The Great Bear by David A. Robertson is the sequel to The Barren Grounds, a magical middle-grade story that spirits its readers from Winnipeg to Askí, a wintery parallel world full of talking animals, giants, and adventure.
In The Great Bear, Morgan is back as The Miswea Saga’s moody and lovable lead, using her expertise as a fantasy and science fiction fan to tackle the next big adventure — time travel! Now Morgan and her foster-brother, Eli, get to explore Askí with with the teenage versions of their friends from the community of Misewa: Arik, a high-energy squirrel girl, Ochek, a friendly fisher, and the strangely familiar bear who is stealing food from communities all over Askí.
Capturing the wonder of The Chronicles of Narnia in the familiar setting of the Canadian Prairies, this novel is perfect both to read in a classroom and for those looking to bundle up at home with a cozy and suspenseful story about friendship, grief, identity, and family.
I already loved the first book in this series, The Barren Grounds, so I (among many others) were waiting in anticipation for it’s sequel. Hot off the press, this book certainly did not disappoint. Morgan and Eli’s double life as middle school students in Winnipeg and adventurers in Askí never ceases to be heartfelt in either world. Whether they are facing down bullies, learning the Cree language, or navigating their relationships with their foster parents and their birth parents, the foster-siblings’ bond remains central to this story and their ability to be resilient in the face of anything that either of the worlds they live in could throw at them.
While the first book in this series was very similar to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, down to the evil talking wolves and the magical world being doomed to an eternal winter, this book’s Back to the Future style time travel scenario opened up a whole new range of adventures for Morgan and Eli, all accessible through the secret portal in the attic of their foster parents’ home.
Maganging to end The Great Bear with both a plot-twist and a cliffhanger, Robertson’s writing left me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next instalment in The Misewa Saga. An author of picture books, graphic novels, youth fiction, and a memoir, Robertson’s knack for writing extends into the middle-grade genre (writing for people between 8 and 12 years old), making this series enjoyable for children and parents alike.
The children’s growing pains — dealing with bullies, changing family relationships, and the loss of a loved one — is set across time and space, making this book both epic and sincere. Capturing perfectly the universal chaos and confusion of being in middle school and balancing it with the very individual experiences of Morgan and Eli, who are Cree, foster children, and time travelers, Robertson’s clear-eyed and optimistic writing elevates this already endearing story to an unforgettable one.
