Memories of my Youth by Douglas Gary Freeman (grades 7-9)

Douglas Gary Freeman is the Mississauga-based author of Blue Cage at Midnight inspired by his life as a Black man in the United States during the civil rights movement. Freeman grew up in an inner city neighborhood in Washington, D.C., became an activist in turbulent Chicago, and shot a white police officer in self-defense when he was 19. He fled to Canada in 1969, got married, had four children, and worked as a research librarian in Toronto. Blue Cage at Midnight drew together decades of his poems as he hung in limbo, arrested in 2004 and awaiting extradition to the U.S.—the start of 11 terrible years of legal wrangling. Freeman’s poems, are “spiky, tough, explosive.”

Africville by Shauntry Grant (grade 4-6)

Shauntay Grant is an author, poet, multimedia artist, and a playwright. Her work is influenced by her storytelling roots in the historic Black communities of Nova Scotia - which is evident in her book, Africville. Africville is a poetric and dreamy picture book about a child longing for the culture and celebration of Africville. Filled with back matter, we learn that Africville is an important place to the Black Nova Scotian community, but was torn apart and destroyed by the Halifax city officials in the 1960s. Now, residents return to the area to hold the Africville festival and keep its roots alive.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, Kadir Nelson (Ilt) (grades 1-3)

Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

Burning the Old Year by Naomi Shihab Nye (grades 10+)

"Burning the Old Year" describes the annual scene of the speaker setting fire to the remnants of her past year and the conflation of the items with the air around her. It touches upon the impermanence of every year, how most of it is combustable and how once burned, one must start anew with little to nothing. The speaker lastly reflects on how the only thing the fire lacks are "the things [she] didn't do".

Naomi Shihab Nye was born in St. Louis, Missouri and is the Poetry Foundation's Young People's Poet Laureate. Earning her BA from Trinity University in San Antonio, Nye has received countless awards and honors for her work including the Ivan Sandrof Award for Lifetime Achievement, several Pushcart Prizes and many more. Her work draws from her experience of the many cultures she is a part of and she tends to focus on the minute qualities of life as well as the perspectives of everyday ordinary people.

Instructions on Not Giving Up by Ada Limon (Grades 7-9)

Ada Limón is the USA’s 24th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2022-2023. “Ada Limón is a poet who connects,” Congressional Librarian Hayden said. “Her accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward.” Ada Limón was born in Sonoma, California, in 1976 and is of Mexican ancestry. She is the author of six poetry collections, including “The Carrying” (Milkweed Editions, 2018), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry; “Bright Dead Things” (2015), a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Books Critics Circle Award; “Sharks in the Rivers” (2010); “Lucky Wreck” (Autumn House, 2006); and “This Big Fake World” (Pearl Editions, 2006). She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University and is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and the Kentucky Foundation for Women.

Poem for Selling Silliness by Fan Chengda (Grades 4-6)

Fan Chengda was one of the best known poets of the Song Dynasty in addition to serving as a government official, and an academic authority in geography. He often wrote employed a narrative and prose style approach to writing about one's travel experiences, which was popular in China during the Song Dynasty. He, along with Yang Wanli, Lu You, and You Mao, are considered to be the "four masters" of Southern Song dynasty poetry.
This poem details the ancient Lunar New Year practice of "selling silliness", which brings wishes, both for a long life and increased intelligence.

January's Sparrow by Patricia Polacco (Grades 1-3)

In the middle of the night, The Crosswhites - including young Sadie - must flee the Kentucky plantation they work on. Dear January has been beaten and killed by the plantation master, and they fear who may be next. But Sadie must leave behind her most valuable possession, the wooden sparrow carved for her by January. Through the Underground Railroad, the Crosswhites make the slow and arduous journey to Marshall, Michigan, where they finally live in freedom. And there they stay, happily, until the day a mysterious package shows up on their doorsteps. It is January’s sparrow, with a note that reads, “I found you.” How the Crosswhites, and the whole town of Marshall, face this threat will leave readers empowered and enthralled. This is a Polacco adventure that will live in the minds of children for years.

