VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Valley City Barnes County Public Library invites people of all ages to an author visit by Joelle Bearstail on Tuesday, October 17th at 5:00 pm in the Mary E. Fisher Room at the library. It is not every day that we get to celebrate an author that lives and writes in North Dakota. Joelle Bearstail is not only a writer, but a mom, educator, and founder of ImagiNative Inc., a nonprofit organization that encourages Native youth to acknowledge their individuality and to express their talent and creativity.

Ms. Bearstail wrote the book Bear’s Braid which is the story of two friends that strive to explore their Indigenous roots and to create connections with classmates. The characters Bear and Ben journey through the importance of tradition, hurt from bullying, and finding ways to connect to schoolmates and family. The book is based on the real-
life experiences of Bearstail’s son while he attended school in Bismarck.

The picture book Bear’s Braid is available for check out in the children’s library at Valley City Barnes County Public Library.