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As a young reader, I believe I would have loved this book. Right now, as an educator in June of 2021, I would link this text with the current news reports about the damage done to indigenous families, children, and culture by the boarding schools in Canada whose mission it was to erase native identities, cultures, and values and replace native identities with Christian identities, culture, and values. First peoples are still trying to overcome the loss and devastation caused by these schools.

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"Her tears mirrored her mother's, as if somehow they were on the same path, if only right now" (241).  I was deeply touched by this line. Each of us needs to share our path with another person.

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I read this book at the end of May, so my comments are late. However, one connection I made was with THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. The trope of discovering an unexpected portal and stepping through it into another world that was frozen in perpetual winter was similar. Another connection I made was the struggle for identity on multiple levels - as a young person as well as an indigenous person as well as a person adrift without the stability of a family. Identity and a sense of belonging is influenced by so many complex factors.

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Throughout the book, I thought about our relationship with the planet we live on and how we don't  appreciate the gifts she gives. How we keep taking "more than the land can provide." 

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Throughout the book, I thought about our relationship with the planet we live on and how we don't  appreciate the gifts she gives. How we keep taking "more than the land can provide." 

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Eli stared at the drawing pad for quite a long time, then looked at her. "Why would you do that?"
Morgan tilted her head, scrunched her eyebrows together, and asked, "Why wouldn't I?"

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I had to look up what bannock was! It looks delicious and I'm wondering how hard it would be to make!

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The scene with the foster parents and the breakfast food was almost too-real for me. As a person who has adopted kids from foster care, the same scene has unfolded around our breakfast table. I appreciate the tension that was captured in this scene and it helped me consider the meaning of belonging and family as I read the book.

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I love the various social issue aspects that students can think about in this text. They can ponder what this book is saying about indigenous people/culture/history, foster care, the environment. Robertson has touch on so many in this books! Leave for a lot of interpretation and thought-provoking questions about our world.

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Remain calm. So what, they're celebrating your two-month anniversary with them. It's cringe-worthy, but there are worse things in the world. Climate change, for example. That's worse.

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I'm only on chapter five, but I think I would include some Native American poetry while reading this with students. Joy Harjo, our current U.S. Poet Laureate, is Native American. Her poem "Remember" is powerful.

Also, on Teaching Living Poets, there is a hyperdoc titled Teaching Joy Harjo: Perhaps the World Ends Here. I've been using this with my students, and it's been a great way to dip our toes into poetry!

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“The land provides everything that anybody would need. If you take only what you need, the land renews itself so that it can provide more. Medicines, water, plants, meat. In exchange, because we dont really have anything the land wants, we honour it for what it gives us.”

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“Everybody deserves a second chance” (chapter 20)

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"Ahead, she could see th north woods, like a thin strip of green Velcro holding the sky and the land together." p 230

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"When you take more than the land can provide, it stops giving." p. 190

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I’m at the beginning too, and I immediately started to compare Morgan to Hollis Woods, another character in the foster care system. It does make you think about the weight that foster children carry thinking about their ability to be loved and wanted .

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"A story brought us here, you know.  A picture," Eli said.  "Stories always lead people somewhere," Arik said. "To a place, to a memory." (p.232)

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We've been waiting for death to find us. Perhaps it's time we found life. (Page 142)

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The actions of one don't predict the actions of another, and we need to be able to forgive what's been done in the paste either way. (Page 141).

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We are 4 days into our read aloud of The Barren Grounds and students are very engaged already. The glimpses we've gotten about the fantasy and magic of the other world of Aski are really exciting and students can't wait to see what will come next. I am equally as excited for them to find out!

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We are 4 days into our read aloud of The Barren Grounds and students are very engaged already. The glimpses we've gotten about the fantasy and magic of the other world of Aski are really exciting and students can't wait to see what will come next. I am equally as excited for them to find out!

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When Katie and Jim try to give "native" experiences to Morgan and Eli, Morgan seems very offended. I think this could be a great conversation starter for our native and non-native students to address some of the misconceptions or unknowns they may have about the tribal nation within our community.

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I just started reading Barren Grounds. I immediately thought of children I have known in the foster care system who seemed to have the same perception of themselves as Morgan- unlovable, unwanted.  The character development is wonderful. I already feel connected to Morgan and Eli and my heart aches for them to feel "home". Morgan has just cut open the paint on the door in the attic, so the fantasy is just beginning for me!!