Gary Robinson
Gary Robinson is a seasoned writer/author, filmmaker and digital photographic artist of Choctaw and Cherokee Indian descent with experience in many aspects of television production and both fiction and non-fiction writing.
Much of his work has been about or on behalf of American Indian tribes, organizations and businesses, creating documentaries, informational video programs, books and educational materials on the histories, cultures and contemporary issues of indigenous peoples. Since 2015, he has done intensive research, writing and publication on the topic of California History from a Native American perspective.
His 2019 teen novel, Standing Strong, about a suicidal Native teen girl whose life is transformed when she takes part in an oil pipeline protest to protect sacred Native land and water, won the 2019 Moonbeam Children’s Book Gold Award for Fiction/Mature Issues and was named one of the Best Books of 2019 by American Indians in Children’s Literature.
Over the years, he has written, produced, directed, shot and/or edited more than 100 video/television programs for and about American Indian people and published eighteen Native American books. He earned a B.A. in Film Production and an M.A. in educational media from the University of Texas in Austin. He currently lives in central California.
Robinson was awarded the Best Animation award for his short film "We Are All Related" at the 40th Annual American Indian Film Festival hosted by the American Indian Film Institute in San Francisco, California Nov 14, 2015. Robinson was the Writer, Producer, and Director of the film. The film is available for viewing on the NativeFlix Website.
He is the author of eight PathFinders novels: Standing Strong, Thunder on the Plains, Tribal Journey, Son Who Returns, Little Brother of War, and the Billy Buckhorn Trilogy: Abnormal, Paranormal, and Supranormal.
Other titles include: From Warriors to Soldiers, The Language of Victory, and Powerful Medicine (Geronimo Jones Mysteries Book 1). He also co-authored with Jesse T. Hummingbird Native American Twelve Days of Christmas and Native American Night Before Christmas, new edition available now.
Recently Arrived: a new title in our Native Trailblazers series, Native Actors and Filmmakers: Visual Storytellers, and in our children's collection, Be Your Own Best Friend FOREVER! featuring his niece Jayla Rose, which is in its third printing!
Listen to Literal app conversation with Gary on Spotify.
Find his film channel, Tribal Eye Productions on YouTube.
Visit Gary’s website imaginative-content.com
Joseph Bruchac reviews Gary's latest novel, Standing Strong:
"Gary Robinson is a writer whose work has always demonstrated his understanding of Indian country and the issues facing our youth. This new story, however—of a disaffected young Blackfeet woman whose friend has just taken her own life—lifts his message to a new level.
All too often these days, young men and women in our reservation communities see no way out other than suicide. It’s a blight that occurs today among Native American kids in epidemic proportions. Rhonda Runningcrane, Robinson’s protagonist, is painfully real and her odyssey to find meaning in her life is equally believable. Robinson also uses her journey toward balance and self-discovery to deftly bring in one of the major issues facing not just Native communities but our nation as a whole.
The fact that this tightly constructed short novel does not conclude with a storybook total victory makes it even more real and, because Rhonda does not give up, inspiring. This is the kind of story that every native teenager should have the chance to read. I strongly recommend it — not just to every tribal library (where sets of it should be available)—but to YA audiences everywhere."
— Joseph Bruchac
Gary Robinson
Can a teen with psychic insights defeat an ancient evil that has returned to destroy his Cherokee Nation?
An ominous message conveyed to sixteen-year-old Billy Buckhorn by the spirit of his deceased grandmother opens the door to astounding supernatural events. Struck by lightning and brought back from the brink of death, Billy must contend with extraordinary visions and psychic insights. These new “gifts” prove both challenging and necessary as Billy begins to understand the peril behind his grandmother’s words and realizes his calling to protect and defend his people.
Billy’s first vision and adversary is the ancient Raven Stalker, who appears in the form of a peculiar high school teacher who has the power to suck the very life force out of human beings. Little does Billy know that this is just the beginning of a prophesied quest to vanquish mythical evil forces that have materialized and now threaten to overtake the Cherokee Nation.
Can Billy, his best friend Chigger, his medicine-man grandfather, his college professor father, and an archaeologist defeat these beasts before they rule not only the Cherokee Nation but also all humankind?
