I Am Not a Number

by Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer, Gillian Newland (Illustrator)

When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened, and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from, despite the efforts of the nuns who are in charge at the school and who tell her that she is not to use her own name but instead use the number they have assigned to her. When she goes home for summer holidays, Irene's parents decide never to send her and her brothers away again. But where will they hide? And what will happen when her parents disobey the law? Based on the life of co-author Jenny Kay Dupuis’ grandmother, I Am Not a Number is a hugely necessary book that brings a terrible part of Canada’s history to light in a way that children can learn from and relate to.

Genres: Picture Books, Indigenous, History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Biography, Canada

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2016

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative read on a terrible time in history; I was surprised to learn that the last residential school didn't close until 1996.

Although shorter than my recent read of Fatty Legs, I found this sharing of true events more harrowing and graphic, and thus providing a more complete picture and understanding of the conditions endured by First Nation children. The authors and illustrator convey much through their text and images. There is evidence of the nuns' harsh attitudes, abusive treatment of the students, and attempts to break determined spirits. Readers also see the children's, as well as their families' feelings of fear, confusion, sadness, and grief. Each also worries about a loss of family connection and culture. Will the children be so indoctrinated to the white man's ways that they will forget their language, traditions, and way of life?

Whereas I felt Fatty Legs was a gentle recounting of a sought after (Olemaun wanted to learn to read) school experience with some hardships along the way, I find this telling to be one of an undesired, compulsory life event with more trial than solace. Each student's experience shows a different, but worthwhile, perspective and perhaps a different way of mindfully dealing with the situation. Through the sharing of their personal stories, Olemaun and Irene give us a broader understanding of residential schools and their students and administration.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 is going to be the year where I actually track my picture book reads. This was definitely a great one to start with.

I Am Not a Number is a picture book based on the life of Irene Couchie who was sent to a Canadian Residential school. These schools were designed to remove First Nations children from their homes and their families in an attempt to "assimilate" them into white Canadian cultural expectations. I've been learning more about these schools from other books, but this specific book goes into more specific details on how the students were treated. They were forced to forget their languages, given a number as a name, had their hair cut, punished in harmful/abusive ways...I was caught in between being shocked and not really being surprised that this happened. I know that similar things also happened here in the United States. The book follows Irene as she is determined to never forget where she comes from and the importance of her family. It was heartbreaking in a lot of ways.

I absolutely loved the artwork. It looked like it was a mix of watercolor and oil (I could completely wrong about that). It really captured Irene's experience at the school and the relationship that she had with her family. I would recommend reading the author's note at the end as it explains a lot more about the schools and the damage that they actually inflicted on First Nations communities. I learned a lot and I'm hoping to read more books that specifically cover this topic.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the author did a wonderful job telling this heartbreaking truth.
She relayed the terrible circumstances these children faced while still making it easy enough to be shared with & digested by children.

There are more details about the residential schools in the back of the book to further educate yourself and your tiny humans.
Thank you NetGalley and Second Story Press for my DRC.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am Not a Number is yet another contribution to the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation work, a picture book based on the experience of Irene Couchie Dupuis, grandmother to the author, Jenny Kay Dupuis. The Dupuis family is part of the Nipissing First Nation. Jenny’s Grandmother was forcibly taken from her family and placed in a de-Indianizing Residential School. These schools operated for over 100 years in Canada and the U.S. The last Canadian residential school closed, not in 1896, but in 1996!

At the school, Irene was told by the nuns there that she would no longer have a name, but a number—hers was 759—recalling the tattooed numbers of the Holocaust, of course. Children were denied access to their parents, they had their long hair--a source of cultural pride--cut short, they were denied access to their native language, and so much more. When she and her siblings came home for the summer, their parents devised a plan to hide them, but these eventually protected children were in a minority. This was a long accepted practice of cultural genocide, one practiced in various ways around the world for those in power who want to eliminate minority cultures.

"I dreamed of being back on the reserve, where I could play with my brothers, sisters, and cousins. I wanted to hear the song of the meadowlarks in the grassland. I yearned to spread my arms wide, as if I were ready to soar, like them. I longed to fly away, but for me there was no escape."

