Not My Girl

Another sad indigenous Canadian picture book about an Inuit girl who lived in the Arctic but was forced to attend, for two years, a "white assimilation" school run by nuns, one purpose of which was to erase her cultural background, which was seen as limiting her chances for success in the world. Thi......more

Beautifully illustrated but for the most part this is a sad and tragic story about the aftermath of residential school in Canada for one girl. Without any spoilers, there is a silver lining.......more

Text Connection: Text to World: There is one particularly haunting moment in the book where Olemaun has helped to prepare dinner and is eating it with her family, in their traditional style. She is momentarily ashamed of using her hands and wonders what the nuns would think of her. Instead of dwelling......more

As a direct sequel of When I Was Eight, and an adaptation of A Stranger at Home, Not My Girl makes for a touching account of the times after Olemaun (Margaret) Pokiak returns home from the residential school. Olemaun's story is touching and enlightening. This picture book adaptation, along with When......more

Extremely vivid and relatable picture of the kind of damage residential schools inflicted upon indigenous children and families, beautiful artwork and a joyful ending.......more