ISBN: 9781939053473
Author: Gary Robinson
Fry Reading Level: 7
Page Count: 304
Width: 5.50
Height: 8.50
Publication Year: 2023
Publisher: 7th Generation
E-book available here or through your favorite platform.
Gary Robinson
A teenager is reminded of the importance of understanding his cultural roots in Billy Buckhorn and the Rise of the Night Seers, a fresh novel that’s enlivened by Native American history and mythology. ~ Foreword Reviews
Cherokee teen Billy Buckhorn had no idea what was in store for him when Osage teen Lisa Lookout and her family showed up on his doorstep. A tribal prophecy, carried by their family for a thousand years, indicates Billy is the long awaited Chosen One, and that he is destined to battle dark ancient forces that are planning to retake control of the Middleworld.
As Billy comes to accept his prophesied new role, he must also learn to accept that he and his loved ones are now targets of the most powerful shape-shifting Native American witches and sorcerers on Turtle Island. Known as the Night Seers of the Owl Clan, Billy must use old Indigenous ways, intertwined with modern technology, to fight and defeat this evil force.
Billy Buckhorn and the Rise of the Night Seers is the second thrilling installment of the Thunder Child Prophecy Series.
ISBN: 9780966931754
Author: Gary Robinson
Fry Reading Level: 7
Page Count: 294
Width: 8.50
Height: 5.50
Publication Year: 2024
Publisher: 7th Generation
E-book available here or through your favorite platform.
The battle to decide the fate of the world has finally begun!
In the exciting conclusion to The Thunder Child Prophecy Series, Billy Buckhorn must now use all his powers to achieve the hoped-for victory in the prophesied final showdown between the forces of good and the forces of evil that will determine the fate of the human race.
Billy Buckhorn, ala Thunder Child, battles the Owl Clan and the Serpent Society when they renew their ancient evil alliance. First, they launch a series of supernatural events meant to usher in a new age of horrific Underworld dominance. Next, bizarre weather patterns produce raging floods, and fantastic beasts from Native American legends roam North America once again. Worst of all, the Snake Priest, riding the ancient and malevolent Winged Serpent, rises from the deepest regions below to exact revenge and take control of everyone and everything in the Middleworld! Can Billy and his dedicated, gifted team—his oldest friend Chigger; Osage girlfriend, Lisa; the Intertribal Medicine Council; and his allies in the Upperworld—prevent this apocalypse from happening?
Billy Buckhorn and War of Worlds is the third gripping installment of The Thunder Child Prophecy Series.
ISBN: 9781570674266
Author: Gary Robinson
Page Count: 192
Width: 5.50
Height: 8.50
Publication Year: 2024
Publisher: 7th Generation
E-book available here or through your favorite platform.
Gary Robinson
In this second installment of the trilogy, Billy and his friend Chigger continue their adventures in a hidden cave. After a horrifying accident at the cave, Billy is pronounced clinically dead on an operating table. But after a miraculous recovery, Billy discovers an ability to see and speak with the spirits of the dead, including his deceased Cherokee grandmother.
When Chigger becomes possessed by an alien force, Billy knows he must return to the cave to find a clue that will save his friend. What he doesn’t know is that the Horned Serpent known to the Cherokees as Uktena, is lying in wait.
ISBN: 9781939053084
Author: Gary Robinson
Lexile Level: HL720L
Fry Reading Level: 4.5
Page Count: 154
Width: 4.50
Height: 7.00
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: 7th Generation
Gary Robinson
In book three of the Billy Buckhorn trilogy, Supranormal, Billy and his grandfather Wesley face a deadly, ancient beast that’s poised to take control of the Cherokee Nation. While Wesley and Billy summon aid from the spirit realms, Billy’s father, a college professor, puts together an archaeological team to help out and to document the unprecedented things they’ve seen and experienced. But even with everyone pulling together, can they stop Uktena?
