Where There's a Wall by Joy Kogawa (Grade 7-9)

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, poet and novelist Joy Kogawa was sent with her family to an internment camp for Japanese-Canadians during World War II, and her writing often focuses on the lasting scars of racism. The Historic Joy Kogawa House — Kogawa’s childhood home, which was expropriated from her family during the war and nearly demolished in 2005 — operates a writer-in-residence program. Kogawa is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.

Mothers by Nikki Giovanni (Grade 4-6)

"Mothers" depicts the last time the speaker was at home and had connected with her mother. The stylistic choice of referring to her mother as "mommy" suggests that the speaker is looking back on the memory through the lens of her younger self. As she paints the picture of her mother sitting in the dark, the audience can clearly see the love and admiration she holds for her mother.

Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and has published countless collections of poetry in addition to several works of nonfiction, children's literature, and an Emmy-award nominated recording of The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection (2004). She received a B.A. in history and attended graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. Many of her first published volumes of poetry were said to have been in response of the assassinations of influential figures like Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.

Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by " Sotomayor, Sonia, López, Rafael (Ilt)" (Grade 1-3)

Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.

In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges--and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

Educated by Tara Westover (Grade 10+)

Educated is the autobiography of Tara Westover and tells the story of how she grew up in a rural Idaho community under the roof a religiously conservative family who home-schooled her until she was 17. Her childhood was spent learning herbalism, the trade at her father's junkyard, and a very extreme set of Mormonism beliefs. After enduring years of abuse from her older brother and family, Tara managed to self-study mathematics and grammar to gain admission into Brigham Young University along the way to eventually attending Harvard and earning a PhD from Cambridge.

Educated has earned numerous accolades and awards including Apple's Best Memoir of the Year, Audbile's Best Memoir of the Year, and Named Nonfiction Book of the Year by the American Bookseller's Association. It was also listed as a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award's John Leonard Prize and the Autobiography Award. Educated is Tara Westover's first book.

To The Ladies by Lady Mary Chudleigh (Grade 7-9)

Lady Mary Chudleigh (1656-1710) was an English poet and essayist who educated herself at a time when women rarely had access to formal education. Part of a circle of women writers in Dryden, Chudleigh wrote extensively on feminist subjects. Though married herself and quite religious, she was critical of the ways in which marriage subjugated women.

How to Triumph Like a Girl by Ada Limón (Grade 4-6)

In "How to Triumph Like a Girl", the speaker admires the strength of female horses and wishes to have those desirable qualities herself. She challenges the reader to believe that she also has the heart and therefore the features of a lady horse that she so desperately wants. Throughout the poem, the speaker implies that being a female in general makes any animal or person graceful and strong.

California-born Ada Limón is the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States and earned an MFA from New York University, studying alongside several notable poets including Sharon Olds and Philip Levine. The majority of her poems concern subjects such as motherhood, womanhood, and infertility. Currently, Limón teaches at North Carolina's Queens University of Charlotte Low Residency and she also works as a creative consultant and also acts as a host of her critically-acclaimed poetry podcast, The Slowdown.

Areli is a Dreamer by Areli Morales, illustration by Luisa Uribe (Grade 1-3)

Areli is a Dreamer is the true story of DACA recipient Areli Morales who was born in Mexico, and brought to New York City at age 6 to live with her family, who were trying hard to give her a promising and good life. As an undocumented immigrant and a child who didn't yet speak English, she soon found even things like going to school and playing with new friends to be challenging - the bullying and whispers swirled around her. However, Areli rose to the challenge, and saw what hard work and tenacity could bring, becoming the woman she was meant to be, and one day sharing her story for others to understand the ups and downs of the imimgrant life.

The Train by Jodie Callaghan

The Train follows Ashley as she tries to understand why her great-uncle always waits by the old, out-of-use train tracks. Through her great-uncle’s story about his residential school experience and the history of their Mi'gmaq heritage, Ashley soon learns of the importance of the train tracks to her great-uncle. A story emphasising togetherness and hope, The Train weaves together familial ties and the residential school experience.

