Those Who Dwell Below
- Publisher
- Inhabit Media
- Initial publish date
- Jun 2019
- Category
- General, Aboriginal & Indigenous, Polar Regions, Coming of Age
- Recommended Age
- 12
- Recommended Grade
- 8 to 12
- Recommended Reading age
- 12
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781772272352
- Publish Date
- Jun 2019
- List Price
- $13.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781772272765
- Publish Date
- Oct 2019
- List Price
- $9.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Haunted by the vicious creatures of his recent past, Pitu tries to go back to a normal life at home after the other-worldly travels and near-death encounters of his recent disappearance into the world of the spirits. But Pitu knows that there is more work to be done, and more that he must learn in his new role as a shaman. When word of a starving village nearby reaches Pitu, he must go help its people appease the angry spirits. It soon becomes clear that Pitu must travel to the bottom of the ocean to meet Nuliajuk, the vengeful woman below, one of the most powerful beings in Inuit mythology. There he learns about his role in saving the starving community and that all in his home camp may not be as it seems . . .
About the authors
Aviaq Johnston is a young Inuk author from Igloolik, Nunavut. Her debut novel Those Who Run in the Sky was shortlisted for the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People's Literature, was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Award for Young Adult Fiction, and a 2017 Honour Book for the Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Young Adult Literature. In 2018 she won the inaugural Indigenous Voices Award for Most Significant Work of Prose in English by an Emerging Indigenous Writer. She is also the author of the bestselling picture book, What's My Superpower? Aviaq loves to travel and has lived in Australia and Vietnam. She spends most of her time reading, writing, studying, and procrastinating. She divides her time between Iqaluit, Nunavut, and Ottawa, Ontario.
From his early days of reading sci-fi and fantasy books, Toma Feizo Gas has been fascinated with the dramatic scenes portrayed on the covers of those books. There started his lifelong love affair with telling stories through pictures. Today, Toma’s key influence remains the people in these stories, the motives that drive us, and the decisions that shape us, propelling him to craft bold visual statements and contrast in his own art. As a career illustrator, his work can be found gracing the pages and covers of titles such as Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, the Star Wars and Mutant Chronicles role playing games, as well as several upcoming fantasy novel series.
Awards
- Short-listed, Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic — Young Adult Fiction
- Short-listed, CODE Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Young Adult Literature
Excerpt: Those Who Dwell Below (by (author) Aviaq Johnston; illustrated by Toma Feizo Gas)
The water was glacial, crushing the breath out of Pitu’s lungs and squeezing his stomach tight. His thoughts and worries left his mind, and all that remained was panic rushing through his entire body. As he sank beneath the ice, Pitu felt as though he was being stabbed from all directions. For a moment, he thought it might be the qallupilluit, their long, sharp nails piercing him. Eventually, Pitu opened his eyes, and for a moment they burned. But he could see that he was alone in the darkness. Soon the burning dissipated. He looked around, and above him he could see a jagged cast of light. As he descended, as he watched that light drifting farther and blurring with the salt and ice, a calmness engulfed him.
Pitu held his breath, but he also felt the absence of needing to breathe. The current kept pulling him deeper into the ocean. The stabbing pain of the cold had stopped, and now Pitu only felt numb. The light had disappeared completely now. Though he was surrounded by darkness, Pitu was comfortable in it.
His eyes began to adjust to the darkness and suddenly there was no darkness at all. The water surrounding him had turned a beautiful shade of blue, and inexplicable floes of ice floated around him. The floes cast bright lights that were unlike sunlight or moonlight. Their soft glow created an exquisite colourful aura.
This isn’t how nature works, Pitu thought.
Editorial Reviews
"[Aviaq Johnston's] writing, which includes traditional culture and mythology, opens the door to an entirely new world for her southern Canadian audience. She helps her readers travel to a part of Canada which most of us will never experience firsthand. She introduces readers to the sights and sounds and smells of the Arctic as well as to traditional culture."—CM Magazine
"Rich in detail and culturally nuanced, any reader will find the story approachable and connect to its themes of friendship, compassion, and trust...An elegant sequel that can dwell on its own."—Kirkus Reviews
"Johnston beautifully blends a portrait of the traditional Inuit life on the land with Inuit mythology and folklore to create a novel that will grab young readers from the first page...Johnston not only effortlessly mixes fact and fiction but has also created in Pitu a character that young readers will care deeply about – good thing, since there’s a third book in the works."—The Globe and Mail
"The novel is deeply layered and rewarding...Through a lithe series of philosophical dialogues about tradition and change, arrogance and respect, Pitu must think deeply about himself and his community. Readers are sure to come away with a broader sense of these themes. The book’s stark yet striking illustrations add a further layer for contemplation."—Resource Links
Other titles by Aviaq Johnston
Why Is She Mad at Me?
English Edition
Sometimes I Feel Shy
Inuktitut Edition
TJ and the Sleepover
Inuktitut Edition
Inuki's Birthday Party
Bilingual Inuktitut and English Edition
Grandfather Bowhead, Tell Me A Story
Showing You Care (Inuktitut)
Showing You Care (English)
Celebrations in Nunavut
Inuktitut Edition
TJ's New Friend
Inuktitut Edition
