• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

It takes courage and bravery to survive in the barrens.

In 1944, thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder got lost in a snowstorm while checking her family's trapline in northern Canada. This is the harrowing story of how a young Indigenous girl defies the odds and endures nine days alone in the unforgiving barrens. Ilse faces many challenges, including freezing temperatures, wild animals, snow blindness and frostbite. With no food or supplies, she relies on Traditional Indigenous Knowledge passed down from her family. Ilse uses her connection to the land and animals, wilderness skills and resilience to find her way home.

This powerful tale of survival is written by Ilse Schweder's granddaughter.

Trina Rathgeber grew up in the northern community of Thompson, Manitoba, where she did all the things that northern kids do, from playing hockey and fishing to building forts in the woods. She enjoys writing for children and is the author of French Fries Are Potatoes: A Food Poem and Little Cookbook and The Bunnies Talk Money. Trina lives in Calgary with her family.

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Alina Pete (they/them) is a nehiyaw (Cree) artist and writer from Little Pine First Nation in western Saskatchewan. They grew up urban, but spent summers wandering the Qu'Appelle valley with their cousin from Cowessess First Nation. Alina is best known for their Aurora award-winning webcomic, Weregeek (weregeek.com), but they also write short stories, poems and RPG supplements, and their work has been featured in several comic anthologies, including Moonshot Volumes 2 & 3. Alina lives in Surrey with their partner and three very silly parrots who enjoy sitting on their shoulder as they write.

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Jillian Dolan grew up in Europe, which is a long way to go to grow up. Her family comes from Kapawe'no Cree First Nation and she is also a proud member of the Metis Nation of Alberta. Jillian enjoys bright colors, little dogs, and foreign movies that make her cry. She has illustrated for the games Coyote & Crow, Thirsty Sword Lesbians and 7th Sea: Land of 1000 Nations, as well as for Owl Kids magazine and the City of Calgary. She lives where the Elbow meets the Bow, with her partner and one chubby dog, and goes to school at the Alberta University of the Arts.

Jillian Dolan's profile page