2021). "Canadian talent celebrated on USBBY Outstanding International Books list". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  13. ^ "Here are the 2021 Silver Birch Fiction Award finalists: 10 great Canadian books for readers in Grades 3-6". CBC Books. October 15, 2020. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  14. ^ Deziel, Shanda (October 15, 2020). "The 2021 Forest of Reading nominations shine a light on the best in Canadian kidlit". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  15. ^ Deogun, Inderjit (September 14, 2021). "CCBC Book Awards announces 2021 shortlist". Quill and Quire. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  16. ^ "The 2021 Shortlists for the CCBC Book Awards Honour the Breadth of Canadian Books for Young People, Featuring the Inaugural Jean Little First-Novel Award". Canadian Children's Book Centre. September 14, 2021. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  17. ^ Balser, Erin (September 14, 2021). "The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers among finalists for Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards". CBC Books. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  18. ^ van Koeverden, Jane (October 12, 2021). "Film rights for David A. Robertson's YA series The Misewa Saga picked up by ABC Signature". CBC. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
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