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April Raintree

Adapted, High School Edition

By Beatrice Mosionier
Foreword by Murray Sinclair
Imprint: HighWater Press

Categories: Young Adult Fiction, Aboriginal & Indigenous, Coming of Age, Siblings, Prejudice & Racism
Big Ideas: Authentic Indigenous History, Contemporary Setting, Diverse and Inclusive Representation, Depression and Suicide, Identity, Social Emotional Learning, Emotions and Feelings, Mental Health and Well-Being, Respect, Self-Esteem and Self-Reliance, Social Justice, Discrimination, Family Separation, Foster Care and the Child Welfare System, Poverty, Prejudice and Racism, Strong Female Characters
Cultures & Peoples: Métis

Interest Age: 15–18
Grade: 9–12
Reading Level: Lexile® Framework for Reading: HL720L
Paperback : 9781553796602, 256 pages, September 2016
Ebook (Mobi) : 9781553796886, 242 pages, November 2016
Ebook (EPUB) : 9781553796657, 242 pages, November 2016

Intimate, hopeful, and impossible to put down, this high school edition of Beatrice Mosionier’s timeless classic lingers long after the final page.

Description

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.

Reviews

The first time I ever saw a copy of April Raintree 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. April Raintree 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.

Helen Robinson-Settee, Director, Aboriginal Education Directorate, Manitoba Education and Training

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.

Hon. Murray Sinclair