Heartbreaking and moving. We need to hear more and more of these stories to keep the record alive, so we are not forced to repeat the past. The book comes with some useful appendices so teachers, parents and librarians can teach their children well about this historical educational disgrace.

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Kay Dupuis' (and Kathy Kacer's) I am Not a Number (which is based on Jenny Kay Dupuis' grandmother Irene Couchie's personal experiences at one of Canada's numerous First Nations residential schools) is an illustrated reader geared towards children (not the youngest children, since there is quite a large amount of sometimes dense narrative presented, but I Am Not a Number is obviously still first and foremost meant for children).

And with the latter in mind, in I am Not a Number, the worst atrocities discovered to have been part and parcel of the residential school system in Canada are of course not included in the authors' main narrative and actually not even in the informative and enlightening supplemental information on the residential school system at the back of I Am Not a Number (the rampant and constant sexual abuse, the fact that many students ended up dying of diseases like tuberculosis, that First Nations students were actually also often being used as medical and scientific study objects and that one of the the main objectives of the residential schools indeed was government and church sanctioned cultural genocide, to kill and destroy First Nations culture by having it often literately beaten out of the children while they were alway at school and thus unprotected).

But still and nevertheless, I am Not a Number does indeed absolutely and heartbreakingly show and tell how at residential school (which was not voluntary either and First Nations parents could be and actually were often arrested for refusing to send their children to residential school), students are deliberately and cruelly stripped of their family names (and given dehumanising numbers), are told that they are dirty and filthy inside and out simply because of their ethnicity and culture, how students are severely and generally physically punished for daring to speak Ojibway and other First Nations languages (which the so-called nuns in charge of main character and narrator Irene Couchie's residential school simply dismiss as being evil and actually the languages of the Devil himself).

But yes and nevertheless, I definitely also do appreciate that Jenny Kay Dupuis makes a point showing that not ALL of the nuns in her grandmother Irene's residential school are horrid and evil entities (that for example Sister Elizabeth is kind and sometimes even gives Irene Couchie extra food, secreted away from the nourishing meals the teachers and nuns are served while the First Nations students are generally just given a starvation diet). However, I am Not a Number certainly always clearly presents and demonstrates that even the kinder nuns are obviously part of the system (and that especially with regard to First Nations children being isolated from their siblings at residential school, being systematically punished for speaking their mother tongues, being told that they are lesser and that they need to be ashamed of their backgrounds, basically cruelty and attitudes of superiority win out and are made even more terrifying and horrid by the fact that this is being visited on children and by nuns, in the name of religion, in the name of God so to sadly and annoyingly speak).

Now with regard to the related ending of I am Not a Number, while I absolutely both love and cheer that Irene's father (who is a tribal chief) stands up to the Indian Agent and refuses to send his children back to residential school, even daring the Indian Agent to arrest him (once summer vacation is over and the children are to be sent back to school), it also must be said and pointed out that the positive ending for Irene and her brothers (that they are fortunately not to return to the residential school, where they have been so cruelly approached and made to feel ashamed of themeless) is only one story of many and that sadly for probably the vast the majority of First Nations children caught in the net of the cultural genocide of the residential school system, they likely did not have parents able to stand up against the Indian Agents and fight like Irene Couchie's father was able to for his children.

And finally, considering Gillian Newland accompanying illustrations, although I would usually tend to find them a trifle too realistic and stark in appearance for my general aesthetic tastes, in I Am Not a Number that sense of depicted and drawn realism actually in my opinion works better than more abstract pictures would (as Newland's illustrations certainly do underline the cruel arrogance of many of the nuns, the anger and sadness that Irene Couchie experiences at residential school and that for her, and for most of the students, residential school is akin to being incarcerated in a horrible prison like hell on earth). Four stars for I Am Not a Number (and a book that really should be mandatory reading for EVERY Canadian student in say grades three to six, and with NO exemptions granted either).

And yes, the only reason why my rating for I Am Not a Number is four stars and not yet five stars is that following the informatively detailed author's notes on the residential school system in Canada, there really also should appear a bibliographical list with both book and online link suggestions for further reading and study (and that to and for me, the lack thereof does frustratingly decrease especially the post perusal additional research value of Jenny Kay Dupuis' and Kathy Kacer's otherwise excellent and in all ways most highly recommended I Am Not a Number).