ISBN: 9781939053121
Author: Gary Robinson
Lexile Level: HL680L
Fry Reading Level: 4.5
Page Count: 122
Width: 4.50
Height: 7.50
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: 7th Generation
Gary Robinson
“Dad, I don’t want to play football or baseball,” I blurted out. “Oh, what do you want to play?” he asked. “Basketball? I hope its not soccer. That’s not even a real American sport.” “Stickball,” I said. “Say what?” Dad replied. He almost spit out a mouth full of coffee. “Stickball. Toli.” “You mean running around in your shorts behind the community center on Saturdays? That’s not a real sport.” “Actually it is a real sport, and I’m talking about playing on a team that will compete at Choctaw Fair next summer.” Dad slammed his fist down on the table. The plates and glasses shook. I almost jumped out of my seat. Sixteen year old Mississippi Choctaw Randy Cheska lived most of his young life in the shadow of his older football-hero brother, Jack. After Jack is tragically killed while serving in Iraq, Randy's father puts even more pressure on Randy to excel in football. Randy has absolutely no desire or skills to play high school sports but when he discovers that he's good and stickball and loves the game, Randy jumps at the chance to play when its offered. His father considers the sport a relic of the Choctaw past when it was known as the Little Brother of War and used to settle disputes between communities. For Randy, stick ball provides him with a new sense of self-worth and a new direction in life.
"There is strength in the depiction of a young man finding his way by looking to his roots, and Robinson powerfully captures the exhilaration of knowing exactly where one belongs."
Booklist September 2013
“The tension between respecting Choctaw tradition and embracing change are at the heart of Robinson's strong addition to the PathFinders series about Native American teens, written by Native authors. Written at a fourth grade reading level, the story captures the believable friction in Randy's family and introduces a bit of American culture that will be new to many readers.”
Publisher Weekly August 2013
“A traditional game provides a way for a Mississippi Choctaw teen to step out of the shadows of his sports-hero older brother and dad. This worthy tale is definitely agenda-driven, but the cultural and historical information is laid onto the story with a light hand.” (Fiction. 10-13)
Kirkus Reviews June 2013
ISBN: 9781939053022
Author: Gary Robinson
Lexile Level: HL560L
Fry Reading Level: 4.5
Page Count: 120
Width: 4.50
Height: 7.00
Publication Year: 2013
Publisher: 7th Generation Native Voices Books
Gary Robinson
An innovative retelling of the classic Christmas tale, this full-color book takes a whimsical look at what Christmas Eve might be like for an American Indian family when Old Red Shirt (the Indian Santa Claus) comes a-calling with his team of flying white buffalo to deliver fry bread, commodities, and other goodies. Renowned Cherokee artist Jesse Hummingbird’s inspired illustrations transform the author’s playful adaptation into a fresh and modern work of art. A delight for people of all ages and cultures, especially those interested in Native customs and art. Winner of the Moonbeam Award for Holiday Books.
Listen and watch the book unfold. Narrated by Harlan McKosato (Sac & Fox Nation, OK)
For a special treat, watch the combined video with Native American Night Before Christmas.
Jesse Hummingbird’s inspired illustrations transform the author’s playful adaptation into a fresh and modern work of art. A delight for people of all ages and cultures, especially those interested in Native American customs and art.
--GoodMinds.com
Hardcover, full color illustrations
AUTHOR
Award-winning writer and filmmaker Gary Robinson (of Choctaw/Cherokee descent) has participated in the production of dozens of Native America educational, informational, and documentary television projects and worked to create Native American content most of his adult life. He is the author of sixteen books, including seven PathFinders teen novels. For more information, visit tribaleyeproductions.com.
ILLUSTRATOR
Jesse T. Hummingbird was a Cherokee artist who has won awards for his paintings at major shows across the country. He won the best of division for painting at the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market; second place in painting at the Southwest Arts Festival in Indio, California. In 2017, he was selected by the Cherokee Nation as a Cherokee National Living Treasure.
Books by Jesse and Sandy Hummingbird include Native American Ledger Art Coloring Book, Cherokee MasksActivity Book, Cherokee Clothing Activity Book, Pow Wow ABC Coloring Book, and Powwow Activity Book.
ISBN: 9781939053305
Author: Gary Robinson
Illustrator: Jesse T. Hummingbird
Page Count: 40
Width: 12.50
Height: 8.25
Publication Year: 2020
Publisher: 7th Generation
E-book available here or through your favorite platform.
Gary Robinson
Illustrator: Jesse T. Hummingbird
A holiday read-aloud that begs for multiple recitations.
The beloved traditional English Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, has been adapted here to reflect aspects of the richly varied cultures and traditions of twelve Native American cultural groups from different parts of the U.S. A cultural background is included for each day’s gift in an easy-to-understand manner, placing the adapted song lyrics in the context of these tribal cultures. A wonderful companion to the best- selling Native American Night Before Christmas.
