Published by Orca Book Publishers

Summary:  Mary shares her earliest happy memories growing up surrounded by a loving family.  When she’s four, though, a priest and nun come to her grandparents’ home and suggest that she start attending their residential school with her older brother and sister.  Lejac is far away, and there’s never enough food to eat.  An older girl shows Mary how to eat toothpaste to make her hunger go away.  The kids go home for summer break, where they learn traditional skills from their parents.  Eventually, the girls use their sewing skill to add secret pockets to their uniforms so that they can sneak food from the kitchen.  This small act of rebellion makes the girls feel like geniuses and gives them back some power over their difficult circumstances.  Includes an author’s note about her mother, Mary, who shared this story near the end of her life, and how a secret pocket with her story is still sewn into the graduation robes at the University of Fraser Valley in Canada.  32 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  An important story that celebrates ingenuity and teamwork in overcoming some extremely dark circumstances and shows readers the truth about indigenous boarding schools.

Cons:  This story is pretty horrifying; the girls’ major victory was just getting enough food to eat.