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I Am Not a Number
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
13 posts | 14 read | 16 to read
When Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school, she is confused, frightened and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from despite being told to do otherwise. When she goes home for summer holidays, her parents decide never to send her away again, but where will she hide and what will happen when her parents disobey the law?
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review
Bookzombie
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Pickpick

I read 18 children‘s books in November and these 10 were all 5 stars.
The tagged book is excellent. Irene, an 8 year-old, is taken from her First Nation family to live in a Canadian residential school. The story is based on Irene Couchie‘s, Dupuis‘ grandmother, experience, which was heartbreaking, horrific and true.

Bookzombie I want a Penelope doll/figure. 3y
Bookzombie I love this grumpy bear and his geese. 3y
See All 11 Comments
Bookzombie Another important story that isn‘t usually covered in history classes. 3y
Bookzombie This was fun! 3y
Bookzombie Beautiful illustrations and a lovely story. 3y
Bookzombie A classic I missed as child. I loved it. 3y
Bookzombie I loved this story and the illustrations. 3y
Bookzombie I loved this one and cried. I tried to summarize for my husband and cried again. (I was having an emotional weekend.) 3y
Reggie I love that you love children‘s books. And that you‘re emotional. We all have those weekends. ❤️ 3y
Bookzombie @Reggie Thank you so much, my friend. ❤️ 🤗 3y
44 likes11 comments
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Butterfinger
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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I will definitely share this with my fifth graders. #TeachEmpathyThroughHistory An Indigenous family is forced to send their children to a residential school to clean the brown, the devil, the sin from them. I'm burning up with anger at the moment.

#BBRC -Indigenous Author @LibrarianRyan @Sarahreadstoomuch #PopSugar21 -Indigenous Author

Sarahreadstoomuch I read this for #atoz. Excellent choice!! 4y
48 likes1 comment
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Books88
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Picked this up at the library and it is something I have never even heard about before 😔. So heartbreaking.

68 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Sarahreadstoomuch
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Pickpick

Excellent biography telling the story of the author‘s grandmother, and her experience as a First Nation child being sent to a residential school in Canada. She suffered horrific abuse - including the replacement of her name with a number. Highly recommend for older children. #bbrc #atoz:I @LibrarianRyan

LibrarianRyan This has been on my list for a while. I can not remember if my galley has expired or not. 4y
mirnas Thank you for this, I didn't know about it. Boarding school experience deserves our attention. 4y
Sarahreadstoomuch @mirnass it really does. I‘m embarrassed to say that I had no idea about the practice- which continued until the late 1990s- even happened until recently! 4y
26 likes1 stack add3 comments
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MsLeah8417
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Krisjericho
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Pickpick

This is an important part of history that is not talked about enough, and this book, while difficult, does a wonderful job telling an often forgotten story. The Canadian residential schools are as much of a horrible part of history as the U.S. treatment of indigenous peoples. It is long and horrifying, but it is in a picture book format, which is really my only critique of it. It looks like it is for a younger audience than it actually is.

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elizabethlk
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Pickpick

Stunningly told story of the residential school system, with gorgeous illustrations. Highly recommended. Definitely not for small children though. 8+

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Lindy
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Pickpick

This poignant #picturebook is based on the experiences of Dupuis' Anishinaabe grandmother, Irene Couchie, who was from Nipissing First Nation in Ontario. She attended Spanish Indian Residential School, where students were referred to by number and were physically abused. Parents could be jailed for keeping their children at home, an aspect addressed here. The book is suitable for older children in Grade 3 to 6. #IndigenousVoices 🇨🇦

CouronneDhiver Ooo! Good inspiration for my challenge - maybe? 7y
shawnmooney 💔 7y
Lindy @CouronneDhiver Am I remembering correctly that you are looking for Ojibway authors? If so, this is a good choice. 👍 7y
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CouronneDhiver Yes... working on a list of books by Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee authors for next year. I'm trying to learn more about my dad's background (I was raised with a much greater emphasis on my mum's culture) 7y
Lindy @CouronneDhiver Yes, this one is definitely a good pick for your list. 😊 7y
Suet624 How terrible. 7y
45 likes2 stack adds6 comments
blurb
Lindy
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Jenny Kay Dupuis tells the story behind this picture book, which is about her grandmother's experiences at a residential school in northern Ontario. #IndigenousVoices
https://vimeo.com/185707362

39 likes3 stack adds
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DaydreamingBookworm
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Pickpick

I would gauge this book at a 10 to 12 reading level but don't quote me. I loved the story, the illustrations, and the biographical blurb at the back. I love the inclusion of Ojibwe language as well and this is very crucial if Canadians want to reconcile with Indigenous peoples.

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strikingthirteen
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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Powerful amd painful story about one family's experience with the residential school system. This is a national shame and it is our duty to engage with it and ensure that it never happens again.

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JDHawkins
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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An unpleasant but important read, even for children, and especially now. My library is putting this picture book in our #history section.

#firstnation #picturebook #diversereads

MyNamesParadise 😢😢 8y
27 likes1 comment
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BookInMyHands
I Am Not a Number | Jenny Kay Dupuis, Kathy Kacer
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For a century Indigenous children were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools. They were treated poorly (in the best situation) and forced to learn English and leave behind their family and cultural traditions.
These are important stories for children to hear. The injustice done to these families will resonate with young readers and build empathy and understanding.
#notawhiteprotagonist

BookNerdBritt I didn't learn about Native American boarding schools until I was in COLLEGE. The history that is not taught in schools would fill so many more books than the history that is. 8y
BookInMyHands @BookNerdBritt I have to wonder when a certain someone wants to "make America great" again what exactly it is people want to get back to. Forward seems like the only good option given our history. 8y
28 likes2 stack adds2 comments