• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7
• Reading age: 8 to 12

Winner of the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award and the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

It is 1915, and Sam Ferrier and his father arrive by train in Curlew, Alberta, to build a new home for the family. When they finally reach their parcel of land, Sam can see nothing but endless stretches of grassland and blue sky. It is nothing like their old home in Iowa, and he wonders why his restless father ever decided to bring the family to this lonely, barren land.

In time, though, the house is built, and the rest of the family joins them. Gradually Sam discovers that there is much more to the flat and featureless prairie than he realized -- gleaming white skulls, torrential thunderstorms and, best of all, a new friend and a brave, resourceful horse named Prince.

Celia Barker Lottridge is a writer and storyteller who has written several highly acclaimed children's books, including Ticket to Curlew (winner of the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award and the Geoffrey Bilson Historical Fiction Award), Berta: A Remarkable Dog (nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Award, Horn Book starred review) and Stories from the Life of Jesus (Publishers Weekly starred review). She wrote Home Is Beyond the Mountains after hearing her mother's stories about growing up in Persia and after reading letter's written by Celia's aunt, Susan Shedd. Born in Iowa and raised in the United States, Celia now lives in Toronto.

Celia Barker Lottridge's profile page

• Long-listed, OLA Silver Birch Award
• Winner, CLA Book of the Year for Children Award
• Winner, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

With believable characters and an intriguing setting, this novel provides insights into the resourcefulness, hard work, and satisfaction of pioneers on the prairie.

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