Employing the source material’s foundation, Robinson adapts the lyrics to include culturally significant actions, items, and entities. Straightforward text contextualizes each adapted lyric, while Hummingbird depicts wide-eyed characters engaging in yuletide scenes. — Publisher's Weekly
For a special treat, watch the combined video with Native American Night Before Christmas.
ISBN: 9781939053459
Author: Gary Robinson
Illustrator: Jesse T. Hummingbird
Page Count: 40
Width: 12.50
Height: 8.25
Publication Year: 2022
Publisher: 7th Generation
E-book available here or through your favorite platform.
Gary Robinson
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Discover the unique lives and career paths of twelve Native people who are actively working in the complex entertainment industry, either in front of or behind the camera. In addition to acting, their work includes motion picture, television, and digital production in such roles as director, producer, writer, cinematographer, and editor. Included in these biographies are real-world descriptions of what each member of a production team does, as well as advice on what it takes to get started in the entertainment industry. The glossary in the back of the book highlights the terminology used in TV/movie production, and the list of resources provides a variety of ways to obtain additional information about the industry. B/W photos
Award-winning writer and filmmaker Gary Robinson (Choctaw/Cherokee descent) has worked most of his life to create Native American content in dozens of Native American educational, informational, and documentary television projects. He is the author of sixteen books, including eight PathFinders teen novels. He lives in Santa Ynez, CA. For more information, visit his website at tribaleyeproductions.com.
YA 12-16
ISBN: 9781939053312
Author: Gary Robinson
Lexile Level: 1200
Page Count: 136
Width: 6.00
Height: 9.00
Publication Year: 2021
Publisher: 7th Generation
E-book available here or through your favorite platform.
Gary Robinson
Fifteen-year-old Mark Centeno is of Chumash, Crow, Mexican, and Filipino ancestry—he calls himself “four kinds of brown.” When Mark goes to live with his Chumash grandmother on the reservation in central California, he discovers a rich world of family history and culture that he knows very little about.
He also finds a pathway to better understanding a part of his own identity: the world of powwow dancing. Riveted by the traditional dancers and feeling the magnetic pull of the drums, Mark begins the training and other preparations necessary for him to compete as a dancer in one of America’s largest powwows.
Powwow drums call a modern teen to reconnect with his Native American roots. Free of crises and melodrama, a buoyant take on the theme of embracing one’s family heritage.
Kirkus Reviews April 2014
ISBN: 9781939053046
Author: Gary Robinson
Lexile Level: HL690L
Fry Reading Level: 4.5
Page Count: 144
Width: 4.50
Height: 7.00
Publication Year: 2014
Publisher: 7th Generation
Gary Robinson
Congratulations to Gary Robinson, winner of Moonbeams Children's Book Gold award for Mature Issues and voted 2019 Best Books for High School by American Indians in Children's Literature.
"This is the kind of story that every native teenager should have the chance to read. I strongly recommend it — not just to every tribal library (where sets of it should be available)—but to YA audiences everywhere." ~ Joseph Bruchac
The life of Native teen Rhonda Runningcrane has not been going well. After her mother was sent to prison for killing the girl’s physically abusive father, Rhonda attempted suicide. All she and a small group of friends wanted to do was escape a bleak and pointless life. After witnessing the burial of her best friend who co2019 Best Booksmmitted suicide, Rhonda must figure out how to cope and continue living.
Shortly after high school graduation, Rhonda sees a pleMoonbeams Children's Book Gold award for Mature Issuesa for donations of food and clothing to help support an ongoing pipeline protest on another reservation. Something stirs inside her, and Rhonda is compelled to heed the call and collect contributions from the people on her reservation. After she delivers a truck filled with supplies to the protesters’ encampment, Rhonda feels a powerful urge to stay and join the fight. Using skills that she learned from a caring uncle back home, Rhonda signs up to work with the camp’s ground crew.
An inspiring Native elder at the camp takes Rhonda under her wing, and the girl begins to heal from the wounds of her past. But when that elder and others in the camp are threatened by armed National Guardsmen and attack dogs, Rhonda throws herself fully into the fray, locking arms with other young people to form a protective barrier. From that moment on, Rhonda decides to dedicate her life to protecting Native lands and waterways and the lives of Native people.
