Grade 2 · Class Reads · Book guide
When We Were Alone
by David A. Robertson
A young girl notices the colourful clothes, long hair, Cree words, and family visits that her kókom treasures. Her questions lead to memories of residential school and the ways children protected what mattered to them.
Book details
Format
Picture-book fiction
Suggested age range
Ages 6–8
Why read it together?
A book worth talking about
Swampy Cree author David A. Robertson and Cree-Métis illustrator Julie Flett centre an intergenerational conversation about love, resistance, and cultural continuity. Repeated questions and visual contrasts help young readers follow difficult history with adult support.
- Cree culture
- Family
- Resistance
- Cultural continuity
Before reading
Get ready to wonder
- What questions can help us learn about an older family member's life?
- Why are language, clothing, hair, and time with family important parts of identity?
During and after reading
Talk about the text
- What does the child notice, and what does each detail help her understand?
- How did the children care for their language, culture, and one another?
- How do the present-day scenes show the family's strength?
Writing invitation
Respond to the book
Choose one detail the child notices. Explain what it teaches her about her kókom's past and her family's strength today.