Book Description
for Northwest Passage by Scott Chantler
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Scott Chantler’s graphic novel is a historical adventure set in western Canada in 1755. Charles Lord, formerly a respected and admired British adventurer, has decided to retire from his job as the governor of a frontier trading post in what was then called Rupert’s Land and return to England. Or so he tells his friends. In truth, he wants to head to England to raise support for one more voyage in search of the fabled Northwest passage, which explorers have been chasing since Columbus’s days. Before he leaves, an old Cree Shaman, Eagle Eye, arrives with injuries; apparently he was wounded by the Blackfoot. Rupert’s Land is in a tenuous position now as the already sensitive transition from Charles Lord to a more “British” governor is complicated by potential fights between Indian Nations in a story that is the first volume in a proposed three volume series. Chantler’s story shows what happens when cultures collide and peace is threatened as leaders come and go. The artwork, while cartoony in style, captures the feeling of the frontier and of the shipping industry. An author’s note relate the sources artist/writer Chantler used to tell his story. (Ages 10–17)
CCBC Choices 2006 . © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2006. Used with permission.