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books like this don't exactly make one proud to be Canadian. The dehumanizing measures that were taken against innocent children are difficult to read about.

However, books like this are important. This one tells the story of Irene Couchie (grandmother of one of the authors) and her year spent in a residential school where she was stripped of her name (the children were known only by numbers), her hair, and her language. The children were half starved, and regularly abused as a form of discipline (if you can call a bedpan full of hot coals on the forearms a legitimate form of discipline). When the children were allowed to return home for the summer, their parents found out what had really been going on, and they vowed not to send Irene and her brothers back there. They devised a plan to hide them instead.

It's incredible to think that Irene's story happened less than 100 years ago. How could anyone have ever thought it was okay to treat other human beings so terribly? These were children, who had committed no crime other than being born into an Indigenous culture, and yet they were punished in almost unthinkable ways.

This book features a lot of text, but half of it is in the Nbisiing language, so the story itself isn't that long. In some ways, that's good, because I don't know if many more horrors could be included before this book was no longer suitable for children. The illustrations are nice, and show a loving family getting caught up in unfair laws driven by arrogance and bigotry. I enjoyed reading the notes at the end, too, which talk a little bit more about Irene's life, the residential school system in general, and the more recent efforts made to start to right the wrongs of the past. A few photographs are also included in this section.

Overall, this is a strong biographical picture book. I can't really say that I enjoyed it, because this subject matter isn't really something anyone should enjoy reading about. It is, however, an interesting story and one that would be a good teaching tool in elementary schools to help introduce kids to this part of history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Story Press for providing a digital ARC.

[Annamaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How could I possibly forget my parents? How could I possibly forget who I was?"



"Back home, long hair was a source of pride. We cut it when we lost a loved one. Now it felt as if a part of me was dying with every strand that fell."

I was totally oblivious to the part of history that involved the Canadian Indian residential school system. Apparently during the 19th/20th century Indigenous kids from Canada were sent to these bording schools with the intent of being educated as to be equals to their European peers so that racial segregations wouldn't have been a problem anymore. All of this translated though into a cultural genocide of the Indians because they were taught that they were uncivilized and were forced to abandon their mother tongue in favour of the English one. The book is a real-life story about the author's grandmother who was sent to one of these bording schools when she was merely 8 years old. There she endured punishments and harsh life conditions at the hands of the nuns who ran the school. These kids grew up not knowing where they belonged anymore, ashamed of themselves, not being able to socialize or build families of their own because were denied one during their childhood. And the worst part is that when these schools were officially closed I was already born! This is not ancient history. Really, we do love reading our dystopias but the worst ones are the ones that happen in real life.

"I dreamed of being back on the reserve, where I could play with my brothers, sisters, and cousins. I wanted to hear the song of the meadowlarks in the grassland. I yearned to spread my arms wide, as if I were ready to soar, like them. I longed to fly away, but for me there was no escape."

Mind-opening book. Really recommended.
Plus, the illustrations are beautiful.

I kindly received this book from its publisher via Netgalley.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

When she is eight, Irene Couchie and her two brothers are forced to leave their home in Northern Ontariop to attend a boarding school. The author refers to it as "kidnapping," and in many respects it is. There the Anishinaabe girl endures all manner of cruel treatment at the hands of the nuns who run the school. Not only is she given a number rather than a name, thus attempting to erase her individuality, but she also is punished for using her own language, has her hair cut, and is burned with hot coals to teach her a lesson. To make matters worse, she is not allowed to communicate with her parents during the time she is at the school. Somehow, she and her brothers survive, but not without scars. Once they return home for the summer, she haltingly begins to speak her own Ojibway language, and reveals the horrors of her year at school to her parents. Not surprisingly, they decide not to send their children back to the school but must come up with somewhere safe to hide in order to avoid being forced to return to school by the Indian agent who will surely come looking for them. The text is heartfelt and deeply effecting, and the illustrations, filled with watercolors, show the family's affection for one another and the determination with which their father, a chief of the community, faces down the agent when he arrives. Back matter includes photographs of the family, including the author's grandmother, and additional information on the Canadian residential schools that existed for more than a century, going about the cruel business of systematically separating youngsters from their own culture with little regard for the consequences and long-term effects. For those who might think the schools were a good idea, this story and its haunting images will surely change their minds. One of the interesting elements about the book is how the Indian agent is known only by his job and never given a name, perhaps subtly indicating exactly how little he was regarded due to his actions. This is a timely and important addition to today's social studies classrooms since similar practices existed here in the United States.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Am Not A Number tells the story of Jenny Kay Dupuis' grandmother Irene. Set in the 1920s, Irene is taken away from her family, and forced to endure horrible conditions and abuse in the Canadian residential school system.

