Grandmother School

Every morning, a young girl walks her grandmother to the Aajibaichi Shala, the school that was built for the grandmothers in her village to have a place to learn to read and write.

The narrator beams with pride as she drops her grandmother off with the other aajis to practice the alphabet and learn simple arithmetic. A moving story about family, women and the power of education—when Aaji learns to spell her name you’ll want to dance along with her.

Women in countless countries continue to endure the limitations of illiteracy. Unjust laws have suppressed the rights of girls and women and kept many from getting an education and equal standing in society. Based on a true story from the village of Phangane, India, this brilliantly illustrated book tells the story of the grandmothers who got to go to school for the first time in their lives.

Orca Book Publishers is pleased to offer Grandmother School in two accessible editions. The audiobook features alternate text descriptions of images, including the cover. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Rina Singh is a children’s author and poetry slam coach whose curiosity and love for storytelling shape the heart of her books. Rooted in real-life events and the untold stories they hold, her writing spans themes of environmental justice, social change, and the magic woven into everyday life. Her critically acclaimed titles include Grandmother School, winner of the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize; Diwali: A Festival of Lights, nominated for the Red Cedar Award; and Once, a Bird. Her picture book Barefoot Skateboarders is based on a true story set in rural India.

Kirstie Hudson is an award-winning author, editor and journalist. She was a reporter and producer with the CBC in Toronto, Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Victoria. Kirstie's work was recognized with a Jack Webster Award and Radio Television Digital News Association Awards. She co-authored two books about the making of the Witness Blanket with Indigenous artist Carey Newman. In 2020 Picking Up the Pieces was a finalist for the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. In 2023, The Witness Blanket was the winner of the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Nonfiction and a finalist for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. She lives in Victoria, BC.

Ellen Rooney is an award-winning designer, artist and children’s book illustrator. Her textural mixed media artwork combines many traditional art techniques, like pencil drawing, painting, printmaking and collage, often combined with digital techniques. She is the winner of the 2021 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize for Grandmother School. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in the southern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.

• CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selectionCommended 2020
• Ontario Library Association (OLA) Best BetsCommended 2020
• BC and Yukon Book Prizes - Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature PrizeWinner 2021
• The Egghead - The Doug Wright Award for best kids’ bookShort-listed 2021
• Forest of Reading Blue Spruce AwardShort-listed 2021
• Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Shining WillowNominated 2022
• Telling Tales Reading ListCommended 2020