Stolen Words by Melanie Florence and Gabrielle Grimard (Grade 1-3)

The story of the beautiful relationship between a little girl and her grandfather. When she asks her grandfather how to say something in his language – Cree – he admits that his language was stolen from him when he was a boy. The little girl then sets out to help her grandfather find his language again. This sensitive and warmly illustrated picture book explores the intergenerational impact of the residential school system that separated young Indigenous children from their families. The story recognizes the pain of those whose culture and language were taken from them, how that pain is passed down, and how healing can also be shared.

Melanie Florence is an award-winning writer of Cree and Scottish heritage. She wrote Stolen Words in honor of her grandfather. Melanie never had the chance to speak to him about his Cree heritage, and the story is about the healing relationship she wishes she had been able to have with him.

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (Grades 10+)

The New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kyiv, wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son--but Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper--a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.

Green Bough by Naomi Mitchison (Grades 7-9)

Naomi Mitchison was a distinguished Scottish author and social activist known for her literary contributions and advocacy work. Born into a prominent family on November 1, 1897, she grew up in a stimulating intellectual environment. Mitchison was a prolific writer, exploring various genres including novels, essays, poetry, and plays. Her literary works often delved into complex themes, reflecting her deep understanding of human nature and society.

Marching Men by Margorie Pickthall (Grades 4-6)

Marjorie Lowry Christie Pickthall, was a Canadian writer who was born in England but lived in Canada from the time she was seven.She was once "thought to be the best Canadian poet of her generation." She sold her first story in 1898 when she was just 15. Marjorie Pickthall "stood as proof in the eyes of the next generation of female poets that women could indeed earn the respect and attention of a literary establishment dominated by men."

Berry Song by Michaela Goade (Grades 1-3)

Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade's first self-authored picture book is a gorgeous celebration of the land she knows well and the powerful wisdom of elders.

On an island at the edge of a wide, wild sea, a girl and her grandmother gather gifts from the earth. Salmon from the stream, herring eggs from the ocean, and in the forest, a world of berries.

Salmonberry, Cloudberry, Blueberry, Nagoonberry.

Huckleberry, Snowberry, Strawberry, Crowberry.

Through the seasons, they sing to the land as the land sings to them. Brimming with joy and gratitude, in every step of their journey, they forge a deeper kinship with both the earth and the generations that came before, joining in the song that connects us all. Michaela Goade's luminous rendering of water and forest, berries and jams glows with her love of the land and offers an invitation to readers to deepen their own relationship with the earth.

She hanged them, her thriteen black soilders by Archibald H. Grimke (Grades 10+)

Despite serving their country, many soldiers from marginalized communities found they could not escape the "war at home". Archibald H Grimke details the loss and frustration felt over the tragedy known as the "Houston Riot of 1917". For more information about the incedent and context for the poem, check out Dec. 11, 1917: Black Soldiers Executed for Houston Riot - Zinn Education Project.

I Love This Land by Chief R. Stacey LaForme (Grade 7-9)

Written in the voice of a First Nations soldier, Chief, R. Stacey LaForme’s poem “I Love This Land” details the inequity First Nations soldiers faced when they returned from home from the First World War. In this moving piece, he explores themes of national identity, honour, and sacrifice.

Chief R. Stacey LaForme is the elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. He has served his community in Southern Ontario not only as Chief, but as a notable storyteller and poet for over twenty years. He has written several poems commemorating Remembrance Day and a collection of his poetry, Living in the Tall Grass: Poems of Reconciliation, was published in 2018.

From Verso 4 by Dionne Brand (Grades 4-6)

Born in Guayaguayare, the southernmost village in Trinidad and Tobago, poet, novelist, and scholar Dionne Brand moved to Canada in the 1970s to attend the University of Toronto. The author of 10 books of poetry, she has won the Governor General’s Award, the Trillium Book Award, the Pat Lowther Award, and the Griffin Poetry Prize. In 2009, she was named the Poet Laureate of Toronto.

Winter Waves by Samantha Chong (Grades 1-3)

This poem was written for the National Youth Remembrance Contests, sponsored by the Legion National Foundation, with the assistance of The Royal Canadian Legion and schools across the country. They invite Canadian youth and children to honour Canada’s Veterans and foster the tradition of Remembrance through visual art, writing, and video. All winners at the national level are awarded a cash prize for their work. First Place Senior Winners are eligible for our most prestigious award – a trip to Ottawa and an opportunity to represent the youth of Canada at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony. More information can be found at Remembrance Contests

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Grades 10+)

"Speak up for yourself—we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication.

In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

Sorry By Ntozake Shange (Grades 7-9)

Though primarily known as a playwright, especially for the 1975 play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Ntozake Shange was also a prolific poet and a novelist, children's writer and essayist. She grew up in an artistic and politically-involved family, whose guests included famous musicians, actors and leaders, such as Miles Davis and W.E.B. Dubois. Though her work often focused on the black experience in America, her themes also included femininity, family, power and art—especially music.

Tegan and Sara - Junior High by Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, and Tillie Walden (Grades 4-6)

Before Tegan and Sara took the music world by storm, the Quins were just two identical twins trying to find their place in a new home and new school. From first crushes to the perils of puberty, surviving junior high is something the sisters plan to face side by side, just like they've always faced things. But growing up also means growing apart, as Tegan and Sara make different friends and take separate paths to understanding their queerness. For the first time ever, they ask who one sister is without the other.

