Courage

Books that feature characters who must demonstrate courage in order to make the world a better place

Courage

Books about Book Bans

Over the past few years, worrying trends of book censorship have emerged, with challenges to books in schools and libraries increasing markedly since before the pandemic. This year, the American Library Association indicated that 414 attempts were made to censor library materials from January to August 2024, while 1,128

Antiracism

Graphic Novels by Asian Authors - Improving Representation in my Classroom Library

I have the feeling that students are looking for mirror books that reflect their own experiences as Asian Canadians. As a result, below are four new graphic novels that reflect in different ways the experiences of Asian students at my school.

Peace

The Ogress and the Orphans

I have a soft spot for fairy tales. As Neil Gaiman wrote, "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." For this reason, The Ogress and the Orphans, a middle grade novel

Courage

Rolling Warrior

I have been trying to introduce more books that focus on people with disabilities into my classroom library, since there is a large gap there. Rolling Warrior: The Incredible Sometimes Awkward True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/

LGBTQ

The Pants Project

I help to facilitate my middle school's Gender-Sexuality Alliance. This year, we've decided to pursue different projects that celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community. One project we've decided to undertake is to organize a book club that focuses on a book with 2SLGBTQ+ characters. After asking

Courage

Thirst

Thirst, by Varsha Bajaj, focuses on Minni, a girl who lives in the poorest part of Mumbai and faces the consequences of a water crisis.

Courage

Moonflower

Sometimes the best way to approach and engage with a serious topic is through stories. Genre fiction does this particularly well. For instance, consider A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, or The Ghost Collector [https://teacherbees.ca/the-ghost-collector/], by Allison Mills, both of which tackle grief and loss with stories

Courage

I Am Not Starfire

There are a lot of reasons to love I Am Not Starfire [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56120074-i-am-not-starfire?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=2xSshJEVzN&rank=1] , written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Yoshi Yoshitani. The art is fantastic, the characters are sharp, and

Antiracism

Prairie Lotus

Prairie Lotus, written by Linda Sue Park, tells the story of Hanna, a girl who is half-Chinese and living on the American frontier in 1880. Hanna and her father settle in LaForge, hoping to set up a Dress Goods shop in the growing town. Hanna dreams of attending school and

Courage

Pet

Pet [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38612739-pet?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=1mKAmrtQOH&rank=2] , written by Akaeke Emezi, tells the story of a Black transgender girl who must uncover a monster who is endangering her friend. The main character Jam lives in a city

Environment

Music for Tigers

Music for Tigers [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50618252-music-for-tigers?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=T09RBK96ml&rank=1] , by Michelle Kadarusman, tells the story of Louisa, a Canadian middle schooler who is sent to the Tasmanian rainforest to stay at her family's remote

feminism

Maybe He Just Likes You

Maybe He Just Likes You [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43197524-maybe-he-just-likes-you?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=wZ8vgAofZW&rank=1] , by Barbara Dee, is an important middle grade book that all students should read. It tells the story of Mila, a girl who deals with harassment

Human Rights

Anger is a Gift

Anger is a Gift [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36142487-anger-is-a-gift], by Mark Oshiro, tells the story of Moss Jefferies, a black Latinx teen, and his activism against police brutality at his high school. Traumatized by the murder of his father by a police officer during his childhood, Moss learns

Human Rights

White Rose

White Rose [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39884755-white-rose?from_search=true], by Kip Wilson, is based on the true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German resistance during World War II. This novel in verse tells the story of the White Rose Society, a group of German

Canadian

No Fixed Address

Maybe you have seen the signs before. A child in your class does not bring a lunch to school. They rarely seem to wear clean clothes. They often seem tired and have difficulty completing work outside of the classroom. They cannot attend field trips and are not able to bring

feminism

Books about Poverty and Abuse

Recently I read two books that have striking similarities: The Benefits of Being an Octopus [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35890044-the-benefits-of-being-an-octopus?from_search=true] , by Ann Braden, and Eleanor and Park [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745753-eleanor-park?ac=1&from_search=true] , by Rainbow Rowell. Both books

Peace

Grenade

Grenade [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37825453-grenade?from_search=true], 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 has been drafted by the Japanese

Courage

Hello, Universe

Hello, Universe [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653713-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 a story about the beginnings of friendship. The author focuses

Human Rights

Love, Hate & Other Filters

Love, Hate & Other Filters [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31207017-love-hate-other-filters?from_search=true] , by Samira Ahmed, is a coming of age story for young adults. It tells the story of Maya Aziz, a Muslim teenager who is straining against the strict expectations of her parents. Rejecting her mother&

Courage

Heroic Journey Lit Circle Overview

I have written a number of entries that analyze specific books from my Heroic Journey Literature Circle unit. To sum it all up, here is an overview of the unit, along with my thoughts on how it needs to grow in the future. Learning Goals Going into this unit, I

Courage

Number the Stars

I am amazed that it took me so long to read Number the Stars [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0547577095/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0547577095&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=bc16575adb3a58297e28f9cbbc893eae] , by Lois Lowry. I read

Courage

The Power of Visual Texts

Visual texts are great jumping off points for discussion and reflection during literature circles. Since students are reading a variety of books, it is useful to have common texts to help anchor the unit and teach specific skills and ideas. Of course, mentor texts and read aloud texts are essential

Courage

When a Book Fails

Not every book is going to be a winner and not every story will grab hold of a reader's attention. Back when I used to teach whole class novels, this used to be a problem that fell squarely on the shoulders of the reader. Don't like

Courage

Nimona: Heroic Journey Lit Circle Book 4

One of my favourite books in our heroic journey literature circle is the graphic novel Nimona [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0062278223/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0062278223&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=b5b2ad05e90cda5b343cb9f02f77dcda] , by Noelle Stevenson.

Courage

Peak: Heroic Journey Lit Circle Book 3

The third book in our heroic journey literature circle is Peak [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0152062688/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0152062688&linkCode=as2&tag=ebees-20&linkId=4d7e88bf8de13eb14df18dfcec6c8b8d] , by Roland Smith. Peak is about a boy