Sky

by Pamela Porter, Mary Jane Gerber (Illustrator)

Eleven-year-old Georgia lives with her grandparents, Paw Paw and Gramma, on the edge of the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Spring comes, and it rains and rains until one afternoon the creek behind their house suddenly becomes a wall of water, washing away everything the family owns -- their house, their barn, and even Daisy, the only stuffed animal Georgia has ever had. Through sheer determination, Georgia and her grandparents gradually rebuild their lives, but it's not until Georgia finds Sky -- a foal that somehow survived the flood -- that the family begins to heal and find meaning again despite their losses. Based on the true story of Georgia Salois and written in the haunting voice of a young child, Sky vividly describes the historic flood of 1964 and its effect on Georgia and her people. Their courage in overcoming disaster, poverty, and discrimination provides young readers with a compelling portrayal of endurance.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada

81 pages, Library Binding

First published August 31, 2004

About the author

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on July 14, 1956, Pamela Porter of Sidney, B.C., has also lived in Texas, Louisiana, Washington, and Montana. Her husband's family has operated a family farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan, for generations, and Pamela’s family goes to Saskatchewan every summer to work on the farm.

Having gained her undergraduate English degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Montana, Pamela Porter has taught writing at the University of Victoria and to adults at the tribal school on the Saanich peninsula.