Christy Jordan-Fenton

Desperate to learn to read, 8-year-old Olemaun badgers her father to let her leave her island home to go to the residential school for Inuit children in Aklavik, in Canada’s far north. There she encounters a particularly mean nun who renames her Margaret but cannot “educate” her into submission. The determination and underlying positive nature of this Inuvialuit child shine through the first-person narration that describes her first two years in boarding school, where their regular chores include emptying “honey buckets.” The torments of the nun she calls “Raven” are unrelenting, culminating in her assignment to wear a used pair of ill-fitting red stockings—giving her the mocking name found in the title. The “Margaret” of the story is co-author, along with her daughter-in-law. Opening with a map, the book closes with a photo album, images from her childhood and from archives showing Inuit life at the time. The beautiful design includes thumbnails of these pictures at the appropriate places in the text and Amini-Holmes’ slightly surreal paintings, which capture the alien flavor of these schools for their students. A moving and believable account. (Memoir. 8-12)

- Kirkus Review… (meer)

Not My Girl is technically a sequel to When I Was Eight, but it's not necessary to first read When I Was Eight; this one stands on its own quite well.

I have to admit the story brought tears to my eyes. Poor Margaret returns home after 2 years of school to be called "not my girl!" by her momma and snarled at by her family's dogs. What a disappointing return home! I cheered for Margaret as she re-integrated with her family and once again adapted to their lifestyle and food.

The illustrations are gorgeous, especially those of the northern lights.

Note: I received a digital copy of this book through NetGalley.… (meer)