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Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold
Brave Bernice is ready for an adventure!
It's the summer of 1914. Eight-year-old Bernice lives with her family in a lighthouse on Georgian Bay. One day Bernice wakes up to find a stranger named Tom Thomson sleeping in their living room. When she overhears him talk about gold on a nearby island, Bernice is determined to find it. Inspired by her beloved Mémèr’s stories of their Métis family’s adventures and hardships, Bernice takes the treasure map the stranger left behind and sets out in a rowboat with nothing more than her two dogs for company and the dream of changing her family’s fortunes forever.
It's the summer of 1914. Eight-year-old Bernice lives with her family in a lighthouse on Georgian Bay. One day Bernice wakes up to find a stranger named Tom Thomson sleeping in their living room. When she overhears him talk about gold on a nearby island, Bernice is determined to find it. Inspired by her beloved Mémèr’s stories of their Métis family’s adventures and hardships, Bernice takes the treasure map the stranger left behind and sets out in a rowboat with nothing more than her two dogs for company and the dream of changing her family’s fortunes forever.
- GenresFiction
190 pages, Paperback
Published May 16, 2023
39 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Outram
3 books5 followersJessica Outram is a Métis author and teacher with roots in the Georgian Bay Métis Community. Jessica is co-host of The Hummingbird Podcast with Catherine Graham, a weekly podcast about identity, healing and wellness, the spirit of place, and the pull of mystery. She was Cobourg, Ontario’s 4th Poet Laureate.
Jessica currently works full-time as a centrally assigned Principal of Indigenous Education, supporting nearly 100 schools with K-12 curriculum and all Indigenous youth in an Ontario school board.
Jessica currently works full-time as a centrally assigned Principal of Indigenous Education, supporting nearly 100 schools with K-12 curriculum and all Indigenous youth in an Ontario school board.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 23, 2023
I had high hopes for this in the beginning - a short novel about a girl going looking for gold. Good old adventurous historical fiction. But it took forever to do anything. And then the adventure itself was like five pages. Total let down and boring.
January 15, 2024
Historical fiction for ages 9-12, this is set at the outbreak of WWI in Canadian islands on Lake Huron. The family of the lighthouse keeper are Métis, and their heritage is highlighted throughout the story. I'm not sure why this book wasn't the usual 8-12, but perhaps the tough history of what their relatives went through and other concepts, or maybe the Canadian publisher. I think that other books this tough are often 8-12 (and wonder at it, thinking of the average 3rd grader). I personally benefited from just finishing "A Girl Called Echo", which goes over their history in detail.
This is really lovely and sweet. The importance and love of family is prominent. Outram is writing of her family stories, and shifts the time of certain events to have them all happen over one summer. I love the silly humor of the grandmother, especially. The author used short sentences, and the writing is succinct and plain-speaking. The book is in first-person from Bernice's 8-year-old perspective. There are words and phrases in their Métis French throughout, but they are immediately translated. Really a good book, and so fulfilling to know this history.
This is really lovely and sweet. The importance and love of family is prominent. Outram is writing of her family stories, and shifts the time of certain events to have them all happen over one summer. I love the silly humor of the grandmother, especially. The author used short sentences, and the writing is succinct and plain-speaking. The book is in first-person from Bernice's 8-year-old perspective. There are words and phrases in their Métis French throughout, but they are immediately translated. Really a good book, and so fulfilling to know this history.
June 8, 2024
Wonderful story set in 1914 about a family of Metis lighthouse keepers. Based off of some of the authors' family memories. Love the short chapters and the vivid descriptions. Love learning about the complexity of Metis heritage and the simplicity of family ties. Bernice is a sweet, adventuresome, brave child who wants to find a treasure to help her family. Her family is a close-knit, kind, merry bunch and it's a really great book.
July 17, 2023
As someone who grew up on Georgian Bay, near Waubaushene, and whose family is Métis, I thought this was an INCREDIBLE novel! I felt such a connection to Bernice, the closeness to her family and the adventures of growing up on the bay!
June 21, 2023
A wonderful telling of the story of a Métis family in Canada. The author has a beautiful way with words.
September 9, 2023
I really enjoyed this novel. I plan to read it to my class as it has so many launching points for discussion.
June 22, 2023
Excellent
An enchanting story of childhood lived in a lighthouse, on an island, and near water. An excellent read for anyone wishing to know more Canadian history.
An enchanting story of childhood lived in a lighthouse, on an island, and near water. An excellent read for anyone wishing to know more Canadian history.
July 17, 2024
On the eve of The Great War (World War I), eight-year-old Bernice lives with her family in a lighthouse on Georgian Bay. She is the youngest of the family, tasked with carrying on the family's stories, but she is an adventurer at heart. Their world is small and limited to their island with very few visitors. A mysterious late night visitor, however, leaves behind a map of some kind and Bernice heard him speak of gold. The promise of gold and a treasure map are the adventure Bernice has been looking for and she has high hopes for what that gold could do for her family. Bernice learns that adventures - even with a map - are not easy tasks and require help. When her golden dreams come crashing down, she is reminded that her family is the real treasure.
Inspired by the author's family history, Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold, falls into the problematic trap that authors and editors want more representation in the books available for young readers and they want books that carry an importance in them (whether that just be another mirror of society or an effort to preserve cultural heritage) but kids don't want to read those books because they would rather read fun books. This book is not fun; it's quite boring. And just look at the cover - there is no way that is an eight-year-old girl in that boat! This may have been an important book for Jessica Outram to write to honor her family and her heritage but it is not something kids are going to be drawn into and stick with until the last page. The most dramatic part of the whole book is grandma swallowing a sewing needle! It's a lot of lead up to the big adventure with no real adventure to speak of.
Inspired by the author's family history, Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold, falls into the problematic trap that authors and editors want more representation in the books available for young readers and they want books that carry an importance in them (whether that just be another mirror of society or an effort to preserve cultural heritage) but kids don't want to read those books because they would rather read fun books. This book is not fun; it's quite boring. And just look at the cover - there is no way that is an eight-year-old girl in that boat! This may have been an important book for Jessica Outram to write to honor her family and her heritage but it is not something kids are going to be drawn into and stick with until the last page. The most dramatic part of the whole book is grandma swallowing a sewing needle! It's a lot of lead up to the big adventure with no real adventure to speak of.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews