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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)
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Once at the school, the nuns cut off her thick braids, change Olemaun to Margaret, and put her to work. One especially evil nun, nicknamed The Raven, seems to particularly have it in for her, and the book is a list of bullying incidents. Finally, Olemaun cleverly outsmarts the nasty nun.
This book is aimed at quite a young age, so the residential school horrors fell only under the bullying category. What makes this book really wonderful is the illustrations and photographs that work with the story. Either would have been very nice indeed, but to have both the great artwork (with the especially wicked looking nun) and actual photos of Inuit life in the first half of the 20th century, really makes the book.
Olemaun is a headstrong, determined eight-year-old girl who only wants one thing - to learn how to read. She begs her parents to let her
Once at the outsider's school, Olemaun (now known by her English name "Margaret") encounters the Raven, a nun who takes an immediate dislike for the girl, and a group of mean, spiteful girls. The Raven picks on Margaret, cutting off her hair and giving her the worst chores and punishment.
The Raven's dislike comes to a head when she passes out new grey stockings to all of the students, except for Margaret, who receives red ones. Margaret immediately becomes singled out and the laughingstock of entire school.
Margaret decides she must fight back against the Raven's torment. Pick up "Fatty Legs: A True Story" to find out how Margaret gets finally even!
This title provides a firsthand account of the lives of students in residential schools in the 1940s. . The story brings with it a strong message about conformity and bullying. I feel children of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds could relate to the underlying themes. It is well written using simple language and contains beautiful colour pictures. I think this book would be a good conversation starter for parents and children on the topic of ethnic diversity.
Fatty Legs is a 2013 YRCA nominee in the Junior category. This title was also a Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Award nominee and one of The Globe and Mail's Ten Best Children’s Books of the Year.
This first hand account of the residential school experience from the perspective of a child is a good introduction to the subject for younger readers. It may help them understand the need for, and the work of, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It also provides insight into the culture and traditions of aboriginal people in Canada’s far north.
A follow up book “A Stranger at Home” deals with Olemaun’s struggle to reintegrate with her aboriginal culture and traditions after years at the school.
short chapter narrative (2nd-4th grade) of one person's experiences at such a school. #ownvoices. (co-authored with help from her daughter-in-law)