Description
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.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
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
Author Bio
Frances Backhouse is an award-winning environmental journalist and author who found her way to writing through science. As a kid, she loved exploring nature. She climbed trees, went for long walks with her dog in the river valley near her home, raised monarch butterflies from caterpillars and made plaster casts of animal tracks. Adulthood brought new adventures as she earned a bachelor of ccience degree in zoology and went on to work as a park naturalist and a biologist. Frances has written four books in the Orca Wild series and six books for adults. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, and loves spending time outdoors wherever she is.
Prizes
- The Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award (GEBA) - Children's NonfictionLong-listed 2026
- CCBC Best Books for Kids & TeensCommended 2025
- Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard SelectionCommended 2025
- High Plains International Book Awards - Children’s Middle Grade BookNominated 2026
- BC Books for SchoolsCommended 2025
- The Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society (SCWES) Book Awards for BC AuthorsWinner 2025
- Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) Book Awards - Youth CategoryLong-listed 2025
Review Quotes
“Brief narratives by young people recounting their connections to the bison enhance the factual focus of this middle-grade reference book.”
— BC Books for Schools“This engaging entry in the Orca Wild series is impressive in its level of detail…A promising ecological tale of near-eradication and recovery.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Engaging and informative…The authors’ enthusiasm for their subjects comes through clearly. First-rate animal nonfiction for middle school readers.”
— School Library Journal (SLJ)“Engaging from the very first page...The details shared will leave readers savvier about [bisons’] history, their body differences, and the roles they play in creating room for animals and plants to flourish.”
— Sal's Fiction Addiction“Backhouse packs both educational and enlightening information in this comprehensive guide to the largest land animal on the continent. Spotlights on young people studying and living among bison make these topics more relatable and inspiring. A well-rounded study of bison and their extensive impact on the environment.”
— BooklistBiographical note
Frances Backhouse studied biology in university and worked as a park naturalist and biologist before becoming an environmental journalist and author. Her other Orca Wild series books include Owls: Who Gives a Hoot?, Grizzly Bears: Guardians of the Wilderness and Beavers: Radical Rodents and Ecosystem Engineers. She is also the award-winning author of six books for adults. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
