Only In My Hometown

Ask students: When you look at the cover of this book, what do you notice?
Point out that the cover wraps around to the back of the book as well. Students should notice that there is snow, children are playing, the children are bundled warmly, the land is flat with some rolling hills (tundra), and there is a small town close by and the land and sunrise in the distance. Students may predict that the story takes place in Northern Canada.

Discuss what the students’ community is like. Ask them: Is it known for anything special? What are the families like in your community? How do the seasons change in your community?

If there are any students in the class from smaller remote towns, discuss and make notes about their experiences and memories of living there.

Have students research life in the Arctic. Compare with a larger city. Ask them: What do you think it would be like to live in the Arctic?

Using Google Earth (projected on a screen or whiteboard), take students on a virtual tour of the Arctic tundra. Students will get a sense of how diverse the area is. Ensure that you “visit” Rankin Inlet, as that is the town where the story is based and where the author and illustrator are from. Make note of how different it appears from the town/city where the class lives. You may wish to create a comparison chart listing the features of each place. Discuss with students what is similar and what is different.

Often small communities have their own legends and stories to coincide with landforms, people, landmarks and buildings, like the one on the second page of this book. Legends and stories help to build a sense of community within a small town. Ask students: What, if any, stories have you heard about your town?

In the Inuit culture, eating raw meat is a common occurrence. Ask students: Can you think of why that may be from a historical perspective? Do you know of any other cultures in which the people eat raw meat?

Find the picture where the women are all laughing while eating. Ask students: Why do you think they’re laughing? When friends and family come together, there is often lots of laughter.
Have students go knee-to-knee with a partner and talk about a time when they were with their extended family or family friends and there was lots of laughter — what was so funny?

There’s a lot of fun going on in the picture of the children in the house (consider displaying the picture on the whiteboard so students can see it well). Ask students: What are the children doing? What room of the house are they in, or can you tell? What evidence supports your thinking?

Ask students the following questions and ask them to support their opinions. Why do you think there is so much stuff around that the author has to watch where she steps? (There are many people in the house and things get messy quickly when there are many people around). Is the mess and the impending cleanup worth having friends and family over to visit?

“Don’t fuss or grovel.” Ask students: What does this quote mean? What other words do you use to express these actions? When have you been told not to “fuss or grovel”? What are things you have to do that you don’t enjoy and that you might complain about?
Create a list of vocabulary words so students can explore if everyone dislikes the same chores. Have students think about if anyone (parents, guardians) enjoys the things on that list.

The author talks about “bright dancing lights.” Ask students: What is she referring to? How do you know?

With students, research what creates the Northern Lights and look at pictures of them online. Ask students to share any experiences of seeing the Northern Lights.

“Glimpses of hope are always appreciated.” Ask students: What do you think this quote means? Why does the author infer that the Northern Lights are a glimpse of hope?

“We share in times of plenty and are helped in times of need. Need a place to sleep? Eat! Eat! Eat!”
Ask students: How does this quote demonstrate the values of the author’s small town? Why does everyone help everyone out in small towns? (Many people are relatives; everyone knows everyone; the community helps to raise the children so everyone has a responsibility to help when help is needed.)

“Everyone could be family.” Ask students: What is the meaning of this final page in the book? Does this final quote mean that in the author’s hometown, everyone IS family? (Friends feel like family in small towns, or in small communities within larger cities, because people get so close to one another and their families.)

Have students retell the memories presented in the book.

With students, read the following books and make connections between the three books.
Rylant, Cynthia, and Stephen Gammell (illus.). When the Relatives Came. NYC: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1993.
Waboose, Jan Bourdeau, and Brian Deines (illus.). SkySisters. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2002.

Ask students: What would be some positives and negatives of living in a small, remote community like the author of Only in My Hometown? Where would you prefer to live, a small town or a larger city? Support your opinion with ideas from the text as well as your own.

Ask students: What do you think is the underlying theme/message of the story? Support your idea with proof from the story.

Have students write a letter to the author and illustrator with the following prompts: Explain to the sisters what made their book special to you. What part of their story did you connect to?

Ask students to create the Northern Lights on paper using chalk, pastels or other media.

Have students create an advertisement (poster, brochure) either online or by hand, inviting people to come visit their hometown. Encourage students to spend time looking at examples online or in print to gather some ideas.