Storm Boy

On this wind-stormy day in Seattle, I can think of no better book than Storm Boy.  This week, not far from my home, Orcas have been hunting and frolicking off our shores.  A pod performed a mysterious display of delight as a ferry loaded with ancient native artifacts neared Bainbridge Island, WA.  Suquamish Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman said the whales were “welcoming the artifacts home as they made their way back from Seattle, back to the reservation.”  To learn more about this interesting story, click here.

Here's the Storm Boy plot: In the storm-tossed seas along the rugged Northwest Coast, an Indian boy is thrown from his canoe into a great mystery. Washed ashore before an unfamiliar village, the boy finds his arrival has been eagerly awaited by the strange and giant "people" there. Just who are these beings? And what do they intend for their guest? What follows both answers-and deepens the mystery.

Careful attention is paid to historical detail both in the story and the vibrant illustrations. Storm Boy follows the rich mythic traditions of the Haida, Tlingit, and other Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, whose stories often tell of individuals cast mysteriously into parallel worlds inhabited by animals in human form.

A portion of the proceeds from this book is donated to the Haida Gwaii Rediscovery Program for tribal youth.

Click here to learn more about Storm Boy.