Details
https://bookclubs.scholastic.ca/en/-dear-canada%3A-these-are-my-words%3A-the-residential-diary-of-violet-pesheens-/2635095-cec-ca.htmlDescription
At residential school, Violet's native language is forbidden and the rules are strict. But worst of all, she fears she'll forget the parts of her heritage that make her who she is.
A look at Canada's treatment of Indigenous people that will be sure to spark meaningful classroom discussion.
Show full descriptionAcclaimed author Ruby Slipperjack delivers a haunting novel about a 12-year-old girl's experience at a residential school in 1966.
Violet Pesheens is struggling to adjust to her new life at Residential School. She misses her Grandma; she has run-ins with Cree girls; at her "white" school, everyone just stares; and everything she brought has been taken from her, including her name?she is now just a number. But worst of all, she has a fear. A fear of forgetting the things she treasures most: her Anishinaabe language; the names of those she knew before; and her traditional customs. A fear of forgetting who she was.
Her notebook is the one place she can record all of her worries, heartbreaks, and memories. And maybe, just maybe there will be hope at the end of the tunnel.
About the Author/Illustrator
Ruby (Farrell) Slipperjack was born in Whitewater Lake, Ontario, Canada. Drawing from her own experiences at Residential School, Ruby Slipperjack creates a brave, yet heartbreaking heroine in Violet, and lets young readers glimpse into an all-too important chapter in our nation's history. Ruby Slipperjack was the 2017 recipient of the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People.