meaningful and historic depiction of the disgusting treatment of native americans/indigenous peoples of Canada in the 19th/20th centuries when kids would be kidnapped/sent to residential schools and whitewashed. intended for younger audiences as an introduction to injustice.

This is a must have purchase for every school library.
The harsh realities of Indigenous children in residential schools written in this story based on true experiences should be shared with age appropriate students.

A very short but very important book about a little known piece of recent history. The illustrations are crisp and poignant, and the story illuminates how awfully we have treated indigenous groups. I wouldn't say I like this book, because the subject is so awful, but I would say we need books like this.

At age of eight, Irene is removed from her family and becomes one of many children in the Residential School System. Through her heartbreaking story, young readers are introduced to the unjustness of this program. Lack of edible food, rampant illness and harsh punishments are every-day life for Irene, her brothers, and all the children at these schools. Their hair cut and names taken away, the children were assigned numbers as identification. (Sound familiar?)

This a wonderful book that should be used as a starting point for discussion of the Indian school systems across the U.S. and Canada as well as racial tolerence and cultural identity. The illustrations are lovely - you can see the terrible sadness on Irene's face. I liked the historical information at the end of the book, especially the personal story of the author's grandmother.

This story provides a brief, yet compelling, true account of a young member of the Nipissing First Nation sent away with her brothers to a residential school in Canada. Conditions at the school are dismal, and abusive treatment of the students is chronicled as remembered by the girl, named Irene.

This is a very tough subjects - the Residential Schools that Native American children were forced into - but what a beautiful and touching memoir!

There's also a more in depth afterward with more in depth information about the Canadian Residential Schools.