New Releases by Joseph Bruchac

About ten thousand years ago in the northeast, the Abenaki&– People of the Dawn Land &– created a thriving community in social and ecological balance with nature and with each other. One of the finest sons of the People is Young Hunter, who dedicates himself to becoming a pure hunter. But a shadow is crossing over this place, threatening his beloved homeland, and Young Hunter is called to its defense. The deep-seeing one of his village, Bear Talker, tells him that the change will be brought by beings of great power, with cold hearts and a terrible hunger, and Young Hunter has been chosen to fight them. "This young one will do things for the people," Bear Talker thought. "If he survives..if he survives."Not knowing what the threat is, Young Hunter embarks, with his faithful dogs, on a journey that will take him to new lands and test his resolve in unforeseen ways. Given a special weapon called the Long Thrower, he must learn the secret of its power by studying with the deep seer Medicine Plant. A woman apart, she is a fine example of the importance of women in Native society.

Abenaki children’s book icon Joseph Bruchac tells the stirring history of the 1969 Occupation of Alcatraz by Native Americans, which established a precedent for Indian activism On November 20, 1969, a group of 89 Native Americans—most of them young activists in their twenties, led by Richard Oakes, LaNada Means, and others—crossed San Francisco Bay under the cover of darkness. They called themselves the “Indians of All Tribes.” Their objective was to occupy the abandoned prison on Alcatraz Island (“The Rock”), a mile and a half across the treacherous waters. Under the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie between the US and the Lakota tribe, all retired, abandoned, or out-of-use federal land was supposed to be returned to the Indigenous peoples who once occupied it. As Alcatraz penitentiary was closed by that point, activists sought to reclaim that land, and more broadly, bring greater attention to the lies and injustices of the federal government when it came to Indian policy. Their initial success resulted in international attention to Native American rights and the continuing presence of present-day Indigenous peoples, who refused to accept being treated as a “vanishing race.” Over the protestors’ 19-month occupation, one key way of raising awareness to issues in Native life was through Radio Free Alcatraz, which touched on: the forced loss of ancestral lands, contaminated water supply on reservations, sharp disparities in infant mortality and life expectancy among Native Americans compared to statistics in white communities, and many other inequalities. From acclaimed Abenaki children’s book legend Joseph Bruchac, this middle-grade nonfiction book tells the riveting story of that 1969 takeover, which inspired a whole generation of Native activists and ignited the modern American Indian Movement. The Occupation of Alcatraz had a direct effect on federal Indian policy and, with its visible results, established a precedent for Indian activism.

Through poems that capture the essence of each person''s life, acclaimed Native American writer Joseph Bruchac introduces readers to famous indigenous leaders from The Peacemaker in 1000 A.D. to modern day dancer Maria Tallchief and Cherokee chief Wilma Mankiller. Each poem is illustrated by a modern-day tribally enrolled artist.

A chorus of essays from a variety of voices, backgrounds, and experiences, exploring what it means to be human and true to yourself. What does it mean to be yourself? To be born here or somewhere else? To be from one family instead of another? What does it mean to be human? Collected by Lori Carlson-Hijuelos, A Path to the World showcases essays by a vast variety of luminaries—from Gary Soto to Nawal Nasrallah to Ying Ying Yu, from chefs to artists to teens to philosophers to politicians (keep your eyes peeled for a surprise appearance by George Washington)—all of which speak to the common thread of humanity, the desire to be your truest self, and to belong. Contributors include: Lori Marie Carlson-Hijuelos, Joseph Bruchac, Jacinto Jesús Cardona, William Sloane Coffin, Pat Conroy, Mario Cuomo, Timothy Egan, Alan Ehrenhalt, Shadi Feddin, Ralph Fletcher, Valerie Gribben, Alexandre Hollan, Molly Ivins, Geeta Kothari, Jeremy Lee, Yuyi Li, Emily Lisker, Kamaal Majeed, Madge McKeithen, Nawal Nasrallah, Scott Pitoniak, Anna Quindlen, Michael J. Sandel, Raquel Sentíes, David E. Skaggs, Gary Soto, Alexandra Stoddard, KellyNoel Waldorf, George Washington, and Ying Ying Yu.