Set in the present day, this effervescent blend of fiction and autobiography, with artwork from Eisner Award–winner Tillie Walden, offers a glimpse at the two sisters before they became icons, exploring their shifting relationship, their own experiences coming out, and the first steps of their musical journey.

The True Story of Orange Shirt Day by Phyllis Webstad, Brock Nicol, and Emma Bullen (Grades 1-3)

The Orange Shirt Story was the best selling children's book in Canada for several weeks in September (Book manager). This true story also inspired the movement of Orange Shirt Day which could become a federal statuatory holiday When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she went to the residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a shiny orange shirt that her Granny had bought for her, but when she got to the school, it was taken away from her and never returned. This is the true story of Phyllis and her orange shirt. It is also the story of Orange Shirt Day (an important day of remembrance for First Nations and non First Nations Canadians).

Passing by Nella Larsen (Grades 10+)

While working as a nurse and as a librarian, Nella Larsen also managed signifcantly to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s with two novels: Quicksand and Passing. The latter is still often taught in classrooms today, for its heartrending treatment of a character compelled to hide their race and heritage to avoid the perils of early 20th century American racism, and the difficulties with questions of identity and belonging that arise as a result.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (Grades 7-9)

Patricia Wrede’s Dealing with Dragons was my Spring Awakening, let me correct myself - my Summer awakening. At the time I was reading her book, in the Summer of Grade 9, I was in Canada for three years. My Summer goal that year was to read more books. My classmates were probably reading A Wrinkle in Time, The Book Theif or maybe Hunger Games. None of those books were yet accessible to me. (I did end up reading them a bit later though, never too late to pick up a book) Patricia Wredes instantly transported me to a hilarious world of a proud princess and clever dragons. I worked my way through the words tirelessly and stubbornly trying to decipher the story behind the words. It took me until the end of the book, without looking the word up, to figure out what “knod” meant. I fell in love with the story.
Learning about Particia for our writing entry has been equally illuminating. She describes herself as an avid reader from the first, talking about her three sisters and a brother she says. “I grew up surrounded by books (pretty much literally–we had bookshelves on nearly every flat wall in the house, and there were books in the back of the linen cupboard, books in the bathroom storage shelves behind the cleaning supplies and towels, and books in all the closets.)” Her love for reading turned into casual writing, serious writing, creation of an “Interstate Writers’ Workshop, aka the Scribblies” and a prolific career as an author. She is still following her passion, writing and publishing her enchanting adventures to this day.

Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter (Grades 4-6)

Eleven-year-old Avery Lee loves living in Hickory Valley, Maryland. She loves her neighborhood, school, and the end-of-summer fair she always goes to with her two best friends. But she's tired of feeling squished by her six siblings! They're noisy and chaotic and the younger kids love her a little too much. All Avery wants is her own room -- her own space to be alone and make art. So she's furious when Theo, her grumpy older brother, gets his own room instead, and her wild baby brother, Max, moves into the room she already shares with her clinging sister Pearl! Avery hatches a plan to finally get her own room, all while trying to get Max to sleep at night, navigating changes in her friendships, and working on an art entry for the fair. And when Avery finds out that her family might move across the country, things get even more complicated.

Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter have once again teamed up to tell a funny, heartfelt, and charming story of family, friendship, and growing up.

Nutshimit by Melissa Mollen Dupuis and Elise Gravel (Grades 1-3)

In this immersive first-person account, Innu author Melissa Mollen Dupuis teams up with award-winning author and illustrator Elise Gravel to take readers on a journey through Innu culture, from creation legends to life today.
The Innu word Nutshimit signifies the physical and social space to practice traditional activities and language. Join author Melissa Mollen Dupuis on a guided walk deep through the forest to learn some of the rich culture of the Innu people.

Readers will discover the importance of natural world and learn a few Innu words along the way. Thoughtfully brought to life by Elise Gravel’s signature comic style illustrations, Melissa’s colloquial narrative and anecdotes detailing her lived experiences offer a deeply personal look at Innu life.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (Grades 10+)

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he's not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.

Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier (Grades 7-9)

Ruby Red is a time-travel, humour-filled and mystery-driven trilogy from a German author Kerstin Gier. Her heroine Gwyneth Shepherd, a 16-year-old student, unexpectedly finds herself in the lineage of time travelers. She has to navigate the rules of her new life and uncover the secrets about her family members lost in history. Gwen is funny, approachable, smart and honest. Her adventures teach her the most important lessons of life. She learns that to be strong can look different in different scenarios. She learns that honesty and truth will always make a way for her through a tough situation. Gwen is a definition of feminine heroine for me, the likes of Éowyn was a shieldmaiden of Rohan. It is only fitting that for a Women’s History Month we could take a plunge back into the fictional past to uncover secrets of life with Gwen.

Frida Kahlo and her Animalitos by Monica Brown (Grades 4-6)

One of the most influential artists of the 20th Century, Frida Kahlo is famous for painting images of Mexican culture and the female experience in bold self portraits and vibrant colours. In this charming retelling of Kahlo's life, Monica Brown recounts the stories of the artist's animal companions – two monkeys, a parrot, three dogs, two turkeys, an eagle, a black cat, and a fawn. Brown playfully considers how Kahlo expressed the fun and quirky qualities of each of her pets.

Monica Brown, PhD, is an award winning Peruvian-American author. She is best known for her books Waiting for the Biblioburro, Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match, and the Lola Levine chapter book series. Frida and Her Animalitos was the winner of the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year 2017, Barnes & Noble Best Book 2017, and the Smithsonian Top Ten Best Children’s Books 2017.