Book Recommendations
All of the books recommended below are books I have read and used in my classroom. They may have been used as anchor texts for specific lessons or they might have been part of a book bin for kids to use during lit circles. I will slowly add blog posts about how I have used some of these books throughout the year.
The books have been used grades 4-7 and several would be appropriate for other ages. These are mostly picture books. This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you have a book you love that fits into any of these topics and/or have a topic you think I should explore, let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
Historical Racism in Canada
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Chinese Immigrants/Chinese Canadians
Ghost Train by Paul Yee
The Bone Collector’s Son by Paul Yee
Blood and Iron by Paul Yee
Bamboo by Paul Yee
Do you see a trend? So many amazing books by one author!
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Japanese Immigrants/Japanese Canadians
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
Naomi’s Tree by Joy Kogawa
On Being Yukiko by Jeff Chiba Stearns and Lillian Michiko Blakey
Caged Eagles by Eric Walters
Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki
The Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre is an amazing resource.
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Residential Schools/Repercussions
Shi-shi-etko AND Shin-chi’s Canoe by Naomi Campbell
When I was Eight AND Fatty Legs by Chisty Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
I. Am Not a Number by Kathy Kacer
Stolen Words by Melanie Florence
Phyllis’s Orange Shirt by Phyllis Webstad
Strong Nations is an excellent source for books.
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Black History
Viola Desmond Won’t be Budged! by Jody Warner
Meet Viola Desmond by Elizabeth MacLeod
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander
Africville by Shauntay Grant
The Oldest Student by Rita Hubbard
I would like to add more to this list. Do you have books you love and have read?
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South Asian History
There are NO picture books that are Canadian about this topic. This is a major problem! If you know of any, please let me know….
psst…The Komagata Maru was the story my students challenged me to explore in my own writing. My perspective is a young boy living in Vancouver experiencing the events. Wish me luck!
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Other Indigenous Books/Novels/Novellas
Barren Grounds The Misewa Saga, Book 1 by David A. Robertson
The Mighty Muskrat Mysteries by Dave Hutchinson: I read The Case of the Missing Auntie and found it a powerful way to introduce the 60’s Scoop along with other challenging topic.
My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith: This is a board book. It is deceptively simple. My son loves it. I have used it to talk about SEL challenges/joy in my classroom.
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Great Nonfiction Books/Series
Righting Canada’s Wrongs: A series that tackles challenging topics and provides powerful images of events and documents.
Little Leaders Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Little Legends Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Topics To Explore
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Refugees/Welcoming
What is a Refugee? by Elise Gravel
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
We Are All Dots by Giancarlo Macri and Carolina Zanotti
My Name is Sangoel by Karen Williams Khadra Mohammed
Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs
The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story by Thao Lam
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Alternate Experiences of War
The Harmonica by Tony Johnston
Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War by Yukio Tsuchiya
The Little Yellow Bottle by Angele Delanois
Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti
The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants by Priscilla Turner
Please see the Japanese Canadian book recommendations above for books about Japanese Internment in Canada during WW2.
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Social Emotional Learning
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
The Proudest Blue : A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Big Feelings byAlexandra Penfold
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott
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Environmentalism
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
Our House is on Fire: Greta Thunberg’s Call to Save the Planet by Jeanne Winter
The Dream of Thylacine by Margaret Wild
The Water Princess by Susan Verde
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul
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LGBTQ2+
1. My Shadow is Pink by Scott Stuart
2. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
3. Jack (Not Jackie) by Erica Silverman
4. I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
5. Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story About Gender and Friendship by Jessica Walton
6. Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall