• Age: 6 to 8
• Grade: 1 to 3
• Reading age: 6 to 8

★“Captures the sympathy of readers and holds their attention...An age-appropriate telling by an Indigenous creative team of a tragic historical period.”—School Library Journal, starred review

The true story of how Indigenous girls at a residential school sewed secret pockets into their dresses to hide food and survive.

Mary was four years old when she was first taken away to the Lejac Indian Residential School. It was far away from her home and family. Always hungry and cold, there was little comfort for young Mary. Speaking Dakelh was forbidden and the nuns and priest were always watching, ready to punish. Mary and the other girls had a genius idea: drawing on the knowledge from their mothers, aunts and grandmothers who were all master sewers, the girls would sew hidden pockets in their clothes to hide food. They secretly gathered materials and sewed at nighttime, then used their pockets to hide apples, carrots and pieces of bread to share with the younger girls.

Based on the author's mother's experience at residential school, The Secret Pocket is a story of survival and resilience in the face of genocide and cruelty. But it's also a celebration of quiet resistance to the injustice of residential schools and how the sewing skills passed down through generations of Indigenous women gave these girls a future, stitch by stitch.

Available in French as La poche secrète.

Peggy Janicki is an award-winning Dakelh teacher from the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation. She holds a master of education in Indigenous knowledges/Indigenous pedagogies from the University of British Columbia. Peggy has worked for decades to reveal the hidden stories and histories of Indigenous Peoples, as featured in UBC’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Reconciliation through Indigenous Education." When her mother shared a secret story that changed all their lives and highlighted the impacts of colonization, Peggy also became a storyteller. She lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

Peggy Janicki's profile page

Carrielynn Victor is fueled by the passion to tell stories through her art. Her ancestors come from around the world, descending from bloodlines in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales that arrived in the Americas in the 1600s, and Coast Salish ancestors that have been sustained by S’olh Temexw (our land) since time immemorial. Carrielynn was born and raised in S’olh Temexw and nurtured by many parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Along with a thriving art practice, Carrielynn maintains a communal role as a plant practitioner. The responsibilities for traditional plant practitioners range from protection and preservation of lands to networking and trade to harvest and preparation methods. These understandings are reflected in the artwork and knowledge Carrielynn contributes to her communities. Carrielynn also operates an environmental consultancy, based out of Chilliwack, BC, which reviews and reports on projects with a blended focus, pairing Sto:lo cultural and heritage understanding with ecological knowledge.

Carrielynn’s work speaks to the differences and similarities between ancient and modern understandings. The foundation of an intrinsic connection to the land provides Carrielynn with the understandings and perspectives she utilizes in her Coast Salish art practice. The values found in carrying forward ancestral knowledge and incorporating that knowledge with environmental sciences, as well as the arts, is a lifelong learning journey and a key part of Carrielynn’s working practice.

Carrielynn Victor's profile page

Depuis une vingtaine d’années, Rachel Martinez a publié plus de quatre-vingts traductions dans des domaines variés pour des éditeurs francophones réputés : roman, arts visuels, récit, biographie, essai et littérature jeunesse. Elle a fait partie du conseil consultatif du Centre international de traduction littéraire de Banff de 2017 jusqu’à sa dissolution en 2019, et a siégé plusieurs années au conseil d’administration de l’Association des traducteurs et traductrices littéraires du Canada. Une mention sur la Liste d’honneur 2014 de l’International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) et le Prix des libraires du Québec 2017 (catégorie 12-17 ans, hors Québec) figurent parmi les marques de reconnaissance qu’elle a reçues. Elle a remporté en 2005 le prix du Gouverneur général du Canada en traduction française pour Glenn Gould, une vie de Kevin Bazzana et a été finaliste en 2013 et 2015.

 

Rachel Martinez's profile page

• Short-listed, Washington Library Association (WLA) Towner Book Award for Nonfiction Picture Books
• Short-listed, First Nation Communities Read Awards (FNCR) - Children’s
• Short-listed, Prince George Public Library Jeanne Clarke Local History Publication Award
• Commended, Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
• Nominated, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Award
• Commended, Children’s Book Council & National Council for Social Studies Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
• Short-listed, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award
• Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets
• Joint winner, The Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society (SCWES) Book Awards for BC Authors
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

“An engaging and important story, this book is highly recommended for home, public, and school libraries.”

Quill & Quire

« La tristesse comme la joie transpirent des illustrations et se marient parfaitement au texte. […] Ce livre sera un ajout important à toute bibliothèque. [...] Une histoire merveilleuse pour les jeunes matures qui veulent commencer à parler de l’histoire des pensionnats. Chaudement recommandé. »

CM: Canadian Review of Materials, le 17 avril 2023

“Simply drawn, expressive...A moving picture book.”

Booklist

“Though the tale is emotionally fraught, young readers are left with an uplifting reminder about the power and resolve of Indigenous people...A moving tribute to Native children’s survival in the residential school system.”

Kirkus Reviews

★“Captures the sympathy of readers and holds their attention...An age-appropriate telling by an Indigenous creative team of a tragic historical period.”

School Library Journal, starred review

« Bien que le récit soit chargé d’émotion, les jeunes lecteurs en retiennent un rappel édifiant de la puissance et de la détermination des peuples autochtones. [... ] Un hommage émouvant à la survie des enfants autochtones dans le système des pensionnats pour Autochtones.»

Kirkus Reviews

« Cette histoire captivante et importante est fortement recommandée pour la maison et les bibliothèques publiques et scolaires. »

Quill & Quire

★« Le livre attire la sympathie des lecteurs et retient leur attention. […] Ce récit d’une période tragique de l’histoire a été adapté pour les jeunes par une équipe de créateurs autochtones. »

Critique étoilée parue dans le School Library Journal

“Both sadness and joy are accessible within the illustrations and partner perfectly with the prose…An important addition to any bookshelf…A wonderful story for mature youngsters to engage with to begin talking about the history of residential schools. Highly Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

« Des dessins simples et expressifs. [...] Un album émouvant. »

Booklist