She Holds Up the Stars
- Publisher
- Annick Press
- Initial publish date
- Aug 2022
- Subjects
- English Language Arts, Indigenous Education
- Grade Levels
- 5 to 9
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781773210667
- Publish Date
- Aug 2022
- List Price
- $19.95
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781773210650
- Publish Date
- Aug 2022
- List Price
- $11.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781773210681
- Publish Date
- May 2022
- List Price
- $18.99
Where to buy it
Descriptive Review
She Holds Up the Stars by Sandra Laronde is a heartfelt story of self-discovery and personal strength. This story reflects the author’s Anishinaabe culture while using descriptive language to paint visual imagery for the readers. Sandra is a strong Anishinaabe woman who reaches deep down to share her culture and history with her readers. From the complexities of modern Indigeneity to the resilience of her People, this story centres around a young Indigenous girl and her journey of self-discovery. It describes the strength and gifts she possesses while focusing on her connection to the land. It is a cultural awakening for all children who are searching for direction and purpose. This journey deals with Canada's residential schools, racism, and abuse while searching for one’s identity. It is a must-have for all young readers and one of the best Indigenous stories of 2022.
Other End Matter: Glossary, Acknowledgements
Contributor Affiliation: Sandra Laronde (Teme-Augama Anishinaabe)
Bibliography: No
Index: No
Source: Books BC - Indigenous Books for Schools
About the author
Sandra Laronde hails from the Teme-Augama-Anishnaabe (People of the Deep Water) in Temagami, Ontario, and resides in Toronto. As the founder and artistic producer of Native Women in the Arts, Sandra works as an actor, dancer and writer. She is a founding artistic director of Red Sky Performance. She has written for CBC Radio and is a play creator in residence at Canadian Stage.Sandraâ??s writing appears in Cultures in Transition (McGraw-Hill), Chinook Winds (Banff Centre Press), Gatherings (Theytus Books) and Crisp Blue Edges (Theytus Books). She is a co-editor of My Home As I Remember and Sweetgrass Grows All Around Her, both published by Native Women in the Arts. Sky Woman: Indigenous Women Who Have Shaped, Moved or Inspired Us is her first book with Theytus.
Awards
- Nominated, Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award
- Joint winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children’s Book Center
- Winner, Horace Mann Upstander Award
Excerpt: She Holds Up the Stars (by (author) Sandra Laronde)
“Ahem,” Nimikii cleared his throat. “This song that I’m about to sing is special. Like my buddy Nelson over there.” He gave a nod to the smiling boy. “This song came to my grandfather in a dream, so here goes.” Nimikii started to wail the old song and the drumming rose up and grabbed hold of Misko’s heart and it wouldn’t let go. It held her in its firm grip. She tried to escape the sound by adjusting herself, moving her body, but it just wouldn’t shake loose. It rattled around and then broke up something inside, and, surprisingly, tears streamed down her cheeks. She just couldn’t stop crying. She closed her eyes so that others wouldn’t notice her tears. She could hear Nimikii’s voice and drumbeats thumping inside her chest and everything around her became one snapshot in time where the past, present and future met as one. It was like sacred geometry. She could see energy patterns and invisible lines made of love and how everything was connected and in perpetual motion. She felt it all—the streams that washed against rocks, the loons that called, the fish that splashed, and a red squirrel that scolded her kits in the drey. She had no words to describe this moment, but she had a deeply-felt sense that all things were perpetually unfolding, whether human or non-human, animate or inanimate, the here and forever.
Editorial Reviews
“This heartfelt story of self-discovery and personal strength is told in language filled with evocative imagery and Anishinaabemowin sprinkled throughout . . . A tale of strength and determination rooted in the ancestral pull of home and family.”
Kirkus Reviews, *starred review