Stunningly told, and with stunning illustrations, I Am Not A Number is absolutely worth reading, especially as an introductory book for information on a difficult subject. Although it is a picture book, it definitely isn't intended for small children, and might be more appropriate for 8+.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations by Gillian Newland
Translation by Muriel Sawyer and Geraldine McLeod
Contributions by Tory Fisher

Disclaimer: I received a digital version of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. The book, however, had been on my tbr shelf as the English only edition has been out since 2016. Additionally, I cannot speak to the accuracy of the translation into Nishnaabemwin (Ojibwe) Nbisiing dialect.

Shortly before I got approved for this galley, The Final Report of National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was released in Canada. It provoked various reactions including, predictably, people getting upset about the use of the word genocide. Yet, when you look at the history of colonialization in both Canada and America, you reach the conclusion what other world can be used. It wasn’t just simply killing in terms of a warfare of taking land but also the attempted (sometimes wholly or partly successful) destruction of culture.

This is what Dupuis and Kacer’s book illustrates. The story is based on the real life of Dupuis’s grandmother Irene, who along with two of her brothers, was forcibly taken to a residential school where her native language, Ojibway, and culture. And if you are thinking that doesn’t sound pleasant, it’s not.

If you have read anything about the Residential schools, even in passing than you know that to say they were hotbeds of abuse is an understatement. This a children’s book, and so Irene’s experiences, while not sugar coated, are not as graphic as they would have been in a young adult novel. It is important to note that the writing and art make it clear that while the physical abuse was painful, also painful, perhaps more so, was the attack on culture and belief. This is particularly true of where Irene is forced to have her hair cut.

The book also speaks to the strength of family ties, not only between parents and children but between the children themselves. While not all the nuns are sadistic, even the nice one’s form part of the power structure that is determined to “transform” First Nations children into Western (white) children. Such people might not be physically abusive but they can be harmful in a different way, and the book does show this.

There is an afterword and historical notes at the end. Dupuis tells the reader more about her family and grandmother. There is also information about the Residential schools. However, there is not a further reading list, and I wonder if this because there are so few children’s books about the subject or if it is simply an oversight.

The layout of this edition includes the Nishnaabenwin (Ojibwe) Nbisiing dialect version first, followed by the English version. This is true from the title, to story, to afterword. This layout is wonderful. The only thing I might add, might be a pronunciation guide. According to the translation note at the beginning of the book, the translation is important not only because it is the language that Irene was forbidden to and punished for speaking at the school, but also because it is also to create space for Indigenous speakers in children’s literature as well adding to community literature. This reasoning would speak to not having a pronunciation guide (why would Indigenous Speakers need it) but considering the dual language of the book, it could easily be used in a majority non-Indigenous class, in which case the guide would be helpful.

[CanadianReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Kay Dupuis writes in the first person (in the voice of her grandmother as a child) to tell how (in 1928) little Irene, aged eight, and her two young brothers were taken from their home on the Nipissing First Nation Reserve, just west of North Bay, Ontario. Their father was threatened with jail if he didn’t hand over the children to the Indian agent. Resigned and grieved, he and the children’s mother watched as the Canadian government representative drove off with them. It would have been a long ride (along what is now known as highway 17) to Spanish, Ontario where the imposing Catholic-run Indian residential school stood. There Irene would be separated from her brothers. She’d be assigned a number (First Nations kids were deprived of names at the school), ordered to “scrub the brown off”, and her beautiful hair would be cut (a ritual the Anishinaabe perform when grieving a loved one, and one which Irene saw as fitting in this terrible place--given the losses she was experiencing). Irene’s essential kindness—her sharing a biscuit with another child at breakfast, a transaction which involved the use of Nippissing words (the “devil’s language”, according to the worst of the nuns)—was punished. Sister Mary made the little girl hold a bedpan full of hot coals. The child’s hands were badly burned.

