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4 Fitting Into the Family

Maggie de Vries
British Columbia
Christy Jordan-Fenton
British Columbia
Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
British Columbia / Northwest Territories
Maggie de Vries,  British Columbia

Maggie de Vries is the award-winning author of seven books for children, including Tale of a Great White Fish: A Sturgeon Story, Fraser Bear, Chance and the Butterfly and a teen novel Hunger Journeys, which won the 2011 Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize at the BC Book Awards. She also teaches creative writing at UBC, UNBC, travels regularly to lead writing workshops with children and teachers, and occasionally edits children’s books. Maggie lives in Vancouver. Read more

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Christy Jordan-Fenton,  British Columbia

Christy Jordan-Fenton is the co-author of Fatty Legs, named a 2011 USBBY Outstanding International Book. The memoir is based on the childhood of her mother-in-law, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. The much anticipated follow-up to this story is A Stranger at Home. Christy lives with her husband, three children, three dogs, a llama and various other animals on a farm near Fort St. John, British Columbia. Read more

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Margaret Pokiak-Fenton,  British Columbia / Northwest Territories

Margaret Pokiak-Fenton spent her early years on Banks Island in the Arctic Ocean. She now lives with her son and his family near Fort St. John, British Columbia. Margaret is well known for her beautifully beaded and adorned Inuit crafts, which she sells in the local farmers’ market. Read more

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011 - 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Waterfront Theatre
$17 / $8.50 for student groups (Buy Tickets Online)

Two approaches to the challenge of fitting in with your own family take the stage this afternoon—one fiction and one memoir. Seasoned children’s author Maggie de Vries tells of an adopted girl who feels pushed from the spotlight with the arrival of a new baby. Margaret Pokiak-Fenton’s true story of trying to re-integrate into her Inuit family after Arctic residential school has stripped her of her language and culture is compellingly told by her daughter-in-law, Christy Jordan-Fenton. The challenges of fitting in with your own family are explored by these three writers.

Suitable for grades 3–5

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View the study guide for this event.

Fitting Into the Family

Two approaches to the challenge of fitting in with your own family take the stage this afternoon—one fiction and one memoir. Seasoned children’s author Maggie de Vries tells the story of an adopted girl who feels pushed from the spotlight with the arrival of a new baby. Margaret Pokiak-Fenton’s true story of trying to fit back into her Inuit family after Arctic residential school has stripped her of her language and culture is compelling told by her daughter-in-law Christy Jordan-Fenton. The challenges of fitting in with your own family are explored by these three storytellers.

Curriculum Connection:

  • Canadian history: residential schools in Canada's history
  • Developing writing to express personal responses to experiences
  • Experiment with different forms of writing (fiction vs. memoir)
  • Critical thinking: analyze the nature of families and culture
  • Develop a sense of individual and collective responsibility towards the community

Activities:

1)      Discussion: Why does de Vries’ character feel left out with the arrival of a new baby? Ask students to think of situations where surrogate siblings or other family members are present. What really makes someone “family”? Is it blood or something more? Does it make a difference if someone is related by blood or not? In what way is it an advantage to have a sibling? In what way is it disadvantageous?

2)      Have students write a personal reflection piece on how they felt about reading Margaret Pokiak-Fenton's true story about residential schools. Have them explore what they would have done if they were in Margaret’s situation.

3)      Ask students to write a memoir-like story about a time when they felt left out or alone (by family, friends, etc).

More Resources:

Fatty Legs Lesson Plans: http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/fatty-legs-true-story.html

Approaches to Teaching about Residential Schools: http://www.lspc.ca/pdfs/SEII-ER2-9.pdf\

Teaching Resources: http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/eng/ao31045.html

 

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