“There''s a fresh coating of snow on the ground outside our cabin as I look to see who''s coming to the fourteen feeders, we keep filled with black oil sunflower seeds year-round.” So begins A Year of Moons: Stories from the Adirondack Foothills, a collection of essays by award winning author Joeseph Bruchac. The collection is a reflection on the rhythms of the land, the lunar cycles of the year, the plants and animals that surround us, and the connections that link humans, animals and the land. With one foot rooted firmly in the inheritance of nature essays, and another rooted firmly in Bruchac''s Abenaki heritage, the collection is an artifact of a beautiful landscape and the changes it encounters throughout the year. In his thoughtful and perceptive way, Bruchac contemplates the changing of the seasons, his relationship with the creatures and plant life that share his home, and a vision of stewardship. Bruchac''s curiosity and reverence for the earth shines through on every page as he looks at the place he calls home with new eyes, reflected by the changing of each season''s moon.

Renowned author Joseph Bruchac tells a powerful story of a girl who learns more about her Penacook heritage while sheltering in place with her grandparents during the coronavirus pandemic. Malian loves spending time with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation—she’s there for a visit when, suddenly, all travel shuts down. There’s a new virus making people sick, and Malian will have to stay with her grandparents for the duration. Everyone is worried about the pandemic, but Malian knows how to keep her family safe: She protects her grandparents, and they protect her. She doesn’t go out to play with friends, she helps her grandparents use video chat, and she listens to and learns from their stories. And when Malsum, one of the dogs living on the rez, shows up at their door, Malian’s family knows that he’ll protect them too. Told in verse inspired by oral storytelling, this novel about the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the ways in which Indigenous nations and communities cared for one another through plagues of the past, and how they keep caring for one another today. **Four starred reviews!** Boston Globe-Horn Book Fiction & Poetry Honor NPR Books We Love Kirkus Reviews Best Books School Library Journal Best Books Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Younger Readers Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Finalist Nerdy Book Club Award—Best Poetry and Novels in Verse

Viewed through the eyes of a 16-year-old Navajo youth, "Code Talker" is a fascinating slice of World War II history by a much-respected and acclaimed author.

A twelve-year-old Iroquois boy searches for peace in this historical novel based on the creation of the Iroquois Confederacy. Twelve-year-old Okwaho''s life has suddenly changed. While he and his best friend are out hunting, his friend is kidnapped by men from a neighboring tribal nation, and Okwaho barely escapes. Everyone in his village fears more raids and killings: The Five Nations of the Iroquois have been at war with one another for far too long, and no one can remember what it was like to live in peace. Okwaho is so angry that he wants to seek revenge for his friend, but before he can retaliate, a visitor with a message of peace comes to him in the woods. The Peacemaker shares his lesson tales—stories that make Okwaho believe that this man can convince the leaders of the five fighting nations to set down their weapons. So many others agree with him. Can all of them come together to form the Iroquois Great League of Peace?

The Papago Indians of the American Southwest say butterflies were created to gladden the hearts of children and chase away thoughts of aging and death. How the Butterflies Came to Be is one of twenty-four Native American tales included in Native American Animal Stories. The stories, coming from Mohawk, Hopi, Yaqui, Haida and other cultures, demonstrate the power of animals in Native American traditions.Parents, teachers and children will delight in lovingly told stories about "our relations, the animals." The stories come to life through magical illustrations by Mohawk artists John Kahionhes Fadden and David Fadden."The stories in this book present some of the basic perspectives that Native North American parents, aunts and uncles use to teach the young. They are phrased in terms that modern youngsters can understand and appreciate ... They enable us to understand that while birds and animals appear to be similar in thought processes to humans, that is simply the way we represent them in our stories. But other creatures do have thought processes, emotions, personal relationships...We must carefully ccord these other creatures the respect that they deserve and the right to live

When Jamie and Marie Longbow find out about the mysterious ghost dog that steals food from the Powwow and no one has been able to catch, they are determined to find out what''s going on. When they finally get closer to it, it runs into the spooky abandoned house--with a buffalo burger dangling from its mouth--where Old Man Jimmerson used to live. Is it really a ghost dog? Should they go in? How are they going to solve this mystery when they are terrified of what might be on the other side of the door?

