Courage I Am Not Starfire There are a lot of reasons to love I Am Not Starfire, written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Yoshi Yoshitani. The art is fantastic, the characters are sharp, and it is both
Canadian Black Water, On the Trapline, and Kīwew One amazing thing about the writer David A. Robertson is his ability to write compelling literature for any age group. Some of his most recent work demonstrates his versatility as he focuses on
Graphic Novel A Girl Called Echo: Road Allowance Era A Girl Called Echo: Road Allowance Era, written by Katherena Vermette and illustrated by Scott B. Henderson, is the fourth and final volume in the Girl Called Echo series. The series focuses on
LGBTQ The Stone Rainbow The Stone Rainbow, by Liane Shaw, tells the story of Jack Pedersen, a gay teenager who is living a small town. A few people know he is gay, but otherwise Jack is committed
Graphic Novel The Magic Fish The Magic Fish, written by Trung Le Nguyen, is a beautiful graphic novel about Tiến and his mother, a Vietnamese refugee. Tiến wants to come out to his parents as gay, but he
Courage Pet Pet, 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 that seems
Canadian Surviving the City: From the Roots Up Surviving the City Vol. 2: From the Roots Up, written by Tasha Spillett and illustrated by Natasha Donovan, is a graphic novel that explores the intersections of Indigenous culture and gender identity. It
Literature Circle Piecing Me Together Piecing Me Together, by Renée Watson, is a young adult novel that examines issues of race, privilege and identity for a teen girl from a poor neighbourhood. Jade, the book's main character, is
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
Indigenous A Girl Called Echo - Volume 3 For teachers looking to bring Canadian history to life, with particular emphasis on Métis history, be sure to check out volume three of A Girl Called Echo, written by Katherena Vermette and illustrated
Young Adult Books The 7 Generations Series The 7 Generations Series, a graphic novel series written by David Alexander Robertson and illustrated by Scott B. Henderson, recounts the life of seven generations of an Indigenous family, stories that span from
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
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
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
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 This Place: 150 Years Retold This Place: 150 Years Retold is an ambitious project that aims to retell Canadian history by centering Indigenous perspectives and experiences. With over a dozen Indigenous authors and artists, the graphic novel anthology
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
Gender 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
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
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.