Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival

Gr 3-7–This adventurous graphic novel follows the real-life story of Ilse Schweder, a young girl from Cree Nation whose story of survival inspired famous Canadian author Farley Mowat’s books about life in the North. In 1944, Ilse had to rely on her traditional Indigenous knowledge to survive being lost and alone on the Arctic tundra. Schweder and her family are checking traplines near their home in Windy River Trading Post (modern-day Nunavut) when a sudden, intense snowstorm separates her from the rest of her family, and she is forced to survive on her own for several days. Colorful illustrations in classic comic-book style help readers explore the challenging landscape. Rathgeber, who is Schweder’s granddaughter, and Pete provide cut-outs and sidebars with extra explanations and images of Arctic and Indigenous culture, clothes, and environment.