For Shin-chi
About this ebook
Anna, David and their grandparents set off for a day in the mountains, but Yayah seems sad. “Is it because of the news about your old school?” Anna asks. The announcement of unmarked burials at the residential school opens a conversation about the grandparents’ experience there, and about Yayah’s brother, Shin-chi, who never came home from the school.
Moved by their grandparents’ stories, the children ask their aunt to help them prepare a feast of traditional foods for all the Elders who attended residential school. Through stories and ceremony, the community honors the children who did not survive. Song, dance and prayers break trail for a new dawn.
In this lyrical story, Nicola I. Campbell brings back the beloved character Shi-shi-etko, now a grandmother, who, with her grandchildren’s help, finds renewed courage to move forward with hope. Carrielynn Victor’s touching portrayal of the characters beautifully complements the story.
Includes an author’s note and glossary.
Key Text Features
author’s note
dialogue
foreword
glossary
historical context
illustrations
translations
Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
Discover more
About the author
NICOLA I. CAMPBELL is Nłeʔkepmx, Sylix and Métis. She is the author of five picture books, including Shi-shi-etko (Ânskohk Aboriginal Children’s Book of the Year) and Shin-chi's Canoe (TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award), both illustrated by Kim LaFave. Nicola is also a poet and has published a memoir, Spílexm: A Weaving of Recovery, Resilience, and Resurgence. She teaches courses in Indigenous literature and Indigenous Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley, in Chilliwack, BC.
CARRIELYNN VICTOR — XÉMÓNTALOT is a descendant of Coast Salish and Western European ancestors. Carrielynn uses traditional and contemporary designs in her art practice, which includes paintings, murals, carvings and illustrations. She has illustrated two picture books — Stand Like a Cedar by Nicola I. Campbell and The Secret Pocket by Peggy Janicki. She lives in Rosedale, BC.
