Canadian The Witness Blanket: Truth, Art and Reconciliation To prepare for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this year I chose to explore The Witness Blanket: Truth, Art and Reconciliation, by Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson. This non-fiction text talks
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
Indigenous Graphic Novels and Indigenous Rights Every year I try to improve how I include Indigenous voices and perspectives in my classroom. A unit I developed this year was a mini-literature circle that focused on graphic novels by Indigenous
Human Rights When Stars Are Scattered When Stars Are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, recounts Omar Mohamed's childhood in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Separated from his mother, Omar and his nonverbal younger brother live in
Education Repeating the Mistakes of Underground to Canada: Examining my own Biases While I was in middle school, I only read one novel with Black characters for language arts class: Underground to Canada. This novel told the story of four Black people escaping from slavery
Young Adult Books Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter. Some people view this as a controversial statement. It shouldn't be. Black people in Canada experience systemic racism. It is present in the education system. It is present when Black
Middle Grade Books Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You is a remix of Ibram X. Kendi's book Stamped from the Beginning. Jason Reynolds, an acclaimed author for young people, remixes the content to create a vital text
Human Rights Anger is a Gift 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
Human Rights White Rose White Rose, 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
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
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