Children of the Dawnland »

KATHLEEN O'NEAL GEAR is a former state historian and archaeologist for Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska for the U.S. Department of the Interior. She has twice received the federal government's Special Achievement Award for "outstanding management" of our nation's cultural heritage.

W. MICHAEL GEAR, who holds a master's degree in archaeology, has worked as a professional archaeologist since 1978. He is currently principal investigator for Wind River Archaeological Consultants.

The Gears, whose First North American Series hit the international as well as USA Today bestseller lists, live in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Children of the Dawnland is their first book for children.

The end of the Ice Age: A time of melting glaciers, mass extinctions, unpredictable dangers…and young heroes

Though only twelve summers old, Twig is a talented Dreamer. Sometimes she has spirit dreams—dreams that come true. But her mother has always discouraged Twig from exploring her powers for fear that they would turn her strange, like the reclusive witch-woman Cobia.

When Twig begins to have recurring nightmares about a green light exploding from the sky and causing widespread destruction, she must find the courage to defy her mother and learn to become a Spirit Dreamer. Helping Twig on her quest are her best friend, Greyhawk, and Screech Owl, a shaman who has been banished from the village. Together, they must persuade their people to leave the land of their ancestors and journey to the mysterious Duskland, far from only home they’ve ever known. Can Twig convince the Elders that she is a true Spirit Dreamer—before it’s too late?

Set 13,000 years ago in what is now the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada, Children of the Dawnland is an unforgettable adventure about a visionary girl by internationally-bestselling authors and archaeologists Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear. In writing and researching this book, the Gears visited the archaeological sites in New York, Ontario, Ohio, and Pennsylvania that play a role in the story. By allowing us to see through the eyes of prehistoric cultures, the Gears hope we can learn from them at a time of similar environmental change.

School Library Journal

Gr 4–8—The Gears, known for their adult titles, have utilized their archaeological knowledge to write their first book for children. This story imagines what life might have been like for the Clovis people who lived in what is now the northeastern United States and eastern Canada at the end of the Ice Age. Twig is the daughter of the village dreamer, a shamanlike person whose visions are used as a means to guide the tribe. She has been having visions that tell of a great ball of fire in the sky, and is convinced that her people must move west to avoid annihilation. Twig's mother, out of fear for her, has tried to keep her from exploring her visions, but the 12-year-old feels compelled to train as a dreamer in order to save her people. Initially it might be challenging for today's youth to wade through the anthropomorphized names given to natural phenomena such as Wind Woman, Moon Maiden, and Star People; the heavy emphasis on the power given to dreams and visions; and the slow story line for the first half of the book. However, the plot soon quickens. Twig and her friend Greyhawk set off on a quest to find Cobia, a dreamer with extraordinary power, and are chased by the violent and murderous Thornback Raiders. The world really does seem to be close to destruction when Twig's vision comes true. Even the most selective children won't be able to read fast enough at this point, if they get this far.—Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn, NY