Jodie Callaghan is a Mi'gmaq woman who was inspired to write The Train after hearing members of her community talk about their residential school experience. The Train is the winner of the 2010 Mi’gmag Writer’s award.

It's Time to Go Play Now by Cassidy Gallant

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a new national holiday on September 30th meant to recognize the impact and legacy of the Canadian Residential School System. Cassidy Gallant’s It’s Time to Go Play Now was a poem written for the new National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and highlights the childhood experiences that were lost due to the forced attendance at Canadian Residential Schools.

Cassidy Gallant is a young Mi'kmaw poet who writes poetry about the lasting impact of Residential Schools. From PEI and a single mother, Gallant is currently working on a half-English, half-Mi’kmaw poetry book.

April 30, 2014 by Louise Bernice Halfe

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission began in 2008 with the purpose of providing those directly and indirectly affected by the Canadian Residential School System a chance to share their stories and experiences. April 30, 2014 is the date on which Louise Bernice Halfe shared her story with the committee. Named after that date, her poem, April 30, 2014 is filled with reflection, pain, and release as Halfe details the morning leading up to her hearing.

Louise Bernice Halfe is Canada’s Parliamentary Poet Laureate and is of Cree descent. Both a poet and social worker, Halfe weaves Cree language into her poetry in an act of defiance against erasure. Her works of poetry have gained numerous awards such as the Latner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize.

War by Lee Maracle

Published in 2000, Lee Maracle’s War describes experiences of Indigenous peoples in post-colonial Canada. Examining the turmoil and injustice faced by Indigenous peoples in the past, the poem presents the feelings of pain and love as non-conflicting. As such, Maracle writes of necessary acceptance and strength for Indigenous peoples to take back the narrative.

One of Canada’s most prolific Indigenous writers, Lee Maracle is a writer who is an advocate for Indigenous rights—specifically that of Indigenous women. In her work, she infuses her writings with traditional Indigenous stories; in particular, her focus in “decolonizing the feminine” in North America frames her writings in a uniquely feminist light. Maracle’s autobiography, Bobbi Lee: Indian Rebel, was one of the first Indigenous works published in Canada. Recognizing her instrumental contribution to Canadian literature and Indigenous rights, Maracle was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2018.

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Combining modern issues faced by Indigenous peoples and the suspense of a crime-thriller, Firekeeper’s Daughter centers around 18-year-old Daunis Fontaine who struggles to fit into her Sault community. In light of the drug-related death of her best friend, Fontaine begins to uncover the hold that addictive drugs have on her community. The story introduces readers to traditional Ojibwe phrases and medicines and pulls back the curtain on the “corrosive effect of drug-use” in Indigenous communities.

A former Director of the Office of Indian Education in the U.S. Department of Education, Angeline Boulley now writes stories inspired by her own Ojibwe community. Boulley seeks to craft stories that explore the experiences of modern day Indigenous women.

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

The Marrow Thieves is set in a post-apocalyptic world where individuals have lost the ability to dream. When it is discovered that obtaining the bone marrow of Indigenous populations can restore one’s dreams, residential schools are once again built by the government to extract bone marrow forcibly from the Indigenous peoples. The story follows fifteen year old boy Frenchie—a member of the Metis Indigenous community in Canada—as he runs from the “recruiters” and struggles to survive. A brilliant commentary on Indigenous oppression, The Marrow Thieves sheds light on the history of Canadian residential schools and highlights current issues still faced by Indigenous peoples, such as environmental degradation and language loss, through a dark, fast-paced science-fiction setting.

As a member of the Georgian Bay Metis community, author Cherie Dimaline has spent numerous summers learning about her Metis heritage; as such, many of her books have a direct influence from traditional Metis stories. The Marrow Thieves is her most successful work, having been selected as one of TIME magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time and the recipient of both the Governor-General's Award for English language children's literature and the Kirkus Prize.

a stranger at home by Christy-Jordan Fenton and Margaret-Pokiak Fenton

A Stranger At Home tells the story of Margaret as she returns home after two years at Residential school. In a stark contrast to the expected open arms and warmth from her family, her mother instead refuses to believe that Margaret is her daughter. Upon returning home, Margaret is forced to relearn the language and beliefs of her family and reconcile them with what she was taught at Residential school. This story sheds light on the experiences of children attempting to re-assimilate into their Indigenous culture after Residential school and the trauma that families faced even after their children had returned.