Award-winning writer and filmmaker Gary Robinson (Choctaw/Cherokee) has participated in the production of dozens of Native American educational, informational, and documentary television projects and worked to create Native American content most of his adult life. He is the author of sixteen books, including seven PathFinders teen novels. For more information, visit his website at http://www.tribaleyeproductions.com/tribaleyeproductions.com.
Gary Robinson has written sixteen fiction and nonfiction books on Native American topics, including the following PathFinders historical teen novels: Thunder on the Plains, Tribal Journey, Little Brother of War, and Son Who Returns. He is also the author of the Billy Buckhorn supernatural series, which includes Abnormal, Paranormal, and Supranormal. Robinson’s two-book series for elementary-age students, Lands of Our Ancestors, depicts California’s history from a Native American perspective.
ISBN: 9781939053220
Author: Gary Robinson
Lexile Level: 950L
Fry Reading Level: 6
Page Count: 116
Width: 4.50
Height: 7.00
Publication Year: 2019
Publisher: 7th Generation Native Voices Books
E-book available here or through your favorite platform.
Gary Robinson
There were machines beside my bed. They were beeping and making weird noises. I had a headache and a side ache and an arm ache. But I couldn’t feel my left leg.
Slowly I looked around the room. There was Mom asleep in a chair next to the bed.
“Mom? Mom, what happened?” She woke up and looked at me.
“Oh, Jason. I’m so glad you’re awake. Don’t try to talk. I’ll call the doctor to come check you.”
“What happened to me?”
“Don’t you remember? You were in a terrible car wreck. Two days ago.” As Mom left to find the doctor, the images of the accident flooded back into my mind.
After a bad car accident, Jason is left with one paralyzed leg. He’s lucky to have survived, but he’s not sure he can handle life confined to a wheelchair. Even when he was protecting his mom and siblings from his drunken father, or escaping from home to be with his friends, he never imagined having to deal with anything like this.
Now Jason sees himself only as someone who will always be paralyzed, but when he becomes part of the Raven Canoe Family and learns to “pull” a canoe, his outlook on life begins to change.
An uncomplicated tale of mirrored inner and outer journey, welcome for its look at Native American characters in a modern context. (Fiction. 10-16)
Kirkus Reviews April 2013
ISBN: 9781939053015
Author: Gary Robinson
Lexile Level: HL670L
Fry Reading Level: 4.5
Page Count: 120
Width: 4.00
Height: 7.00
Publication Year: 2013
Publisher: 7th Generation
The thrilling series, The Thunder Child Prophecy is a three-part supernatural saga of Billy Buckthorn’s alliance with the good cosmic forces of the Middleworld and their united battle against the evil of the Underworld.
Award-winning writer and filmmaker Gary Robinson (Choctaw/Cherokee descent) has worked on dozens of Native American educational, informational, and documentary television projects. He has written more than twenty books for teens and children. He lives in Santa Ynez, California.
Young Adult
Bundle Number: 11
1 × BILLY BUCKHORN and the BOOK OF SPELLS
1 × BILLY BUCKHORN and the RISE OF THE NIGHT SEERS
1 × BILLY BUCKHORN and the WAR of WORLDS
This bundle contains one copy of each title.
1 × Billy Buckhorn: SUPRANORMAL
1 × Billy Buckhorn: ABNORMAL
1 × Billy Buckhorn: PARANORMAL
Gary Robinson
Believe in yourself and you will always have a best friend!
Be Your Own Best Friend FOREVER! is packed with inspiring tips for any girl who doubts herself or is the subject of exclusion or body shaming. Jayla, the confident young person sharing her advice, takes pride in being African American, Native American, Asian American, and Latina. She steers readers away from negative self-talk with proven strategies. If kids are mean to you, make new friends. If a TV program tells you to change how you look, change the channel! Replace negative talk with positive talk the Jayla way by rejecting the voice of self-doubt and self-hate with the voice of self-love and light. With engaging illustrations and Jayla’s great facial expressions, the reader will come to realize that once she believes in herself, she will always have a best friend!
ISBN: 9781939053343
Author: Gary Robinson
Illustrator: Gary Robinson
Lexile Level: 580
Page Count: 40
Width: 11.00
Height: 8.50
Publication Year: 2021
Publisher: 7th Generation
E-book available here or through your favorite platform.