It''s a dark night. Wolf Cub feels lonely and sad. Can she overcome her fear and find her voice to sing for Grandmother Moon?

A teenage survival expert finds all his skills tested as he’s pursued through the Canadian wilderness by men determined to silence him. On his way to teach at Camp Seven Generations, a Native outdoor school, Nick witnesses a murder and then is thrown off a train. Remembering and using the teachings of his Abenaki elders will prove to be the difference between life and death for him. Although his pursuers have modern technology to help them, Nick has something even more useful. In addition to the skills he’s learned, he has an ally in the natural world around him. Found, like the famous story “The Most Dangerous Game,” is a tale that focuses on being hunted until a way can be found to become the hunter.

Among the towering fir trees of the Pacific Northwest, a famously elusive creature is in serious trouble. INCLUDES AN EXCLUSIVE BONUS STORY about the medieval Secret Order of the Unicorn! All Elliot wants is a nice, normal day at school. All Uchenna wants is an adventure. Guess whose wish comes true? Professor Fauna whisks the kids—and Jersey, of course—off to the Muckleshoot territory in Washington, where film crews have suddenly descended en masse to expose Bigfoot to the world, and the Schmoke logging company is bringing in some awfully large machinery. Can the Unicorn Rescue Society escape the blades of the Schmokes’ chain saws? Outsmart a cable news team? And are those big, hairy creatures running through the forest really Bigfoot?

Twins Jamie and Marie Longbow are excited about summer with their grandparents, traveling from powwow to powwow selling goods they helped to make. When their grandmother''s most beautiful necklace goes missing, it''s up to the twins to solve the mystery. Using her knowledge of birds learned from a book she is currently reading, Marie suspects she knows the culprit. Jamie, using his climbing skills, locates the missing necklace, along with lots of other shiny objects, in a crow''s nest.

A boy discovers his Native American heritage in this Depression-era tale of identity and friendship by the author of Code Talker. "Cal''s cleareyed first-person narration drives the novel. Meticulously honest, generous, autonomous and true, he sees things for what they are rather than what he''d like them to be. The result is one of Bruchac''s best books."—New York Times Book Review It''s 1932, and twelve-year-old Cal Black and his Pop have been riding the rails for years after losing their farm in the Great Depression. Cal likes being a "knight of the road" with Pop, even if they''re broke. But then Pop has to go to Washington, DC--some of his fellow veterans are marching for their government checks, and Pop wants to make sure he gets his due--and Cal can''t go with him. So Pop tells Cal something he never knew before: Pop is actually a Creek Indian, which means Cal is too. And Pop has decided to send Cal to a government boarding school for Native Americans in Oklahoma called the Challagi School. At school, the other Creek boys quickly take Cal under their wings. Even in the harsh, miserable conditions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, he begins to learn about his people''s history and heritage. He learns their language and customs. And most of all, he learns how to find strength in a group of friends who have nothing beyond each other.

From acclaimed Native American storyteller Joseph Bruchac comes a collection of seven lively plays for children to perform, each one adapted from a different traditional Native tale. Filled with heroes and tricksters, comedy and drama, these entertaining plays are a wonderful way to bring Native cultures to life for young people. Each play has multiple parts that can be adjusted to suit the size of a particular group and includes simple, informative suggestions for props, scenery, and costumes that children can help to create. Introductory notes and beautiful, detailed illustrations add to young readers'' understanding of the seven Native nations whose traditions have inspired the plays.

