With summer coming to a close, this means that kids are heading back to school. For some it will be their first day of kindergarten, junior high or high school. Celebrate heading back to school with Canadian kids’ books.
Picture Books
The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten
Written by Maureen Fergus
Illustrated by Mike Lowery
Kids Can Press, 2013
A little girl invites her mom to spend the day in kindergarten and discovers that Mom doesn’t even know the basics about being at school. She barges into line, forgets to take her outdoor shoes off and talks all through story time. This is a great book for children who are about to start school.
Martin on the Moon
Written by Martine Audet
Illustrated by Luc Melanson
Translated by Sarah Quinn
Owlkids Books Inc., 2012
An active daydreamer, Martin can’t help his mind from wandering during class. When his teacher calls him back to Earth, Martin is
embarrassed about his inattention. But when his whole class laughs along with him, Martin realizes that his imagination can help him make friends and have fun at school. This title is also available in French as Xavier-la-lune.
Junior Fiction
A Different Game
(Orca Young Reader)
Written by Sylvia Olsen
Orca Book Publishers, 2010
In this sequel to Murphy and Mousetrap, Murphy and his three friends — Danny, Jeff and Albert — are making the transition from tribal elementary school to community middle school and trying out for the soccer team. But when Albert doesn’t play as well as he usually does, the boys begin to suspect something is wrong.
This Can’t Be Happening!
(Macdonald Hall)
Written by Gordon Korman
Scholastic Canada, 2003 ©1978
Best friends Bruno and Boots love sharing a dorm room at Macdonald Hall. But their practical jokes get out of hand, and Professor Sturgeon separates the buddies. How will they get back together? This is the book that started it all, written when Korman was only 12.
YA Fiction
Odd Ball
Written by Arthur John Stewart
Thistledown Press, 2011
Four middle-school students attempt to change the culture of their school. Kevin refuses to accept the “geek” label; Paula is having trouble at home and has become the target for bullying girls; Jobbi, a Latvian immigrant, is the catalyst for change; and Stephanie realizes that school life is deteriorating and decides she must do something to stop that from happening.
Sounding Off!
Written by Ted Staunton
Red Deer Press, 2004
Sam Foster is every teenager struggling to find his way in the world. He is entering Grade 9 with the usual worries: he’s tall, gawky, and constantly embarrassed. His life is out of control, lurching from one awkward moment to the next. To top it all off, Sam’s dad is the drama teacher at his new school and Sam now has to play drums in his father’s band. A wonderfully entertaining, witty novel about teen awkwardness.
Non-Fiction
Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World
Written by Susan Hughes
Owlkids Books Inc., 2011
Readers will travel all over the world to visit some incredible schools and meet the students who attend them. People have come up with some innovative ways to get kids to attend school — from erecting temporary schools after natural disasters to building schools near dumps to holding school classes on boats, in the streets or in train stations. This book will have you thinking about school in a whole new way.