Irene’s story has a happier ending than many other survivor accounts of residential schools. She and her siblings were sent home for the summer. The stories of the deprivation and abuse they endured at the Indian School were slowly leaked to their parents. Irene’s father resolved and succeeded in heroically hiding the children when the Indian agent returned for them in the fall. He told the government man he didn’t care about his threats. He refused to send the kids back.

An afterword notes that over the period of a century, approximately 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were removed from their families and taken to residential schools, places of horror and mistreatment. Jenny Kay Dupuis’s account, which is accompanied by spare, subdued paintings, is a very accessible one. It gives a good idea of the abuse and the sadness that First Nations children suffered without overwhelming young readers with too many terrible details. Presenting Irene’s story in a two-language (Nipissing and English) text is a powerful statement. The language (like the Nipissing people from which it comes) has endured.

Recommended for children ages 8-12, this is another book I’d love to see on the Ontario Library Association’s Silver Birch Express Readers’ Choice Awards list this fall.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tore at my heart. The residential schools were a black mark on Canadian History as well as the Christian Church. To tear children away from their families and force them to live a life that is completely unfamiliar to them is awful enough, but to tell them their language, life, beliefs etc. were evil is devastating. I cried as I read this story about young Irene Couchie and her brothers. The way she was treated was despicable. It is no wonder so many Native Canadians had/have mental health issues. The threats to her parents of arresting them if they did not turn over their children was extortion at best. Kudos to Irene for sharing this story with her granddaughter to publish. The way it is written is wonderful for children to learn about this shameful time in Canadian History without them dealing with trauma. It is sad, but I know there is so much more that could have been added that would have been too much for children to hear. A definite must for all Canadian History classes in elementary schools.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Gina Mogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devastating. An important story to know and share.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book matters to me.

I have friends who survived their own residential school school experiences. They are also survivors of dysfunctional families created because their elders and previous generations were dragged from their families and forced to attend one of these institutions.

The last residential school in Canada didn't close until 1996. I Am Not A Number is the true story of Irene Couchie Dupuis, grandmother to the author, Jenny Kay Dupuis. When Irene was eight years old, an Indian agent came and took her and two brothers away from their home and community of Nipissing First Nation, to go to the Spanish Indian Residential School. The children's names were taken away and replaced with a number. Irene's number was 759. Her story reveals the cruelty and neglect these children endured at the hands of the nuns in charge. When Irene and her two brothers returned home for the summer, they told their parents about their experiences. The family came up with a plan to hide and protect the children so they wouldn't have to return.

Many, if not most other children were not so fortunate. Not only were they unable to escape, their experiences were much more horrific than what is revealed here.

This is not a comfortable read, but it is an important, necessary narrative for building knowledge about this despicable aspect of our history. At least one copy should be in every school and public library to use with elementary and older students. Adults should read it too.

[Megalion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short children's book about Canadian's treatment of Native Americans (if you think of American as the continent).

It's meant for an age bracket younger than those who would read Island of the Blue Dolphins.

An important book for any young reader to become aware of how the world does not get along racially.

The illustrations that accompany the story are marvelous. Heartily recommended.

My free reader's copy had an extensive afterword written for adults that I found very interesting. It covers more in depth the history upon which the story is based.

Thank you to the publisher for this free copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Nada Loughead · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great way to introduce a difficult subject to children. Insightful and thought provoking. http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...

[madame Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

en cette veille du 30 septembre, j’ai le cœur gros pour chacun de ces enfants qui ont été arrachés à leur famille, j’ai de la peine pour chacun de ces garçons et pour chacune de ces filles qui ont souffert et qui ont été maltraités. aucun d’eux ne méritaient de telles souffrances et ce livre, je l’apporterai demain à l’école pour le présenter à mes élèves. parce qu’il est nécessaire et qu’il n’est pas nécessaire seulement le 30 septembre, mais aussi et surtout tous les autres jours de l’année!

