About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
Aneze, a young Inuit girl, is left for dead after her village is ripped apart by a wife-raid; her father and brother are killed and her mother is kidnapped.
Aneze is the only survivor. She renames herself Orphan Ahwak as she struggles to survive on her own, first in the forest and then in a remote world of tundra and sea-ice. She endures cold and hunger and befriends people whose customs are completely foreign to her. Through it all she remains determined to become a hunter and to find a place in an often hostile and terrifying world.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 12
- Grade:
- 4 to 7
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Awards
- Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA)
- Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
- Winner, Quebec Writers' Federation Literature Awards - The Janet Savage Blachford Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature
- Commended, Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA) Top Forty
Editorial Reviews
"Aneze's adventures, and the folklore woven through the story, will appeal to both boys and girls."
— Resource Links
"Rivera skillfully interweaves fact and imagination. This little story is a true gem."
— VOYA
"Charming...full of adventure and atmosphere."
— KLIATT
"A skilful blend of fact and fiction, Rivera fashions a mesmerizing page-turner that is filled with many touches of early aboriginal life."
— St. Albert Gazette
"Orphan Ahwak features a female protagonist who is strong and resilient."
— Library Media Connection
"Rivera has written this story with touches of humor and tenderness."
— CM Magazine
"The author's biggest achievements in this work are two-fold: her creation of a character who portrays the strength of the human spirit, and her ability to immerse us into a foreign world so completely that we miss it when it's gone."
— Canadian Children's Book News
