Description
Wałaas is excited to visit her family's reserve, Kitkatla, for spring break.
Kitkatla always feels like home. She and her dzi'i (grandmother) travel there by fishing boat, and on the way Wałaas spots porpoises in the sparkling waves. Once they arrive, they stay with her da'as (auntie), and her mom comes too to join in the fun.
The days pass slowly as Wałaas spends time with family, wanders the shore and enjoys foods you can't get in town, like fresh chiton and sea urchin. She likes listening to her family speak Sm’algya̱x, even though her mom won't always tell her what they're talking about, and sharing an evening snack of homemade anaay (bread) and jarred cherries. The visits to Kitkatla are never long enough, but Wałaas knows she will always return to the reserve because it's her home.
Praise for Kim Spencer:
★“Readers will be left with a rich image of Mia’s world and the family and people that surround her as well as a strong sense of how culture and class impact people’s experiences. A touching exploration of identity and culture.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review for Weird Rules to Follow
Author Bio
Kim Spencer is an award-winning, bestselling author. Her debut novel, Weird Rules to Follow, received a Kirkus starred review and was a 2023 Governor General's Literary Award finalist. The book won multiple awards, including a 2023 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, a 2023 Jean Little First-Novel Award and a 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Award. It was also on the IBBY 2024 Honour List and the USBBY Outstanding International Books List in 2023. Kim is from the Gitxaała Nation and lives in northwest BC.
Karlene Harvey is Tŝilhqot’in and Syilx and currently lives on the unceded and ancestral home territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. They studied at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, earning a BFA in visual arts. When they are not making art, Karlene enjoys exploring rocky West Coast beaches with their daughter, learning their Tŝilhqot’in language, and spending time in their garden.
Prizes
- Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Canadian Children’s Book News Earth Day Book ListCommended 2026
- 49th Shelf Kids Top Grade: Canlit for the ClassroomCommended 2026
Review Quotes
“Spencer and Harvey expertly showcase a place and experience that is in many ways unique to Wałaas and Kitkatla but that will be universally appreciated. Warmly evocative.”
— Kirkus Reviews“While the book’s narration hews closely to the theme of feelings about a beloved place, the additional layer of Wałaas’s culture creates opportunities for further exploration for children who aren’t already familiar with the Northwest First Nations. Harvey’s cartoon-style illustrations are bright and cheerful, conveying the pleasure of being together in Kitkatla. Purchase to fill the need for authentic materials about modern-day Indigenous culture.”
— School Library Journal (SLJ)Biographical note
Kim Spencer is an award-winning, bestselling author. Her debut novel, Weird Rules to Follow, received a Kirkus starred review and was a 2023 Governor General's Literary Award finalist. The book won multiple awards, including a 2023 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, a 2023 Jean Little First-Novel Award and a 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Award. It was also on the IBBY 2024 Honour List and the USBBY Outstanding International Books List in 2023. Kim is from the Gitxaała Nation and lives in northwest BC.
Karlene Harvey is Tŝilhqot’in and Syilx and currently lives on the unceded and ancestral home territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. They studied at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, earning a BFA in visual arts. When they are not making art, Karlene enjoys exploring rocky West Coast beaches with their daughter, learning their Tŝilhqot’in language, and spending time in their garden.
