• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Bison are North America’s largest land animals.

Some 170,000 wood bison once roamed northern regions, while at least 30 million plains bison trekked across the rest of the continent. Almost driven to extinction in the 1800s by decades of slaughter and hunting, this ecological and cultural keystone species supports biodiversity and strengthens the ecosystems around it. Bison: Community Builders and Grassland Caretakers celebrates the traditions and teachings of Indigenous Peoples and looks at how bison lovers of all backgrounds came together to save these iconic animals. Learn about the places where bison are regaining a hoof-hold and meet some of the young people who are welcoming bison back home.

Praise for Frances Backhouse:

★"An important book for helping kids see past the sterotypes of terrifying grizzly bears and join the call for conservation."—School Library Journal, starred review for Grizzly Bears

"The impressively comprehensive text is chatty and entertaining...This illuminating avian introduction is sure to make an owl out of anyone."—Booklist, review for Owls

"An engaging book that will leave readers spouting facts about beavers. Students will have a new appreciation for these innovative builders and their significant impact on the landscape and ecosystems of North America."—School Library Journal, review for Beavers

Frances Backhouse studied biology in university and worked as a park naturalist and as a biologist before becoming an environmental journalist and author. Her six previous books include Once They Were Hats: In Search of the Mighty Beaver and Children of the Klondike, which won the 2010 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her partner, Mark Zuehlke, who is also a writer. Frances loves exploring the natural world both close to home and far away, especially when those explorations involve tent-camping. If there’s a beaver habitat nearby, it’s even better.

Frances Backhouse's profile page