SuitabookThe olden days coat
Margaret Laurence
- Reading
- Read together if possible, pausing around the move from Christmas disappointment to the past. Afterwards, invite the child to discuss memory, family links, and which parts remain mysterious.
- Themes
- Family memory and bereavement: Sal spends Christmas at her grandmother’s house after Grandpa’s death and encounters the past through an old coat. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Heritage through imaginative discovery: Trying on a winter coat from an old trunk transports Sal into the past, where she makes an unexpected connection to her heritage and grandmother. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Keep space for Sal’s feelings about spending Christmas away from home and Grandpa’s death. The past encounter may invite questions about family history without requiring a single interpretation.