AdventureonThunderIslandAdventure on Thunder Island, by Edna King and Jordan Wheeler • James Lorimer & Company, Publishers, 1991. 95 Pages.

There are four short stories in this book, each of which tells of a First Nations child experiencing a pivotal moment, often supernatural, that teaches them something about their culture. In one story, a boy meets a strange girl in the woods who claims to be his sister. In another, a girl washes ashore the titular island and meets a strange man who already knows her name.

The stories, arranged in order of “reading level and narrative complexity” from easiest to most difficult, have a sort of mythic weight to them, even when relaying mundane and relatable situations. The supernatural events seem completely natural within the narrative, because everything is treated with equal gravity, from a troll that steals children’s thoughts to the awkward negotiation of being the new kid on the block (and an Indian at that).

Though the stories do differ markedly in reading level, more advanced readers will enjoy the early stories as well as the latter ones (my favorite story — involving the above-mentioned troll and some golden walnuts — is the first in the book). Myths are updated here, brought out of the realm of legend and into everyday life. Modern details keep the stories from seeming alien.

Early readers looking for a book to challenge their reading ability or to read aloud with grown ups will enjoy this book, as will readers in fifth grade interested in Ojibwa myths and culture.