HALL OF FAME # 3-- WHEN WE WERE ALONE, By David Alexander Robertson, Illustrations by Julie Flett

We decided as a team that every time one of us (or a group of us) posts a review, that person is going to pick a Hall of Fame book, author or series. Although the reviews are one member's (or individuals in a group's) opinion/s, the Hall of Fame books have been unanimously voted as essential Native #ownvoices and kidlit & YALit classics.

Because three of us created the last review, we all had different ideas about which book should be chosen next. Eduardo decided to keep his choice for when he completes his review of Tim Tingle's WHEN A GHOST TALKS, LISTEN, A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story.

Alexis, 18: I am choosing WHEN WE WERE ALONE, by David Alexander Robertson, with illustrations by Julie Flett. I'm not sure why it immediately came to mind to pair with WE ARE GRATEFUL, Otsaliheliga, by Traci Sorell. Maybe it had something to do with the two girls in the fall leaves on the cover. Maybe because at this time of year, we honor our legacy of pain and destruction (even for children) and our beautiful survival. The young girl in the story learns how her grandmother, or Nokum in Cree, held on to cultural touchstones when she was a child at a Native residential school.

In her review, Debbie Reese perfectly expresses the experience of reading this book.

WHEN WE WERE ALONE is one of those books that brought forth a lot of emotion as I read it. There were sighs of sadness for what Native people experienced at boarding schools, and sighs of--I don't know, love, maybe--for our perseverance through it all.

I can't say it better than Debbie Reese:

WHEN WE WERE ALONE is rare. It is exquisite and stunning, for the power conveyed by the words Robertson wrote, and for the illustrations that Flett created. I highly recommend it.

This book should be a part of any personal or professional collection, and it should be in print forever.

Shonabish, Mr. Robertson and Ms. Flett!!!!