New Releases by Joseph Bruchac

When twelve-year-old Jake Forrest''s mother gets a job in a new city, everything changes. He has to move away from the Iroquois reservation he''s lived on his entire life--away from his aunt and uncle, and away from the friends he plays lacrosse with. The lacrosse coach and players at his new school in Washington, D.C., believe that winning is everything, and they don''t know anything about the ways of his people. As Jake struggles to find a place where he truly belongs, tragedy strikes and he must find out who he really is. Can he find courage to face the warrior within--the warrior who values peace and leads other to more noble pursuits than outscoring the opposition?

Purely fiction, these stories tell the tales of athletes in a variety of sports, including track, football, martial arts, Ping Pong, fishing, and dirt bike riding.

Poems by Joseph Bruchac based on the Life of Ely Parker. Ely Samuel Parker (1828 - August 31, 1895), (born Hasanoanda, later known as Donehogawa) was a Seneca attorney, engineer, and tribal diplomat. He was commissioned a lieutenant colonel during the American Civil War, when he served as adjutant to General Ulysses S. Grant. He wrote the final draft of the Confederate surrender terms at Appomattox. Later in his career, Parker rose to the rank of Brevet Brigadier General, one of only two Native Americans to earn a general''s rank during the war (the other being Stand Watie, who fought for the Confederacy). President Grant appointed him as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, the first Native American to hold that post.

Young Prince Rashko is frustrated with his family - no one does any thinking but him! The kingdom and castle seem to be in the hands of fools. So when Rashko''s parents mysteriously disappear and the evil Baron Temny parks his army outside the castle walls, it is up to the young prince to save the day. But there is more to this castle and its history than meets the eye, and Rashko will have to embrace his ancestry, harness a dragon, and use his sword-fighting skills to stop the baron and save the kingdom. Along the way, he realizes that his family is not quite as stupid as he always thought. Master storyteller Joseph Bruchac, known for his smart, gripping Native American books, here combines his signature action and adventure with a large dose of humor, which just brings this story to a whole new level.

When Lucas King''s covert-ops father is kidnapped and his best friend Meena is put in danger, Luke''s only chance to save them--a skin that will let him walk as a wolf--is hidden away in an abandoned mansion guarded by monsters.

Award-winning author Joseph Bruchac delivers a charming and heart-warming story about fathers and sons. Perfect with other Father''s Day gems like Alison Ritchie''s Me and My Dad and Sam McBratney''s Guess How Much I Love You. In this tender tribute to dads everywhere, lyrical rhymes capture heartwarming moments shared between thirteen diverse father-and-son pairs. Everyday activities, like bike riding and raking leaves, become a reminder that life''s simple pleasures can offer the greatest rewards. "Celebrates the role fathers play in their sons'' lives and the many kinds of families who live in the U.S. Sons will find comfort on every page."—Publishers Weekly "A charming celebration of fathers, dads, pops, papas, and pas."—School Library Journal

Howard''s family are Abenaki Indians who fled to New York from Vermont in the early twentieth century. They hid their Indian ancestry to avoid the Vermont Eugenics Project, an attempt to sterilize those who were infirm, mentally ill, of mixed heritage, or illegitimate. Many Abenaki were victims of this program and as a result the Abenaki culture faced possible extinction. In this story Howard''s Uncle Louis, an Abenaki, tries to prevent that possibility by helping the boy learn the ways and culture of the Abenaki people.

Praised as a “perfect book to gobble up in a single, sweaty sitting” by Booklist, this chilling middle grade novel from acclaimed author Joseph Bruchac is infused with suspense and heart-stopping action. Give it to fans of R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series and readers anxious for well-crafted horror! Night Wings follows a Native American boy named Paul who is forced to journey up a treacherous mountain and must come face-to-face with something even more terrifying and deadly than his surroundings. Paul has always believed in the power of dreams. He knows that they are often warnings. Warnings that should be taken very seriously. Now his nightmare visions of a fearsome winged creature are becoming all too real. And though Paul has always depended on the wisdom of his Abenaki ancestors’ stories to guide him, no monster tale will prepare him for the horror he is about to encounter. All alone. At the top of one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

