Environment The Failings of Climate Change Fiction Young adult and middle grade fiction are useful tools for teaching about tough issues. Problems like the refugee crisis or poverty are difficult and stories are important to help us better understand these
Gender Crush I am not a big fan of romantic comedies. I find the characters in these types of books or films often engage in manipulative behaviour. The resulting relationships rarely strike me as particularly
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
Indigenous Two Novellas on Reconciliation A number of children's books examine what happened at residential schools and their immediate impact. Rarer are books that focus more specifically on the journey towards reconciliation. For this reason, I was pleased
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
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 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
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 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
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
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
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
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
Environment Climate Change in Middle Years Want to find some resources for teaching climate change in middle years? Check out this blog post!
Mental Health OCD in Middle Years Books A pet peeve of mine is when people call themselves a little OCD. Typically they mean they like things to be tidy or organized a certain way. However, obsessive compulsive disorder can often
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
LGBTQ LGBTQ Books in Middle School I recently got a request for recommendations of LGBTQ books for middle school. Below I have compiled a list of books in my classroom library that prominently feature LGBTQ characters or themes. Younger
LGBTQ Love, Penelope A few weeks ago, I highlighted three picture books about marriage equality. A similar read for an upper elementary crowd is Love, Penelope, by Joanne Rocklin. This book is about Penny, a girl
Identity Identity Literature Circle Earlier this year, I decided to develop another literature circle for my grade seven classroom. I currently teach two literature circles that focus on the themes of human rights and heroic journeys respectively.
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
LGBTQ The 57 Bus: A Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives Summer is an excellent time to catch up on reading, so stay tuned for book reviews of texts that belong in the classroom and beyond. Today's review is on The 57 Bus, by