Blood Upon Our Land
by Maxine Trottier
published by Scholastic Canada
Tension has gripped Batoche, Saskatchewan, in 1885. Thirteen-year-old Josephine Bouvier, a young Métis girl, finds herself caught up in the conflict. Many Métis moved to Batoche after the 1870 Riel Rebellion in Manitoba left them disillusioned. But now the coming of white settlers in Batoche once again threatens their way of life. The Métis want title to their land and the government brings empty promise after empty promise. A talk of a second uprising is in the air, and Louis Riel himself is summoned to help get the government’s attention.
Josephine’s faithful diary entries, the reader will feel her heartbreak as the men she loves—her father, brother, and friends—are called to action by Riel himself. And they will be transported into this pivotal moment in Canadian history—the time leading up to the defeat of the Métis and the allied First Nations forces at Batoche, the execution of Louis Riel, and the growing tensions between English and French Canada.
"Maxine Trottier's Blood Upon the Land: The North West Resistance Diary of Josephine Bouvier is so rich with detail that the history of Batoche comes alive.—Beverley Brenna, Special to The StarPhoenix. To read the entire review, click HERE.
"…readers see the domestic side of even a small war, how families are torn apart, property wasted, and with her readers can only ask, "Why?" It's the eternal question; there is no answer, but Trottier has posed it well, and given real insight to the period, as well as giving readers a gutsy heroine whom it was a delight to meet."—Mary Thomas, cm magazine To read the entire review, click HERE.
Scholastic Canada
Ltd.,
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Markham, Ont.,
Canada, L6C 1Z7.
Telephone 905-887-7323
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Death of My Country
by Maxine Trottier
published by Scholastic Canada
Le 13 mai 1759
" We must leave this place," Chegual said when we walked alone by the river. He would take me from Québec and back to the Abenaki mission at St. Francis so that I would be safe. When I insisted that we were safe here, that the city is well fortified, he made a rude noise. He has heard stories of the British army, of its size and strength. He knew what the capitaine of the ship had said, that France had abandoned its people here. "I will not abandon you," he told me. "I am your brother."
What he says about France may be true. But how can I leave Mme Claire and Mère Esther after what they have done for me?
My brother's answer turned my blood to ice.
"Then you may be choosing death, sister. If that is so, I will die with you."
Short listed for the 2006 Geoffrey Bilson Award. To
read more about this award and the entire short list,
click HERE.
Scholastic Canada
Ltd.,
175 Hillmount Road,
Markham, Ont.,
Canada, L6C 1Z7.
Telephone 905-887-7323
Fax 905-887-1131
Toll Free 1-800-217-3356
Alone in an Untamed Land
by Maxine Trottier
published by Scholastic Canada
Young Hélène St. Onge and her older sister Catherine are orphans. When King Louis XVI orders all men in New France to marry, Catherine becomes a fille du roi, one of the many young women sent to the new world as brides. Hélène will accompany her on the long sea voyage and live with her sister’s new family. In the end, New France is a far harsher place than Hélène imagined, with bitter winters and the threat of attack from the Iroquois. Will the new friendships she has made on her long voyage enable her to survive?"
While researching Alone in an Untamed Land, Maxine discovered that she herself is directly descended from another fille du roi. A former teacher and an avid sailor, Maxine has long been fascinated by history. She is now an associate member of La Société des Filles du roi et soldats du Carignan, whose purpose is "to honour the memory of these courageous people."
Short-listed for the 2005 Red Cedar Book Award.
Short-listed for the 2003-2004 Silver Birch
Award.
Short-listed for the 2004-2005 Hackmatack Award
Selected by the Pennsylvania School Librarians
Association (PSLA) as the best historical fiction
from the early pioneer days in North America for
2005
Short-listed for the 2004-2005 Red Maple Award
The story draws us in quickly, the narrative unfolds
smoothly, and period details are accurate without
being intrusive. Trottier is also fairly even-handed
in her treatment of culture, religion, and character.
Priests may be venal or heroic, and one suave soldier
turns out to be a nice guy with a tragic past.
While there's plenty to hold the interest of good
younger readers, the issues raised should engage
older, more sophisticated readers as well. Quill & Quire
Scholastic Canada
Ltd.,
175 Hillmount Road,
Markham, Ont.,
Canada, L6C 1Z7.
Telephone 905-887-7323
Fax 905-887-1131
Toll Free 1-800-217-3356