The Barren Grounds Explained

Genre:Children's literature, Fantasy
Media Type:Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Release Date:September 8, 2020
Publisher:Puffin Books
The Barren Grounds
Series:The Misewa Saga
Language:English
Country:United States
Author:David Robertson (writer)
Followed By:The 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

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.
2020Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's LiteratureFinalist[10] [11]
USBBY Outstanding International Books ListSelection[12]
2021Silver Birch Fiction AwardFinalist[13]
Forest of ReadingNominee[14]
Canadian Children's Book Centre Book AwardsShortlist[15] [16] [17]

Adaption

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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: May 4, 2021 . The Barren Grounds . 2021-10-12 . . October 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211009084108/https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-barren-grounds-1.5721291 . live .
  2. News: The bestselling Canadian books. CBC Books.
  3. News: The bestselling Canadian books. CBC Books.
  4. Web site: June 3, 2020 . The Barren Grounds . 2021-10-12 . . October 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211009012433/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-robertson3/barren-grounds/ . live .
  5. Peters . Joanne . 2021-05-22 . The Barren Grounds . CM: Canadian Review of Materials . 26 . 36 . October 13, 2021 . August 4, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240804035208/https://www.cmreviews.ca/node/1657 . live .
  6. Web site: 2020-09-30 . Children's Book Review: The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga #1) by David A. Robertson . 2021-10-12 . . en . October 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211029183831/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7352-6610-0 . live .
  7. Web site: CBC Books . December 15, 2020 . The best Canadian YA and middle-grade books of 2020 . 2021-10-12 . Canadian Broadcasting Company . October 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211028072130/https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-best-canadian-ya-and-middle-grade-books-of-2020-1.5831743 . live .
  8. Web site: Deziel . Shanda . 2020-11-23 . 2020 Books of the Year: Books for Young People . 2021-10-12 . Quill and Quire . en . October 17, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211017035429/https://quillandquire.com/omni/2020-books-of-the-year-books-for-young-people/ . live .
  9. News: Grisby Bates . Karen . Meraji . Shareen Marisol . Devarahan . Kumari . Donnela . Leah . 2020-12-30 . Code Switch: The Books That Got Away . 2021-10-12 . NPR.org . en . October 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211014203037/https://www.npr.org/2020/12/11/945433640/the-books-that-got-away . live .
  10. Web site: 2021-05-04. 2020 Governor General's Literary Awards finalists. 2021-10-12. Canadian Children's Book Centre. en-US. October 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211024171745/https://bookcentre.ca/news/2020-governor-generals-literary-awards-finalists. live.
  11. Web site: CBC Books. May 4, 2021. The finalists for the 2020 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — text. 2021-10-12. CBC. October 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211009084202/https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-finalists-for-the-2020-governor-general-s-literary-award-for-young-people-s-literature-text-1.6004354. live.
  12. Web site: Deogun. Inderjit. 2021-01-26. Canadian talent celebrated on USBBY Outstanding International Books list. 2021-10-12. Quill and Quire. en. October 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211016120732/https://quillandquire.com/omni/canadian-talent-celebrated-on-usbby-outstanding-international-books-list/. live.
  13. Web site: 2020-10-15. Here are the 2021 Silver Birch Fiction Award finalists: 10 great Canadian books for readers in Grades 3-6. 2021-10-12. CBC Books. October 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211028054304/https://www.cbc.ca/books/here-are-the-2021-silver-birch-fiction-award-finalists-10-great-canadian-books-for-readers-in-grades-3-6-1.5760517. live.
  14. Web site: Deziel. Shanda. 2020-10-15. The 2021 Forest of Reading nominations shine a light on the best in Canadian kidlit. 2021-10-12. Quill and Quire. en. October 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211024000429/https://quillandquire.com/omni/the-2021-forest-of-reading-nominations-shine-a-light-on-the-best-in-canadian-kidlit/. live.
  15. Web site: Deogun. Inderjit. 2021-09-14. CCBC Book Awards announces 2021 shortlist. 2021-10-12. Quill and Quire. en. December 2, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221202204344/https://quillandquire.com/omni/ccbc-book-awards-announces-2021-shortlist/. live.
  16. Web site: 2021-09-14. 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. 2021-10-12. Canadian Children's Book Centre. en-US. October 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211024171745/https://bookcentre.ca/news/2021-shortlists-ccbc-book-awards. live.
  17. Web site: Balser. Erin. September 14, 2021. The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers among finalists for Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards. 2021-10-12. CBC Books. August 4, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240804035221/https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-barnabus-project-by-the-fan-brothers-among-finalists-for-canadian-children-s-book-centre-awards-1.6175281. live.
  18. Web site: van Koeverden. Jane. October 12, 2021. Film rights for David A. Robertson's YA series The Misewa Saga picked up by ABC Signature. 2021-10-12. CBC. October 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211012220808/https://www.cbc.ca/books/film-rights-for-david-a-robertson-s-ya-series-the-misewa-saga-picked-up-by-abc-signature-1.6204723. live.

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