Indigenous Surviving the City Surviving the City, written by Tasha Spillett and illustrated by Natasha Donovan, tells the story of two girls dealing with the dangers of growing up Indigenous in Winnipeg. When main character Dez's grandmother
LGBTQ Maiden & Princess Last week, I was reading Daniel Haack's Prince & Knight to my three year old. When we reached the last page, where the two main male characters get married and live happily ever
Education White Fragility and the Canadian Classroom Four months ago, I finished reading White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo. Appreciating this excellent book, I opened a tab to create a
Education Teaching with the World on Fire Warnings about climate change have been around for years, but increasingly it feels like a problem no longer in the remote future. Living in Manitoba, climate change has been a problem we see
Indigenous Path to Reconciliation A few weeks ago I attended the Manitoba Adolescent Literacy Summit and listened to author David Alexander Robertson's keynote entitled the Path to Reconciliation. It was a highlight of the conference, as his
Education Open Letter to the Manitoba Education Review Commission Dear Commissioners of the Manitoba Education Review, This week, I attended the first Education Review Workshop at the Caboto Centre in Winnipeg. I began the workshop feeling energized. I was in a room
Education What Kind of Citizen? A key purpose of education is to prepare students to be good citizens. Few people would argue with this statement, but what does it mean to be a good citizen? What kind of
LGBTQ Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World As a middle school teacher, I have tried to fill my classroom library with books that are representative of LGBTQ students' experiences. I have collected a variety of books relating to trans youth,
Gender Equality Books about Poverty and Abuse Recently I read two books that have striking similarities: The Benefits of Being an Octopus, by Ann Braden, and Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell. Both books feature main characters who are living
Dreamers When Yuyi Morales first arrived in America with her son, she could barely speak English. Unable to return home and adjusting to life in a strange country, she soon discovered the magic of
Human Rights 10 Books about Refugees for Middle Years When I read the news or see stories on social media about refugees, I am distressed by negative representations, stereotypes, and misinformation that surface, particularly when people question their motives. It puts me
Gender Equality The Poet X I am a sucker for narrative books in verse, and the newest addition to my collection, The Poet X, is a powerful one. Written by slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo, it tells the story
Identity Islandborn Islandborn, written by Junot Díaz and illustrated by Leo Espinosa, is a gorgeous book that explores the difficulty in negotiating identity for immigrants. Islandborn tells the story of Lola, a girl who can
Human Rights Daniel's Story I began reading Daniel's Story, by Carol Matas, in preparation for the Manitoba Adolescent Literacy Summit in April. Carol Matas will be offering a session about teaching the Holocaust, and I wanted to
LGBTQ Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the coming of age story of two teenage boys as they embark on a friendship that gradually becomes a deeper relationship. With beautiful
Books for a Beautiful World: 2018 Year in Review About a year ago, I started Books for a Beautiful World. The purpose of this blog was to review books that promote a better, kinder, more just world. I examined books that promoted
Indigenous A Girl Called Echo When I pick up a book set in my own province, it feels like I have found something special. Seeing my home in print on the page gives me a feeling of connection
Human Rights Prisoner B-3087 Prisoner B-3087, by Alan Gratz, is based on the true story of Yanek Gruener, a Holocaust survivor. Starting in the Jewish ghetto in Kraków, Poland, the novel recounts his experiences in ten concentration
Human Rights If You Come Softly If You Come Softly, by Jacqueline Woodson, is a story grounded in the tradition of Romeo and Juliet. Two young people from different groups love each other despite opposition from their different worlds.
Education Being the Change Being the Change, by Sara K. Ahmed, is a book in dire need of a new subtitle. Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension sounds like a book that teaches basic social skills.
Peace Grenade Grenade, by Alan Gratz, tells the story of the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. The book features two characters' perspectives: Ray, a young American soldier, and Hideki, an Okinawan boy who
Courage Hello, Universe Hello, Universe is a Newbery Award winning book by Erin Entrada Kelly. It tells the story of four middle schoolers whose lives collide on the first day of summer vacation. Ultimately it is
Indigenous The Reckoner I first started this blog to examine books that offer diverse voices to the world and allow students to see their own experiences, struggles, and successes reflected back at them. The diverse voices
Environment World Without Fish The past few weeks, I have been reviewing books that help promote environmental awareness for middle school students. World Without Fish, by Mark Kurlansky, is another excellent addition to a classroom library. The
Environment Environmental Action in Middle School In my last blog entry, I discussed various texts that can be used to teach middle school students about climate change. However, often climate change education can be overwhelming for students and adults