Discover the joy of reading with Book Clubs and Book Fairs
Discover the joy of reading with Book Clubs and Book Fairs
During the month of June, we recognize the history, resilience and diversity of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Introduce, celebrate and honour the voices and experiences of the Indigenous communities with this selection of books, for any age or reading level.
From Dene artist and bioethicist Lisa Boivin comes this healing story of hope, dreams, and the special bond between grandfather and granddaughter.
When a little girl dreams about a bear, her grandfather explains how we connect with the knowledge of our ancestors through dreams. Bear, Hawk, Caribou, and Wolf all have teachings to share to help us live a good life. But when Grampa gets sick and falls into a coma, the little girl must lean on his teachings as she learns to say goodbye.
Masterful prose and stunning collage weave a gentle story about animal teachings, the power of dreams, and the death of a loved one.
Whether or not you’re Métis, there’s so much to experience and learn about this amazing Indigenous culture. Take a picture book journey into Métis crafts, music, and cooking with friends who love to share.
Are you Métis like me? A group of children of Métis descent share and explore all the ways they celebrate and experience their heritage ― enjoying traditional foods like bannock bread and Saskatoon berries; crafting with beads; sharing stories, dance, music, and songs. Each child shares a different way they enjoy honouring their backgrounds and weaving parts of the rich tapestry that makes up Métis culture. One child, though, has grown up disconnected from their history and can’t join in with the others in the same way. But they soon see it’s never too late to learn, celebrate, or become a part of a community in which Métis and non-Métis alike can discover the richness of an often-overlooked culture.
A joyful coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel by debut Indigenous creator Cameron Mukwa about the journey of a two-spirit kid who wants to create a ribbon skirt for the upcoming powwow.
Ten-year-old Anang wants to make a ribbon skirt, a piece of clothing typically worn by girls in the Anishinaabe tradition, for an upcoming powwow. Anang is two-spirit and nonbinary and doesn’t know what others will think of them wearing a ribbon skirt, but they’re determined to follow their heart’s desire. Anang sets off to gather the materials needed to make the skirt and turns to those around them — their family, their human and turtle friends, the crows, and even the lake itself — for help. And maybe they’ll even find a new confidence within themselves along the way.
In this bilingual book, an Anishinaabe child explores the story of a precious mnoomin seed and the circle of life mnoomin sustains.
Written in Anishinaabemowin and French, the story opens at harvest time. A child holds a mnoomin seed and imagines all the life that made a single seed possible ― Mayfly, Pike, Muskrat, Eagle, and Moose all had a part to play in bringing the seed into being. What will happen if the seed sprouts? Underwater leaves will shelter young fish, shoots will protect ducklings, stalks will feed larvae, in turn providing food for bats…until finally mnoomin will be ready to harvest again.
We follow the child and family through a harvest day as they make offerings of tobacco, then gently knock ripe seeds into their canoe. On shore, they prepare the seeds, cook up a feast, and gratefully plant some seeds they’d set aside.
This beautifully written and illustrated story reveals the cultural and ecological importance of mnoomin. As the author’s note explains, many Anishinaabeg agree that “wild rice” is an inaccurate term for this plant relation, since part of the harvest is sown every year to help sustain human and non-human beings.
A magical mirror helps a young girl understand her true beauty in this new picture book from the creators of Nibi’s Water Song.
When Challa comes home in tears after being teased about her smile, her mom gives her a special gift. It’s a magic mirror ― shiny, beaded and beautiful ― passed on from her mom, and from her djo djo before her.
Challa’s mom tells her that when anyone looks into the mirror, they will see their true self. There’s just one rule: Everyone has to say what they see in the reflection.
At first the mirror seems to work for everyone but her. Challa keeps looking and looking. The more beauty she sees in herself, the happier she feels, and the longer she looks into the mirror, the more beauty she sees, until finally Challa sees so much beauty, she can’t contain her smile!
This special story, from award-winning activist Sunshine Quem Tenasco and artist Chief Lady Bird, introduces readers to concepts of self-acceptance, self-empowerment, and recognition of the unique beauty that comes from within.
A beautiful, transcendent story of a mother-daughter connection that persists through tragedy and across time.
Kateri is a young Cree girl, growing up in the care of her grandmother. We see her reaching important milestones: her first day of school, first dance, first date, wedding, first child. Her mother is absent, but not gone, watching her child growing up without her.
Told in alternating voices of child and mother, Missing Nimâmâ is a story of love, loss, and acceptance, showing the human side of a national tragedy. Dreamlike illustrations by François Thisdale enrich Kateri’s emotional journey. An afterword by the author provides a simple, age-appropriate context for young readers. Includes Cree words and glossary.
An uplifting story of a girl’s connection to her beloved grandmother through the beadwork art they created together.
As she wakes up one dull morning, Kaiah feels as cold and grey as the day. She longs to be with her grandmother again. Kaiah’s life doesn’t feel right without her. But through Kaiah’s treasured bead box ― and the beauty it holds ― she is with her grandmother, in a garden that is full of colour and love.
This beautiful story from award-winning author Melanie Florence celebrates the universal love between grandmother and child. Featuring bright, breathtaking illustrations from Tsilhqot’in and Syilx artist Karlene Harvey, the book also features back matter about the Indigenous tradition of beading.
Based on the childhood experiences of her son, Phoenix, Marty Wilson-Trudeau demonstrates the difference that a loving and supportive family can make.
Phoenix loves to play with dolls and marvel at pretty fabrics. Most of all, he loves to dance—ballet, Pow Wow dancing, or just swirling and twirling around his house. Sometimes Phoenix gets picked on and he struggles with feeling different, but his mom and brother are proud of him. With their help, Phoenix learns about Two Spirit/Niizh Manidoowag people in Anishinaabe culture and just how special he is.
When We Are Kind celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they feel when they initiate and receive acts of kindness in their lives. Celebrated author Monique Gray Smith has written many books on the topics of resilience and reconciliation and communicates an important message through carefully chosen words for readers of all ages. Beautifully illustrated by artist Nicole Neidhardt, this book encourages children to be kind to others and to themselves. This bilingual book includes full text in both English and Diné.
Acclaimed author Ruby Slipperjack delivers a haunting novel about a 12-year-old girl’s experience at a residential school in 1966.
Violet Pesheens is struggling to adjust to her new life at residential school. She misses her Grandma; she has run-ins with Cree girls; at her “white” school, everyone just stares; and everything she brought has been taken from her, including her name―she is now just a number. But worst of all, she has a fear. A fear of forgetting the things she treasures most: her Anishnabe language; the names of those she knew before; and her traditional customs. A fear of forgetting who she was.
Her notebook is the one place she can record all of her worries, heartbreaks, and memories. And maybe, just maybe there will be hope at the end of the tunnel.
Drawing from her own experiences at residential school, Ruby Slipperjack creates a brave, yet heartbreaking heroine in Violet, and lets young readers glimpse into an all-too important chapter in our nation’s history.
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