Ein packendes literarisches Länderporträt Spannende Geschichten herausragender Autor/innen Ein abenteuerlicher Roadtrip quer durch die USA »Eine bessere Kurzgeschichtensammlung ist schwer zu finden – egal in welchem Genre.« Publishers Weekly Von Küste zu Küste: 14 herausragende Autorinnen und Autoren – von den Superstars der Szene bis zu literarischen Geheimtipps – nehmen Sie mit auf eine abenteuerliche Reise quer durch die USA. Vom brodelnden New York und den dicht besiedelten Städten der Ostküste über die Berge und Städte des Landesinneren bis zu den mythendurchdrungenen und hitzeflimmernden Metropolen der Westküste. Starke Literatur, die berührend und spannend von den Schattenseiten des amerikanischen Traums erzählt. Von einer bunt schillernden Gegenwart voller ungewöhnlicher Milieus abseits der üblichen Touristenpfade. Von Tagträumern, Zockern, Kriegsveteranen, Aussteigern, Billigjobbern, korrupten Polizisten, Trickbetrügern, Drogenhändlern, Privatdetektiven und ganz normalen Menschen, die in Situationen geraten, die sie nicht mehr kontrollieren können. 14 kraftvolle, dichte Geschichten mit ungewöhnlichen Settings und Figuren – so abwechslungsreich und aufregend wie die USA selbst. Die Reihe: »USA Noir« ist nach »Berlin Noir« und »Paris Noir« der dritte Teil einer Reihe internationaler Noir-Anthologien mit exklusiv geschriebenen Originalgeschichten. Jede Story spielt in einem anderen Viertel einer Stadt oder einer anderen Gegend eines Landes. Es sind packende literarische Städte- und Länderporträts mit ungewöhnlichen, breit gefächerten Einblicken. Weitere Teile sind geplant. »Das Konzept der Noir-Reihe überzeugt.« TIPP Berlin

This poetry anthology, edited by Miranda Paul, explores a wide range of ways to be grateful (from gratitude for a puppy to gratitude for family to gratitude for the sky) with poems by a diverse group of contributors, including Joseph Bruchac, Margarita Engle, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Naomi Shihab Nye, Charles Waters, and Jane Yolen.

A Junior Library Guild Selection April 2018 2018 Cybils Award Finalist, Elementary Non-Fiction BRLA 2018 Southwest Book Award 2019 Southwest Books of the Year: Kid Pick 2020 Grand Canyon Award, Nonfiction Nominee 2020-2021 Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Master List STARRED REVIEW! "A perfect, well-rounded historical story that will engage readers of all ages. A perfect, well-rounded historical story that will engage readers of all ages."—Kirkus Reviews starred review Chester Nez was a boy told to give up his Navajo roots. He became a man who used his native language to help America win World War II. As a young Navajo boy, Chester Nez had to leave the reservation and attend boarding school, where he was taught that his native language and culture were useless. But Chester refused to give up his heritage. Years later, during World War II, Chester—and other Navajo men like him—was recruited by the US Marines to use the Navajo language to create an unbreakable military code. Suddenly the language he had been told to forget was needed to fight a war.

A work of historical fiction about Sequoyah and the creation of the Cherokee alphabet, from the acclaimed author of Code Talker Thirteen-year-old Uwohali has not seen his father, Sequoyah, for many years. So when Sequoyah returns to the village, Uwohali is eager to reconnect. But Sequoyah’s new obsession with making strange markings causes friends and neighbors in their tribe to wonder whether he is crazy, or worse—practicing witchcraft. What they don’t know, and what Uwohali discovers, is that Sequoyah is a genius and his strange markings are actually an alphabet representing the sounds of the Cherokee language. The story of one of the most important figures in Native American history is brought to life for middle grade readers. This text includes a note about the historical Sequoyah, the Cherokee syllabary, a glossary of Cherokee words, and suggestions for further reading in the back matter. * “Bruchac has crafted a tale of depth and universal humanity in this fictionalized account of Sequoyah, the creator of the Cherokee syllabary, and his son, Jesse." —School Library Journal, starred review “Although the particulars of the novel occur two hundred years ago, the universality of fitting into a blended family and looking for love and acceptance from a once-absent father feel strikingly contemporary." —Horn Book "A vivid retelling of a pivotal time for the Cherokee nation.” —Kirkus Reviews

Flying With The Eagle, Racing the Great Bear is a continent-spanning collection of sixteen thrilling tales in which young men must face great enemies, find the strength and endurance within themselves to succedd, and take their place by the side of their elders.

In the final installment of the Killer of Enemies series, Lozen attempts to live a life without the violence that so far has defined her life, but the remaining Ones will not let that happen without a fight.

An illuminating look at Native origins and lifeways, a treasure for all who value Native wisdom and the stories that keep it alive.

Follow Travis Hawk on a cross-country trek as he escapes a world of brutality and uncertainty and puts his trust, and even his very life, in the hands of total strangers. Travis''s story is one of struggle, survival, risk and resilience, navigating a solo journey of hundreds of miles to seek a safe haven far from the demons of his past.

