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The Barren Grounds
2020 book by David A. Robertson From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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.
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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]
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Adaption
On October 7, 2021, Robertson announced that ABC Signature had bought film rights to the Misewa Saga series.[18]
References
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