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart ached for this First Nations (native Canadian) girl, who looks so unhappy throughout the book. The way these children were treated at the residential schools was appalling. It reminded me of how the Jews were treated in the concentration camps. The white people tried to strip these children of their native identity. Based on co-author Kacer's grandmother's experience, the text vividly describes it all. At the end of the book is more information on the residential school, including a photograph of a classroom of children with their teacher, a nun. Not one of these children looks happy or is smiling. A sad chapter in Canadian history. Recommended reading for all non-native Canadians and Americans alike.

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the author's grandmother's harsh experiences at a residential school in Canada. Don't miss the additional author's note in the back.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an arc from Netgalley.

This is an excellent way to introduce young children to the history of the residential schools. It is a moving story of one young girl who is sent away from home, and her father's fierce love of his children. It would be an excellent addition to any school or home library.

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5. Another case of book that seem unsure for who it was written. The format of the book make you think it was intent for young children, but the «hard» subject and the quantity of text make you think otherwise. I like what the book is trying to do, but the unbalanced work made me lose a lot of interest in it unfortunately...

[Selina Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read in classrooms and homes across Canada. Very well written and illustrated telling of the horrible truth of residential schools. Kids need to know so we have a better world for them and their kids. Shows the deep love of family, culture and home.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the age of 8, Irene and her two brothers are taken away from their parents and sent to a residential school, not because of neglect or poverty but in a misguided effort to "civilize" the indigenous people by teaching them the "proper way" to live.

Separated from even her siblings, Irene loses everything: family, her hair, and even a name. Known instead as student 759, she has to endure the harsh discipline and isolation throughout the school year.

This is well designed to engage elementary children, from the story with evocative illustrations to the author's explanation that this was her grandmother and the factual ending. Although short, the ramifications of this story are far-reaching, and I think it will provoke good discussions.

A section at the end, after Irene's experience, explains the bigger picture: that around 150,000 children were removed from their families and sent to these residential schools, that many lost their cultural identity and ability to feel a part of any society, and that these schools continued until the mid-1990s. Although I had been aware of the schools, the dates surprised me, as did the dates of desegregation. It's good to remind parents, too, of how recently these acts of "civilization" occurred.


Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. It is written simply and too the point, based on the life of the author's grandmother.

In the United State, Australia, and Canada, and perhaps other places as well, the Indigenous people were removed from their homes and families and forced to become "white". They were forbidden to speak their native tongue, forbidden to eat their food, and forbidden to have any contact with their families.

The author's grandmother was one such child in 1928, in Canada. She and her bothers were removed from their family and forced to speak English, and beaten when they did not. This did not just happen to a few children, and this did not just happen back in the olden days. The last of the residential schools closed in 1996!

Perfect book for teachers to discuss history. Perfect book for young children to read to understand what happened.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important part of history that is not talked about enough, and this book, while difficult, does a wonderful job telling an often forgotten story. The Canadian residential schools are as much of a horrible part of history as the U.S. treatment of indigenous peoples. I read this with my 9-year old, and that is probably about the right age for it. It is long and horrifying, but it is in a picture book format, which is really my only critique of it. It looks like it is for a younger audience than it actually is.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a girl who spent a year at a residential school in Canada. It's focused on the trauma of that experience and on how hard it is to hold onto who you are amid people who try to force you to forget.

The back matter provides more general information on the residential schools as well as a note from Dr. Dupuis about her grandmother, the narrator of the book.

The color tones and focuses of the illustrations helped emphasize the key points and moods of the story.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will begin by saying that my review just can't begin to do this book justice. I just don't have the words. It's heartbreaking, especially because it is real and did such damage. It is the true story of a young First Nations child who was taken from her family and sent to a residential school where she was forced to speak in English and where she was terribly mistreated. Now go read the actual book...

[Aliyah Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking and unfortunately very, very accurate.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading about stories like this just make me realize that version and scales of the Holocaust happen everywhere in the world. And it's not okay.

[Mégane Therrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lecture très émouvante pour une classe de 6e année en ce 30 septembre.
Réalité très bien écrite pour la compréhension des jeunes, ils en ont été très touchés.