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Biography & Autobiography. Juvenile Nonfiction. Multi-Cultural. Geography. HTML: The beloved story of an Inuvialuit girl standing up to the bullies of residential school, now available as an audiobook for a new generation of readers. Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton's powerful story of residential school in the far North has been reissued to commemorate the memoir's 10th anniversary with updates to the text, reflections on the book's impact, and a bonus chapter from the acclaimed follow-up, A Stranger at Home. New content includes a foreword from Dr. Debbie Reese, noted Indigenous scholar and founder of American Indians in Children's Literature, while Christy Jordan-Fenton, mother of Margaret's grandchildren and a key player in helping Margaret share her stories, discusses the impact of the book in a new preface. With important updates since it first hit the shelves a decade ago, this audiobook edition of Fatty Legs will continue to resonate with readers young and old. New and updated content includes a note on the right to silence. This piece asks readers to be mindful that not all survivors of residential school will wish to talk about their experiences, and that their silence should be respected. audiobook features original song "Say Your Name" by acclaimed artist Keith Secola, a song inspired by Olemaun's story. a table of contents to ensure all the added materials are easy to find. a foreword by noted Indigenous scholar Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo), founder of American Indians in Children's Literature. The foreword discusses the biased portrayal of Indigenous people in children's literature throughout history and the exclusion of Indigenous people from the ability to tell their own stories. a preface by Christy Jordan-Fenton sharing the way she first heard Margaret-Olemaun's story of going away to residential school. It also covers the impact of the book and how much has changed in the past ten years. a note on language. This piece reviews the universal changes in language that have been made to the book since the original edition and also establishes the language choices made in the new material. a note on the writing process. This piece by Christy explores how she works with Margaret-Olemaun to get Olemaun's stories down on paper. a revised and updated afterword by Christy Jordan-Fenton.… (more)
Local notes
Gr 4–8—This is a powerful and moving autobiographical account, set in the 1940s, of one headstrong girl from an Inuvialuit community in the Arctic Circle. Margaret desperately wished to attend one of the church-run schools that had been established in a town that was accessible only in the summer months. Her desire to learn the magic of reading was greater than her fear of the unknown or leaving her family and familiar way of life, and so her parents reluctantly agreed to allow her to attend for a year, which unexpectedly turned into two. At the school she was stripped of her Native identity and forced to conform in thought and comportment to the ways of the nuns and priests that ran the school. Hard labor in the gardens, laundry, cleaning, and helping in the local hospital all took their toll, but young Margaret was stubborn and clever, managing to find ways to stay strong and true to herself. Dark, expressive original paintings are dotted throughout the story and complement the serious tone of the narrative. The book closes with 15 pages of photographs from Pokiak-Fenton's scrapbook. Readers are also granted a glimpse into the way of life of the Inuvialuit, a culture with close ties to the land and rich in tradition. Youngsters will identify with Margaret's struggles and cheer her successes. An excellent addition to any biography collection, the book is fascinating and unique, and yet universal in its message.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.