Margaret Pokiak-Fenton was the inspiration for the character of Margaret in the book. Pokiak-Fenton attended Residential school at the age of eight and like the character in the story, struggled to reconnect to her family and her Indigenous culture. Her and her stepdaughter, Christy Jordan-Fenton, wrote A Stranger At Home together with the aim to encourage Indigenous children to believe in themselves.

Swift Fox All Along by Rebecca Thomas

Rebecca Lee Thomas is a Mi'kmaw author who is a daughter of a Residential School survivor. Swift Fox All Along recounts the story of Swift Fox, a girl who is relearning her Mi’kmaw culture through visiting her extended family—an experience that closely mirrored that of Rebecca Lee Thomas as she uses this book to address the effects of generational trauma. Initially, Swift Fox feels out of place with her extended Mi’kmaw family. She is unaware of the customs and traditions of her Indigenous culture and throughout the book, she strives to connect to her forgotten heritage.

A poet and author, Rebecca Lee Thomas uses her works to address the racism and inequality experienced by Indigenous peoples. Through her poetry, she has been named the Halifax Regional Municipality’s poet laureate and works to empower young Indigenous students to explore their own heritage at Nova Scotia Community College.

if Our Bodies Could Rust We Would Be Falling Apart by Billy-Ray Belcourt

On January 27, 2017, Barbara Kentner was struck with a trailer hitch thrown from a moving vehicle in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Before her death, Kentner recalled that the man who threw the object said, “Oh, I’ve got one”. In “If Our Bodies Could Rust, We Would Fall Apart”, Billy-Ray Belcourt delves into the implications of that phrase—or, more specifically, how that one phrase was left unaddressed by police in determining if the attack was a hate crime. Using the phrase “Oh, I’ve got one” as a refrain, Belcourt weaves both generational anger towards systemic racism and feelings of grief for Barbara Kentner to create a deeply resonant piece of poetry.

Billy-Ray Belcourt is a writer from the Driftpile Cree Nation who was awarded the 2019 Indspire Award, the highest honour bestowed on Indigenous leaders in his community. His debut book also made him the youngest 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize winner.

i am graffiti by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson's "i am graffiti" is a poem written in response to the closing address of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Despite the ending of the commission in 2015, the author disagreed with the idea that Canada had reached “reconciliation”. Instead, with the thoughtful, and slightly sarcastic, motif of a bright pink eraser, she bitterly addresses the continued erasure of Indigenous experiences by the government. Moving from anger towards governmental actions to strength in her resolve, the poem sends a message on the resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples: their experiences and culture will not be erased.

I Am Not A Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer

Based on the true experiences of author Jenny Kay Dupuis' grandmother, I Am Not a Number recounts the story of eight year-old Irene Couchie. Upon being forcibly removed from her parents, Irene is told to forget her name and is only given one identifying number at residential school. Irene fights to remember her identity and her family amidst the demeaning environment she is placed in. Written to encourage dialogue about the first hand experience of children who attended residential schools, the story explores the dehumanising effect of diminishing one's identity to a single number.

Jenny Kay Dupuis is an Indigenous author, artist, and educator. As a teenager, she helped draft a proposal that was later adopted by the World Youth Forum of the United Nations System. With her knowledge, she has helped numerous NGOs and educational institutions develop a holistic understanding of Indigenous experiences.

Poem for Duncan Campbell Scott by Armand Garnet Ruffo

Duncan Campbell Scott was the head of the Government agency that devised and supervised residential schools. His poetry influenced the attitudes of generations of Canadians. His policies contributed to the Genocide perpertraded upon the Indiginous people of Canada. We should not read the poetry without considering the man. Writing prompt: Is there an author whose viewpoints have caused you to reevaluate their work?