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Nearly a month into 2021, we are looking forward to many things: the return of warmer temperatures, longer sunny days, and new book releases! Here is a preview of our upcoming Own Voices Indigenous books for kids and teens that we will be releasing this spring. 

Whether you are looking for great books to share with your students or someone at home, these new books are certain to engage the kids and teens in your life. 

Indigenous Books for Kids 

Stand Like A Cedar
for ages 6-9
By Nicola I. Campbell
Illustrated by Carrielynn Victor

When you go for a walk in nature, who do you see? What do you hear?

Award-winning storyteller Nicola I. Campbell shows what it means “to stand like a cedar” on this beautiful journey of discovery through the wilderness. Learn the names of animals in the Nłe7kepmxcín or Halq’emeylem languages as well as the teachings they have for us. Experience a celebration of sustainability and connection to the land through lyrical storytelling and Carrielynn Victor’s breathtaking art in this children’s illustrated book.

Discover new sights and sounds with every read.

Coming Feb. 23, 2021
Pre-order Now:
HighWater Press

We Dream Medicine Dreams
for ages 5-8
By Lisa Boivin

From Dene artist and bioethicist Lisa Boivin comes this healing story of hope, dreams, and the special bond between grandfather and granddaughter.

When a little girl dreams about a bear, her grandfather explains how we connect with the knowledge of our ancestors through dreams. Bear, Hawk, Caribou, and Wolf all have teachings to share to help us live a good life. But when Grampa gets sick and falls into a coma, the little girl must lean on his teachings as she learns to say goodbye.

Masterful prose and stunning collage weave a gentle story about life and death that will touch the hearts of children and adults alike.

Coming Apr 27, 2021
Pre-order Now:
HighWater Press

The Frog Mother(Mothers of Xsan, Book 4)
for ages 9-11
By Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan

To the Gitxsan of Northwestern British Columbia, Nox Ga’naaw is a storyteller, speaking truths of the universe. After Nox Ga’naaw, the frog mother, releases her eggs among the aquatic plants of a pond, the tiny tadpoles are left to fend for themselves. As they hatch, grow legs, and transform into their adult selves, they must avoid the mouths of hungry predators. Will the young frogs survive to lay their own eggs, continuing a cycle 200 million years in the making?

book four of the Mothers of Xsan series follows the life cycle of the Columbia Spotted Frog. Learn about why this species is of special significance to the Gitxsan, and how Nox Ga’naaw and her offspring are essential to the balance that is life.

Coming Apr 27, 2021
Pre-order Now:
HighWater Press

Indigenous Books for Teens

Road Allowance Era (A Girl Called Echo series, Vol. 4)
for ages 13-15
By Katherena Vermette
Illustrated by Scott B. Henderson
Colour by Donovan Yaciuk

The Manitoba Act’s promise of land for the Métis has gone unfulfilled, and many Métis flee to the Northwest. As part of the fallout from the Northwest Resistance, their advocate and champion Louis Riel is executed. As new legislation corrodes Métis land rights, and unscrupulous land speculators and swindlers take advantage, many Métis begin to settle on road allowances and railway land, often on the fringes of urban centres.

For Echo, the plight of her family is apparent. Burnt out of their home in Ste. Madeleine when their land is cleared for pasture, they make their way to Rooster Town, squatting on the southwest edges of Winnipeg. In this final instalment of Echo’s story,  she is reminded of the strength and resilience of her people, forged through the loss and pain of the past, as she faces a triumphant future.

Coming Apr 27, 2021
Pre-order Now:
HighWater Press

Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story (10th Anniversary Edition)
for ages 15+
By David A. Robertson
Illustrated by Scott B. Henderson
Colour by Donovan Yaciuk

From Governor-General’s Award-winning writer David A. Robertson comes this special edition of the timeless graphic novel that introduced the world to the awe-inspiring resilience of Betty Ross, and shared her story of strength, family, and culture.

A school assignment to interview a residential school survivor leads Daniel to Betsy, who tells him her story. Abandoned as a young child, Betsy was soon adopted into a loving family. A few short years later, at the age of 8, everything changed. Betsy was taken away to a residential school. There she was forced to endure abuse and indignity, but Betsy recalled the words her father spoke to her at Sugar Falls—words that gave her the resilience, strength, and determination to survive.

Sugar Falls is based on the true story of Betty Ross, Elder from Cross Lake First Nation. This 10th-anniversary edition brings David A. Robertson’s national bestseller to life in full colour, with a foreword by Senator Murrary Sinclair, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and a touching afterword from Elder Betty Ross herself.

Coming May 25, 2021
Pre-order Now:
HighWater Press

Want to be the first to hear about our upcoming titles? Subscribe to our eNewsletter to receive our monthly updates direct to your inbox. Show us what’s on your Spring Reading List by tagging us on social media:

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