A captivating and historical story of two young men on opposing sides of war. In 1874, the U.S. Army sent troops to subdue and move the Native Americans of the southern plains to reservations. Brothers of the Buffalo follows Private Washington Vance Jr., an African-American calvaryman, and Wolf, a Cheyenne warrior, during the brief and brutal war that followed. Filled with action and suspense from both sides of the battle, this is a tale of conflict and unlikely friendship in the Wild West.

Jacob Neptune, a wise-cracking, two-fisted Penacook private investigator with a checkered past, lives in upstate New York--four hundred miles from his tribal community on Abenaki Island. Then one night the phone rings. "We . . . got . . . trouble," Neptune''s cousin Dennis says from the other end. And trouble is where it all starts in this brilliant, often hilarious novel by acclaimed Abenaki storyteller Joseph Bruchac. Attacked by bikers before he can even board his plane, Neptune--"Podjo" to his friends--quickly begins to realize just how much trouble surrounds his people''s ancestral home. Guided by his sense of duty to his homeland, he agrees to help protect Dennis and other Penacooks as they stage a takeover of a state campground on land that should have reverted to their tribe. But encroaching developers, government operators, and even fellow Penacooks eager to build a casino each pose a threat to the Abenaki lands--and all have reasons to want Neptune out of the picture. Podjo greets each challenge with self-deprecating humor--but it''s difficult to shake his increasingly disturbing dreams, and an unsettled feeling when his return leads to a reunion with a long-ago love interest. As he and Dennis contend with hired guns, police, and security, a far greater threat appears: someone, or something, is brutally killing people in the woods. It will take all of Neptune''s skills as a martial artist and the wisdom gained from tribal elders to battle the forces that threaten the sacred land--and his and his people''s lives. Bruchac ratchets the tension from the first page to the last in this detective novel that pairs comedy and action with serious consideration of corporate greed, environmental destruction, cultural erosion, and other modern-day issues pressing Native peoples.

In Joseph Bruchac''s Four Directions, the Manitou tells the whale, "I can change you / into an island of stone . . . you will not die / as the animals die / but wear slowly away / into waters / that love you." No transforming deity but one of our time''s finest writers, Bruchac deeply and meaningfully renders the experience of bereavement and the experience of living our earthly destinies. The concluding poem, "Season''s End," beautifully evokes our human effort to come to terms with mortality: "Within the sweat lodge we will drum, / remembering we are promised nothing. / It is reason enough to join our voices, / my sons and I, for dead and living, / our breath reborn into song." -Ralph Salisbury, Pulitzer Nominee, 2012 Riverteeth LiteraryNonfiction Book Prize & Rockefeller Bellagio Award

This work of historical fiction is based on the true, inspiring story of the early education of Seneca leader Ely Parker. Hasanoanda was his Indian name, but in mission school he became “Ely.” Despite the racism and deceit he faced, he never gave up his mission to receive an education that would enable him to aid the Seneca people in their quest to keep their land. As a young person, he learned how to live in the world of the white man, but never forgot his Seneca roots. Also included is an afterword that highlights the careers and achievements of Ely Parker’s adult life.

Critically acclaimed author Joseph Bruchac''s exciting JOURNAL OF JESSE SMOKE is now in paperback with a dynamic repackaging! In 1838 in Tennessee, the Cherokee Nation is on the brink of being changed forever as they face the Removal -- being forcibly moved from their homes and land, in part because of a treaty signed by a group of their own people. Sixteen-year-old Jesse Smoke has been studying at the Mission School, but it has been shut down and turned into a fort for the ever-increasing number of soldiers entering the territory. Now Jesse has returned to his home to live with his widowed mother and two younger sisters. All hope lies on the Cherokee chief, John Ross, who is in Washington, D.C., trying to delay the Removal. Then one night, family members are suddenly awakened, dragged from their homes, and brought at gunpoint to a stockade camp. From there, Jesse and his family are forced to march westward on the horrifying Trail of Tears during the long, cold winter months. It''s a difficult journey west, and Jesse''s not sure if he and his family can survive the journey.

In 1838, settlers moving west forced the great Cherokee Nation, and their chief John Ross, to leave their home land and travel 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. An epic story of friendship, war, hope, and betrayal.