Joseph Bruchac, the award-winning author of Skeleton Man, puts a contemporary spin on Native American lore to create a spine-tingling tale of monsters and darkness. What kind of sinister creature lurks in the dark pond in the forest? Armie can feel it calling to him . . . and he suspects the answer may lie in the legends of his Shawnee ancestors. “Although it’s steeped in Mohawk lore and tradition, Bruchac’s story is contemporary both in its setting and its celebration of the enduring strength and courage of Native American women.” (Booklist)

A chilling middle grade novel featuring a brave young girl, missing parents, and a terrifying stranger, based on a Native American legend. R.L. Stine, New York Times bestselling author of the Goosebumps series, raved, "This book gave ME nightmares!” Molly’s father, who grew up on the Mohawk Reserve of Akwesasne, always had the best scary stories. One of her favorites was the legend of Skeleton Man, a gruesome tale about a man with such insatiable hunger he ate his own flesh before devouring those around him. But ever since her parents mysteriously vanished, those spooky tales have started to feel all too real. Don''t miss The Legend of Skeleton Man: a spine-tingling collection of Skeleton Man and its sequel, The Return of Skeleton Man!

In this sequel to the middle grade modern horror classic Skeleton Man, Joseph Bruchac revisits his most terrifying villain yet. "Will surely keep readers turning pages," proclaimed Publishers Weekly. Molly thought she’d put her traumatic past behind her when she escaped from Skeleton Man last year. She rescued her parents and tried to get her life back to normal. She thought her family would finally be able to live happily ever after. She thought wrong. Skeleton Man is back for revenge—but this time Molly is ready. Don''t miss The Legend of Skeleton Man: a spine-tingling collection of The Return of Skeleton Man and the original Skeleton Man story!

From Joseph Bruchac, the author of the award-winning middle-grade thrillfest Skeleton Man, comes another creepy tale inspired by the folklore of indigenous Americans. Baron has always been fascinated by bears—their gentle strength and untamed power. But the Bearwalker legend, passed down by his Mohawk ancestors, tells of a different kind of creature—a terrible mix of human and animal that looks like a bear but is really a bloodthirsty monster. The tale never seemed to be more than a scary story . . . until a class camping trip deep in the Adirondacks, when Baron comes face-to-face with an evil being that is all too real.

Jim Thorpe was one of the greatest athletes who ever lived. He played professional football, Major League Baseball, and won Olympic gold medals in track & field. But his life wasn’t an easy one. Born on the Sac and Fox Reservation in 1887, he encountered much family tragedy, and was sent as a young boy to various Indian boarding schools—strict, cold institutions that didn’t allow their students to hold on to their Native American languages and traditions. Jim ran away from school many times, until he found his calling at Pennsylvania’s Carlisle Indian School. There, the now-legendary coach Pop Warner recognized Jim’s athletic excellence and welcomed him onto the football and track teams. Focusing on Jim Thorpe’s years at Carlisle, this book brings his early athletic career—and especially his college football days—to life, while also dispelling some myths about him and movingly depicting the Native American experience at the turn of the twentieth century. This is a book for history buffs as well as sports fans—an illuminating and lively read about a truly great American.

From the multi-award-winning author of Code Talker comes a Native American perspective on the Civil War. Louis Nolette, a fifteen-year-old Abenaki Indian from Canada, is recruited to fight in the northern Irish Brigade in the Civil War. Though he is too young, and neither American nor Irish, he finds the promise of good wages and the fight to end slavery persuasive enough to join up. But war is never what you expect, and as Louis fights his way through battles, he encounters prejudice and acceptance, courage and cowardice, and strong and weak leadership in the most unexpected places. This paperback edition includes an author''s note, discussion guide, and selected bibliography for further reading. "A fine choice for readers who want war stories that include plenty of action, as well as reflection." —Booklist

Wabi was born an owl—a great horned owl who grew to become such a strong, confident creature that he was afraid of nothing. But now he is afraid. He fears that he might never win the heart of the girl he loves. Somehow, despite his own intentions, he has fallen in love with a girl—a beautiful, headstrong human girl. And so he begins the adventure of his life. He shape-shifts into human form in order to be with her. But before he can win her love, he must face an even greater challenge in a land he comes to think of as the Valley of Monsters. A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year * "Wabi''s inquisitive and endearing personality will charm readers." —School Library Journal, starred review

A collection of Native American stories of girls becoming women. These are stories from a broad array of tribes and tradtions.

