Human Rights On the Come Up On the Come Up is Angie Thomas's follow up to the hugely successful The Hate U Give. It tells the story of sixteen-year old Bri, an aspiring rapper who aims to make it
Human Rights Other Words for Home Stories are important tools for promoting empathy and understanding of others. It is harder to divide the world into "Them" versus "Us," to dehumanize the other, when we understand
LGBTQ Moon at Nine Earlier this year I was asked to read Moon at Nine, written by Deborah Ellis. Our school inherited a number of copies and my principal thought they might be a good fit in
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
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
Picture Book 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
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
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.
Human Rights Love, Hate & Other Filters Love, Hate & Other Filters, 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
Human Rights Amal Unbound Chances are you have heard of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist who stands up bravely for the right of girls to have an education. I know my classroom has several books devoted to
Peace Teaching about Refugees As part of my grade seven social studies course, I have spent the past few years teaching a mini-unit about refugees. In our curriculum, students are expected to learn about push and pull
Courage Number the Stars I am amazed that it took me so long to read Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. I read The Giver long ago and was blown away by the book. I've since recommended
Human Rights Sadia Book Review My hometown of Winnipeg is an increasingly diverse place, and every day in the classroom this fact is becoming more and more evident. Students come from many parts of the world, practice different
Human Rights Human Rights Literature Circles I love teaching grade seven students. At twelve and thirteen years old, my students are old enough to start delving into real world issues in more detail than their elementary school counterparts. As
Indigenous Seven Fallen Feathers and Systemic Racism in Schools This week I finished reading Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, by Tanya Talaga. The book is about the deaths of seven Indigenous high school students in
Identity Pashmina Book Review This week I was delighted to discover Nidhi Chanani's debut graphic novel Pashmina. The book is the story of Priyanka Das, a girl who feels caught between two worlds. Growing up in America,
Indigenous Residential School Picture Books This month, my students are learning about residential schools in Canada and human rights. This is an essential topic as Canada moves down the path of reconciliation. The natural first step is to
Human Rights Malala's Magic Pencil When teaching grade seven, I often use picture books for a variety of reasons. They are good texts for reading aloud and modeling skills, like drawing inferences or making connections. Sometimes they are
Human Rights Refugee by Alan Gratz Every once in a while you come across a book that is equal parts tragedy and triumph. Refugee, by Alan Gratz, is one of those books. It is a gripping account of three