Je m’appelle Maryam

by Maryam Madjidi

Maryam est obligée de quitter son pays natal car ses parents ont décidé d'immigrer dans un pays libre. Dans un premier temps, la petite fille est malheureuse car elle doit apprendre une nouvelle langue et se familiariser avec un autre univers.

Publication Information

Published: 2019

Originally written in French

Number of pages: 45 pages

Recommended FSL Programs and Grades

  • Grade 9 (Open, Core [Applied and Academic])

  • Grade 10 (Core, Applied)

  • Grade 10 (Core, Academic)

Race/Ethnic/Geographic Information

Author: Maryam Madjidi

Characters: Iranian

Setting: uncertain where character moves from and to

Notes from a teacher-reader

  • Short read (45 pages)

  • Story on a little girl moving from "Là-bas" to "Ici"

  • It is about the struggle of a new language and different food.

  • Hook: Focus on identity challenges of arriving to a new country.

  • Unspecific setting: Does not say where story takes place, only mentions “ici” and “là-bas”.

  • Starts in the country where she was born (because the country she’s from is not clearly identified, it can be relatable to students).

  • Teacher read the book in under 10 minutes.

  • Iran often not included in la Francophonie, but in Iran, French was often taught as a foreign language. French was a popular language for a while in Iran (regime changes affected this) - Natasha Faroogh

  • Good tie into travel vocabulary, prépositions de lieu, future tense verbs.

  • Classroom use:

    • Repetitive vocabulary and short simple sentences

    • Relatable to newcomers

    • Accessible vocabulary. Not a challenging read

Feel free to contact the teacher-reader, Caitlin Doyle, at caitlin.doyle@tdsb.on.ca if you have questions about this novel.