December 24, 1971 by Joseph Brodsky (grades 10+)

Iosif Alexandrovich Brodsky was forced to move out of his native country. He later altered his name to fit the western interpretation to Joseph Brodsky. Joseph was born in the middle of WWII to Jewish parents in the Soviet Union. His keen intellect, ironic wit, fiery spirit and thirst for knowledge didn’t align with the ideologies and politics of Soviet Russia and for these reasons he was practically exiled from his home land. Persecuted for his pursuit of artistic and individual voice he was tried and even sent to a labour camp by the government. Described in his own words “They have simply kicked me out of my country, using the Jewish issue as an excuse.” Having moved to Michigan in 1972 Brodsky subsequently taught, pursued his career in writing and was even a recipient of a Nobel Prise for his work.

On My Way to Liberation (For Pa Howie) by H.Melt (grades 7-9)

Writing out of Chicago, H. Melt is a poet, editor and writer, whose books The Plural, The Blurring and On My Way to Liberation focuses on trans and non-binary experience in America. Their work spans multiple disciplines, and has the stated purpose of working "to help keep trans people alive." "On My Way to Liberation" considers the authors family history in relation to their own experience of seeing freedom.

The Last Cuentisia by Donna Barbra Higuera (grades 4-6)

In this fascinating science fiction novel, Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children have been selected to journey to a new planet. Twelve-year-old Petra and her family are among those chosen to help humanity begin again on their new home in the stars. During the centuries-long voyage, they are cryogenically frozen to preserve their bodies, but when they at last wake up, Petra discovers she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have purged the memories of all aboard – or purged them altogether. Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she keep humanity's history alive?

In The Last Cuentista, author Donna Barba Higuera weaves outer space adventure and Mexican folklore together into a thrilling and thought-provoking adventure.

Writing prompt: Imagine you were leaving earth behind and traveling to a new planet. You can only take one object from home with you. Describe the object you would bring and why you would choose it.

The Mole and the Sparrow by Kim Schreuder Horn (grades 1-3)

The Mole and New Beginnings is a children's rhyme storybook about being open minded and go on with postivie attitudes to help embrace our fears of change and be grateful of the things that we do have. Author Kim Schreuder Horn says that all of her books hold an important underlying message that will help young children navigate the paths of life and how they chose to live it as the type of person they truly are. Her ideas werefiled from her office, which she had forgetten about. One day as she was doing some office clearning of documents, she came across her writings to rediscover the character of the mole, and the joy for her children's creative writing again.
She works the full time job of being a mother to two teenage girls, a wife, and the Principal Attorney of the law firm she established 20 years ago.

The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu (grades 10+)

Ken Liu’s short story, The Paper Menagerie deals with the alienation that many first and second generation immigrants feel– both from and towards their host and home culture. This piece explores the relationship between a mother and her son Jack, both who deal with expectations from their society and family differently. To his mom, Jack’s existence is proof that her culture is capable of bringing her joy, and not just the racism that she continually experiences in this foreign land. To Jack, his mom and Chinese heritage are nothing but stumps from an uprooted tree.

Ken Liu is a multiple Hugo Award-winning author in science fiction and fantasy. An innovative writer and pioneer of the “silkpunk” genre with his Dandelion Dynasty series, Ken Liu is a mainstay of modern-day fiction for young adults.

Beating Hearts and Butterflies by Christine Evangelou (grades 7-9)

Christine Evangelou loves to look past wat is visible and tries to find hidden meanings. After an unsuccessful business venture, she decided that she would write about her experiences. In this poem, she writes about persevering and looking past the bad times and always keep a good attitudes in new beginnings.

1 January 1965 by Joseph Brodsky (grades 4-6)

Iosif Alexandrovich Brodsky was forced to move out of his native country. He later altered his name to fit the western interpretation to Joseph Brodsky. Joseph was born in the middle of WWII to Jewish parents in the Soviet Union. His keen intellect, ironic wit, fiery spirit and thirst for knowledge didn’t align with the ideologies and politics of Soviet Russia and for these reasons he was practically exiled from his home land. Persecuted for his pursuit of artistic and individual voice he was tried and even sent to a labour camp by the government. Described in his own words “They have simply kicked me out of my country, using the Jewish issue as an excuse.” Having moved to Michigan in 1972 Brodsky subsequently taught, pursued his career in writing and was even a recipient of a Nobel Prise for his work.

