June 28, 2017, Toronto- When a little girl comes home from school one day and asks her grandpa how to say something in his Cree language, he is sad that he cannot teach her. He tells her that his words were stolen from him when he was taken to live at a residential school as a boy. The little girl then sets out to help her grandpa find his language again. Stolen Words was one of the winning manuscripts from Second Story Press' 2015 Aboriginal Writing Contest. Melanie Florence has been recognized for her ability to write about Indigenous history and culture with sensitivity and compassion, and Quebec artist Gabrielle Grimard's illustrations perfectly capture the spirit of the story. Stolen Words has already been recognized as one of Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) Carolyn Bennet's Indigenous Book Club Month selections. "Florence's tender text soothes the harsh reality of having Native language stolen while attending one of Canada's former residential schools for Indigenous children. Grimard's equally emotive illustrations show the stark realities of the experience in symbolic images.

Unforgettable." - Kirkus Starred Review.