When I Was Eight

The first of two picture book-version parts of the memoir Fatty Legs, tells of a First Nations girl who goes to a school to have her hair cut, her name change, her language taken away only to come home years later to a mother who said to her when she saw her, "Not My Girl," the title of the second b......more

When I Was Eight is a picture book adaptation of the early/middle grade chapter book Fatty Legs, telling the true story of Olemaun (Margaret) Pokiak as she ventures into the dangerous territory of residential schools in northern Canada. The overall story of what was told in Fatty Legs is the same her......more

Un album difficile parce qu’on aborde la discrimination des autochtones dans les écoles de blancs. La violence est sournoise et fait d’autant plus mal. La jeune Olemaun que nous suivons est un exemple de détermination et de persévérance. Elle apprend à lire par elle-même, malgré tous les obstacles q......more

Such a beautiful and heartbreaking story! Definitely a must-read if you're looking for Indigenous voices in children's lit.......more

This WOW book is from the biography genre. I would use it in a 3rd grade classroom, where students are really beginning to learn how to read at a more advanced level. It is beautifully illustrated, and contains inspiring lessons and encouragements. It uses elementary level terms and dialogue, but de......more