A companion volume to Bruchac''s Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear, this anthology focuses on the role of women in traditional Indian cultures. Culled from 16 Native North American cultures, these traditional tribal tales dwell on the time in a young girl''s life when she discovers she is becoming a woman. Illustrations.

In 1607, when John Smith and his "Coatmen" arrive in Powhatan to begin settling the colony of Virginia, their relations with the village''s inhabitants are anything but warm. Pocahontas, the beloved daughter of the Powhatan chief, is just eleven, but this astute young girl plays a fateful, peaceful role in the destinies of two peoples. Drawing from the personal journals of John Smith, American Book Award winner Joseph Bruchac reveals an important chapter of history through the eyes of two legendary figures. Includes an afterword, a glossary, and other historical context.

Every monster can be overcome if you know the right way to go about it. Maddy has always loved scary stories, especially the spooky legends of her Native American ancestors. But that was before she heard about the Whisperer in the Dark, the most frightening legend of all. Now there''s an icy voice at the other end of the phone and a chilling message left on Maddy''s door. Suddenly this ancient tale is becoming just a bit too real. Once, twice, three times he''s called out to her. Where will she be when he finally calls her name?

A noted teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and of Native peoples everywhere, Joseph Bruchac has performed throughout the world. That gift for narrative informs this revealing autobiography.

A collection of eight semi-autobiographical stories about the authors'' experiences with sports while growing up. They range from the game "Bombardment" over the lunch hour, sports from gym class, karate, ballet, and wrestling, to baseball, basketball and football.

"Full of history, danger, courage and raw survival, this compelling novel by acclaimed author Joseph Bruchac is certain to have readers on the edge of their seat, start to finish." —The Dallas Morning News Saxso is fourteen when the British attack his village. It’s 1759, and war is raging in the northeast between the British and the French, with the Abenaki people—Saxso’s people—by their side. Without enough warriors to defend their homes, Saxso’s village is burned to the ground. Many people are killed, but some, including Saxso’s mother and two sisters, are taken hostage. Now it’s up to Saxso, on his own, to track the raiders and bring his family back home . . . before it’s too late. "Historical fiction doesn''t get much better than this. The narrative itself is thrilling." —Booklist, starred review "A heartbreaking but exciting story." —School Library Journal, starred review Winner of the Disney Adventures Best Historical Fiction Award An SLJ Best Book of the Year A New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age

A biography of Native American athlete Jim Thorpe, focusing on how his boyhood education set the stage for his athletic achievements which gained him international fame and Olympic gold medals. Author''s note details Thorpe''s life after college.

Illustrations and brief text introduce activities of various Native American people in each month of the year. Written by an acclaimed Native American storyteller, this book is a stunningly illustrated celebration of the Native American year. From Maliseet hunters following moose tracks in the snow to Cherokee people gathering berries in May, this is a hauntingly lyrical tribute to the circle of the seasons. Full color.

Poems of close observation and passionate feeling reflect the author''s Abenaki Indian heritage.

Our Stories Remember retells Native American stories.

For young Samuel Russell, the summer of 1777 is a time of fear. The British Army is approaching, and the Indians in the area seem ready to attack. To Stands Straight, a young Abenaki Indian scouting for King George, Americans are dangerous enemies who threaten his family and home. When Stands Straight''s party enters the Quaker Meetinghouse where Samuel worships, the two boys share an encounter that neither will ever forget. Told in alternating viewpoints, The Arrow over the Door is based on a true story. Illustrated by James Watling. "Thoughtful and eminently readable." (School Library Journal)

Famous for their Native American folklore retellings, the Bruchacs have joined forces with the illustration team of Aruego and Dewey to present the tale of how a challenge between Brown Squirrel and Big Bear leads to a hard lesson learned. Full-color illustrations.

Bruchac''s memoir explains how he came to fully claim his Abenaki Indian heritage despite his grandparents'' unspoken pact to never discuss his Grampa''s Indian blood.