Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
Born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Beatrice Mosionier is a Métis writer best known for her novel In Search of April Raintree, first published in 1983. A school edition, April Raintree, followed in 1984. The youngest of four children, Beatrice was three years old when the Children’s Aid Society of Winnipeg took her from her family. Losing both of her sisters to suicide—Vivian in 1964 and Katherine in 1980—compelled Beatrice to use her experiences growing up in foster homes to write In Search of April Raintree. Since then, it has become a beloved classic, read by generations of Canadians. Most recently, she wrote the foreword for Overcome, Stories of Women Who Grew Up in the Child Welfare System, by Anne Mahon. She has written several other books, including a play and a short film, and she is the former publisher of Pemmican Publications. She now lives in Enderby, British Columbia.
<i>The telling of this story is a wakeup call to the need for Indigenous children to feel value and validity in their sense of identity. It's about what happens to those who can't. There is a sadness buried between the lines, and yet it is a story of resiliency, of healing, and of triumph. Every child should read this.</i>
- Hon. Murray Sinclair,
<p><i>The first time I ever saw a copy of </i>April Raintree <i>was on orientation day of my teacher education program in 1984. We were handed a copy of the book and were asked to read it and come prepared to discuss it with our peers. </i>April Raintree<i> opened my eyes and heart to issues such as Aboriginal children and families being separated from each other, culture, and identity. The book as has rich story for students and educators and has a dynamic voice of hope and reconciliation.</i></p>
- Helen Robinson-Settee, Director, Aboriginal Education Directorate, Manitoba Education and Training,
Memories. Some memories are elusive, fleeting, like a butterfly that touches down and is free until it is caught. Others are haunting. You'd rather forget them, but they won't be forgotten. And some are always there. No matter where you are, they are there, too.
In this moving story of legacy and reclamation, two young sisters are taken from their home and family. Powerless in a broken system, April and Cheryl are separated and placed in different foster homes. Despite the distance, they remain close, even as their decisions threaten to divide them emotionally, culturally, and geographically. As one sister embraces her Métis identity, the other tries to leave it behind.
Will the sisters’ bond survive as they struggle to make their way in a society that is often indifferent, hostile, and violent?
Based on the adult novel In Search of April Raintree, this edition has been revised specifically for students in grades 9 through 12. Great ideas for using this book in your classroom can be found in the Teacher’s Guide for In Search of April Raintree and April Raintree. A copy of the guide is available for download on the Portage & Main Press website.
Intimate, hopeful, and impossible to put down, this high school edition of Beatrice Mosionier’s timeless classic lingers long after the final page.
<i>The telling of this story is a wakeup call to the need for Indigenous children to feel value and validity in their sense of identity. It's about what happens to those who can't. There is a sadness buried between the lines, and yet it is a story of resiliency, of healing, and of triumph. Every child should read this.</i>
- Hon. Murray Sinclair,
<p><i>The first time I ever saw a copy of </i>April Raintree <i>was on orientation day of my teacher education program in 1984. We were handed a copy of the book and were asked to read it and come prepared to discuss it with our peers. </i>April Raintree<i> opened my eyes and heart to issues such as Aboriginal children and families being separated from each other, culture, and identity. The book as has rich story for students and educators and has a dynamic voice of hope and reconciliation.</i></p>
- Helen Robinson-Settee, Director, Aboriginal Education Directorate, Manitoba Education and Training,
Memories. Some memories are elusive, fleeting, like a butterfly that touches down and is free until it is caught. Others are haunting. You'd rather forget them, but they won't be forgotten. And some are always there. No matter where you are, they are there, too.
In this moving story of legacy and reclamation, two young sisters are taken from their home and family. Powerless in a broken system, April and Cheryl are separated and placed in different foster homes. Despite the distance, they remain close, even as their decisions threaten to divide them emotionally, culturally, and geographically. As one sister embraces her Métis identity, the other tries to leave it behind.
Will the sisters’ bond survive as they struggle to make their way in a society that is often indifferent, hostile, and violent?
Based on the adult novel In Search of April Raintree, this edition has been revised specifically for students in grades 9 through 12. Great ideas for using this book in your classroom can be found in the Teacher’s Guide for In Search of April Raintree and April Raintree. A copy of the guide is available for download on the Portage & Main Press website.
Intimate, hopeful, and impossible to put down, this high school edition of Beatrice Mosionier’s timeless classic lingers long after the final page.