A Stranger At Home
A True Story
Description
Margaret can鈥檛 wait to see her family, but her homecoming is not what she expected.
Traveling to be reunited with her family in the arctic, 10-year-old Margaret Pokiak can hardly contain her excitement. It鈥檚 been two years since her parents delivered her to the school run by the dark-cloaked nuns and brothers.
Coming ashore, Margaret spots her family, but her mother barely recognizes her, screaming, 鈥淣ot my girl.鈥� Margaret realizes she is now marked as an outsider.
And Margaret is an outsider: she has forgotten the language and stories of her people, and she can鈥檛 even stomach the food her mother prepares.
However, Margaret gradually relearns her language and her family鈥檚 way of living. Along the way, she discovers how important it is to remain true to the ways of her people鈥攁nd to herself.
Highlighted by archival photos and striking artwork, this first-person account of a young girl鈥檚 struggle to find her place will inspire young readers to ask what it means to belong.
Awards
- Joint winner, USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor List 2012
- Joint winner, Nonfiction Honor List, VOYA 2012
- Joint winner, White Ravens Collection, International Youth Library, Munich 2012
- Joint winner, Best Bets List, Ontario Library Association 2012
- Joint winner, Skipping Stones Honor Book 2012
- Joint winner, Independent Publishers Book Award 2012
- Joint winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children鈥檚 Book Centre 2012
Reviews
鈥淭his is a book everyone should read.鈥�
- Edwards Magazine Book Club, 07/19/11
鈥淥lemaun鈥檚 spirit and determination shine through this moving memoir.鈥�
- Kirkus Reviews, 09/11
鈥淟ike its predecessor Fatty Legs, this is potent, accessible, and moving. Highly recommended.鈥�
- Toronto Star, 11/07/11
鈥淧rovides a compelling and moving story of a girl searching for the strength to find her place in the world.鈥�
- School Library Journal, 12/11
鈥淪traightforward and powerful . . . Margaret鈥檚 memories, thoughts and experiences . . . are presented in an accessible and believable manner.鈥�
- The Deakin Review of Children鈥檚 Literature, 04/12
鈥淸A] lovely, simply written and utterly moving memoir.鈥�
- Foreword Reviews, 04/12
鈥淭he book does deal with subjects that are large and complex; yet the writing makes them infinitely readable and relatable.鈥�
- Waking Brain Cells, 08/29/11
鈥淵oung readers will find Margaret鈥檚 story both historically informative and heartbreakingly poignant.鈥�
- Paper Tigers, 11/20/11
鈥淩ealistically portrays the impact of residential school life on Aboriginal children.鈥�
- Resource Links, 11/12
鈥淸A] poignant and heartbreaking look at the long-term effects for the children who were taken from their families to attend residential schools.鈥�
- Sal' s Fiction Addiction, 01/12
鈥淭his memoir, detailing a woeful piece of Canadian history and demonstrating Margaret鈥檚 strength of character, compassion, courage and her willingness to sacrifice herself for her family鈥檚 sake, gives the reader a lot to ponder. Highly recommended.鈥�
- CM Reviews, 02/12
鈥淲ill speak to anyone who has experienced displacement or assimilation into a new culture.鈥�
- Professionally Speaking, 03/12
鈥淲ithout being graphic or overwhelming, the Fentons recreate a tragic moment in Canadian history through the innocent reflections of a child . . . a must for any classroom library.鈥�
- Canadian Teacher, 05/12