Not My Girl

When I Was Eight was called "utterly compelling" by Kirkusin a starred review.

Margaret can't wait to see her family, but her homecoming is not what she expected.

Two years ago, Margaret left her Arctic home for the outsiders' school. Now she has returned and can barely contain her excitement as she rushes towards her waiting family -- but her mother stands still as a stone. This strange, skinny child, with her hair cropped short, can't be her daughter. "Not my girl!" she says angrily.

Margaret's years at school have changed her. Now ten years old, she has forgotten her language and the skills to hunt and fish. She can't even stomach her mother's food. Her only comfort is in the books she learned to read at school.

Gradually, Margaret relearns the words and ways of her people. With time, she earns her father's trust enough to be given a dogsled of her own. As her family watches with pride, Margaret knows she has found her place once more.

Based on the true story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, and complemented by evocative illustrations, Not My Girl makes the original, award-winning memoir, A Stranger at Home, accessible to younger children. It is also a sequel to the picture book When I Was Eight. A poignant story of a determined young girl's struggle to belong, it will both move and inspire readers everywhere.

Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton are the authors of Fatty Legs, A Stranger at Home and When I Was Eight. They live in Fort St. John, British Columbia.

Gabrielle Grimard is the illustrator of When I Was Eight and numerous other books for children. She lives in Quebec.