Storm at Batoche

In the winter of 1884 young James is traveling by wagon with his parents across the snow covered prairies. During a storm at night James falls out of his family's wagon and falls behind. Faced with the possibility of freezing to death on the open plan, James is rescued by a man named Louis who takes him back to a cabin. Louis is Metis (a person of French and Native Canadian heritage) and tells a sad tale about a boy who loses his family and people. When the storm finally ends, Louis takes James to the edge of a town but refuses to enter it -- and with good reason. Enthusiastically recommended for young readers 4 through 8, Maxine Trottier's compelling and original story is impressively illustrated with John Mantha's strikingly memorable artwork. There is even a recipe for how to make a frontier bread called "bannock".