Not My Girl

Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone! My picture book recommendation today is…

Not My Girl, written by Christy Jordan-Fenton,  illustrated by Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton, published by Annick Press, 2014.

Themes/Topics: Belonging, Residential schools, assimilation, Inuit

Opening: It was as though the wings of one thousand birds soared in my heart, propelling me back to my family.

Brief Synopsis (from Amazon): Margaret can’t wait to see her family, but her homecoming is not what she expected. Based on the true story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, and complemented by evocative illustrations, Not My Girl makes the original, award-winning memoir, A Stranger at Home, accessible to younger children. It is also a sequel to the picture book When I Was Eight. A poignant story of a determined young girl’s struggle to belong, it will both move and inspire readers everywhere.

Why I Like This Book: A poignant story of an Inuit girl who returns home from school to find she has to readjust to her old life.

Links To Resources:

—Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton from Strong Nations site

To find even more awesome picture books (and browse them by theme!) visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books page.