Isabel and her Colores Go to School by Alexandra Alessandri (grades 1-3)

Isabel and her Colores Go to School is a heartwarming story about Isabel's first day of school as a child who doesn't speak much English. She speaks Spanish at home, and she finds herself feeling more and more anxious about what it will be like in a classroom with new friends. When her first day isn't going quite as smoothly has she had hoped, she finds something that gives her some peace - having something in common with another child in the class. She begins to see that while new beginnings can be very scary (at any age!), she can trust in herself and be brave.

Alexandra Alessandri is a Colombian American who grew up in Florida, taking summer trips to Colombia. As a child, she loved the library, and would fill notebooks with her stories and poems. She earned a BA and MA in English literature, and after her father passed away, she found her way back to writing as she used it to reflect and to mourn. You can learn more about her and her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel (described as "Encanto meets the Chronicles of Narnia") here: https://alexandraalessandri.com/

We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu (grades 10+)

We Were Dreamers tells the story of Simu Liu's family, all the way from his parents' upbringing in pre and post-Cultural Revolution China to his childhood in Harbin, China before immigrating to Canada. Following a tumultuous and rebellious time as a teenager and a failed accounting career, Simu Liu realized that his calling lay in acting and began his Hollywood journey one role at a time. We Were Dreamers celebrates the dreams we all have for ourselves as well as the dreams immigrants have for their families.

Simu Liu is a Canadian actor and author best known for his roles as Jung Kim in Kim's Convenience and as Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2015, his work on the drama series Blood and Water also earned him a Canadian Screen Awards and an ACTRA Awards nominations. In 2022, Time Magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. We Were Dreamers became an instant New York Times bestseller upon publication in Spring 2022.

Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson (grades 7-9)

Set in 1999, Satellite Love tells the story of 16-year-old Anna Obata, a lonely, bullied girl who lives in Japan. Between her troubled school days and having to care for her elder, invalid grandfather, Anna's only solace and comfort is looking up at the night sky each night to watch the stars thorugh her telescope. Everything changes when, one day, a Low Earth Orbit satellite (LEO) looks back and decides to descend to earth.

Genki Ferguson was born in New Brunswick, but grew up in both Calgary and Kyushu, Japan. In 2017, he won the 2017 Helen Pitt Award from the University of Victoria. Satellite Love was long-listed for CBC's Canada Reads competition, appeared on Daily Hive's "10 Essential Reads to Celebrate Asian Canadian Writers", and was one of Quill and Quire's best booksellers' Books of the Year.

Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade by Lyla Lee (grade 4-6)

Lyla Lee's popular Mindy Kim series now includes 8 books, with a 9th coming out this summer. In the series, Mindy Kim is a young Asian American girl, trying to figure out what makes her who she is. In Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade, Mindy finds celebrating her favourite holiday feels different this year without her mom. Lyla Lee's life as a Korean American influences the character of Mindy, and we follow along on her adventures.

Friends are forever by Dane Liu (grades 1-3)

In Friends are Friends Forever, Dandan is about to travel off on a brand new adventure - moving from China to America. She and her best friend, Yueyue, usually celebrate Lunar New Year together, and Dandan is worried that her new home will lack all of the friendships and celebrations of her old one.

This special story is written based on Dane Liu's own experience as an immigrant, exploring new traditions and trying to maintain old ones. Friends are Friends Forever is her debut picture book, and she has some interesting others to keep an eye out for in 2023 - Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who

Christmas, 1970 by Sandra M. Castillo (grades 10+)

"Christmas,1970" depicts the scene of a family's first Christmas in an unknown place away from home through the lens of a narrator reflecting back on her younger selves naive perspective. The descriptions allude to the unfamiliarity of an American Christmas as well as the assimilation that the family has undergone in the hopes of blending in to a new country.

Sandra Castillo was born in Havana, Cuba, earning both her BA and MA in creative writing from Florida State University. Her first book, My Father Sings to My Embarrassment (2002) was selected by Cornelius Eady for the White Pine Press Poetry Prize with several of her poems having been published in numerous literary reviews and anthologies. Many of her poems have been influenced by the possibility early on in her childhood of immigrating to the US and thus references the streets and lives she left behind in Cuba.