Books › I Am Not a Number
I Am Not a Number
32 pages
A heartbreaking yet deeply resilient story that honors the strength it takes to hold onto your identity when the world tries to strip it away.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like holding a fragile but unbreakable piece of history in your hands. The narrative moves at a steady, purposeful pace, guiding young readers through a deeply somber and frightening reality with immense compassion and care. The atmosphere is heavy with the ache of homesickness and the stark, cold environment of institutionalization, yet it is continually pierced by warm memories of family and the fierce, quiet courage of a child refusing to be erased. The prose is accessible and unadorned, allowing the emotional weight of the true story to resonate without overwhelming its audience. It is an essential, poignant experience that will deeply move parents, educators, and children who value truth, empathy, and the enduring power of knowing one's own name.
- Mood
- somber
- tense
- resilient
- poignant
- Tone
- earnest
- compassionate
- unflinching
- respectful
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- cultural erasure · family bonds · reclaiming identity · systemic injustice · courage in adversity
- The writing
- Clear, accessible, and deeply empathetic, using simple language to convey profound emotional weight.
- The arc
- Moves from the terrifying disorientation of forced separation to a quiet, determined reclamation of self and family.
- Who it's for
- Educators, parents, and young readers looking for an honest, accessible entry point into understanding the history of residential schools.
Content notes
- forced separation from family
- cultural erasure
- emotional abuse
- systemic racism
- child institutionalization
About the book
When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened, and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from, despite the efforts of the nuns who are in charge at the school and who tell her that she is not to use her own name but instead use the number they have assigned to her. When she goes home for summer holidays, Irene's parents decide never to send her and her brothers away again. But where will they hide? And what will happen when her parents disobey the law? Based on the life of co-author Jenny Kay Dupuis’ grandmother, I Am Not a Number is a hugely necessary book that brings a terrible part of Canada’s history to light in a way that children can learn from and relate to.
Description from Open Library.
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