December 2021

Picture Books

Anonymouse
Written by Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Anna Pirolli
Tundra Books, 2021
ISBN 978-0-7352-6394-9
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Grades K-2

This clever tale mixes street art, animals and gorgeous illustrations to create a meditation on how art can uplift any creature’s spirit — human or animal — when it speaks directly to them. Every page of Anna Pirolli’s stunning artwork is its own masterpiece with its bold pops of colour and sly humor, elevating Vikki VanSickle’s subtle but evocative text.

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The Doll
Written by Nhung Tran Davies
Illustrated by Ravy Puth
Second Story Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7726-0165-7
IL: Ages 5-9 RL: Grades 2-4

A young girl and her family arrive in an airport in a new country. They are refugees, migrants who have travelled across the world to find safety. Strangers greet them, and one of them gifts the little girl with a doll. Decades later, that little girl is grown up, and she has the chance to welcome a group of refugees who are newly arrived in her adopted country. To the youngest of them, a little girl, she gifts a doll, knowing it will help make her feel welcome. Inspired by the author’s own experience as a child refugee, when a stranger’s wonderful gift made such a difference that she was determined to repeat it years later.

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It Fell From the Sky
Written and illustrated by Terry and Eric Fan
Simon & Schuster, 2021
ISBN 978-1-9821-8609-8
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades 1-2

It fell from the sky on a Thursday.
None of the insects know where it came from, or what it is. Some say it’s an egg. Others, a gumdrop. But whatever it is, it fell near Spider’s house, so he’s convinced it belongs to him. Spider builds a wonderous display so that insects from far and wide can come look at the marvel. Spider has their best interests at heart. So what if he has to charge a small fee? So what if the lines are long? So what if no one can even see the wonder anymore? But what will Spider do after everyone stops showing up?

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A Kid is a Kid is a Kid
Written by Sara O’Leary
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Groundwood Books, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7730-6250-1
IL: Ages 3-6 RL: Grades P-1

Being the new kid is hard, a child in the school playground tells us. I can think of better things to ask than if I’m a boy or a girl. Another child comes along and says she gets asked why she always has her nose in a book. Someone else gets asked where they come from. One after another, children share the questions they’re tired of being asked again and again — as opposed to what they believe are the most important or interesting things about themselves. As they move around the playground, picking up new friends along the way, there is a feeling of understanding and acceptance among them. And in the end, the new kid comes up with the question they would definitely all like to hear: “Hey kid, want to play?”

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Malaika’s Surprise
(The Malaika Series)
Written by Nadia L. Hohn
Illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
Groundwood Books, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7730-6264-8
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Grades PreK-2

It’s summertime, and Malaika and Adèle are enjoying playing carnival in their bright costumes, dancing and laughing in the sunshine. But when Mummy announces that they will soon have a new baby brother or sister, Malaika is unsure how to feel about another change in her family. Will Mummy forget about me? Back at school, Malaika is excited to see her teacher and classmates, and makes friends with a new girl who has recently arrived from a faraway country, just like Malaika. Then on her birthday, a surprise arrives to remind Malaika of the importance of family, and the story ends with a celebration of her family’s love.

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On the Trapline
Written by David A. Robertson
Illustrated by Julie Flett
Tundra Books, 2021
ISBN 978-0-7352-6668-1
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades K-2

A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, take a trip together to visit a place of great meaning to Moshom. A trapline is where people hunt and live off the land, and it was where Moshom grew up. As they embark on their northern journey, the child repeatedly asks his grandfather, “Is this your trapline?” Along the way, the boy finds himself imagining what life was like two generations ago — a life that appears to be both different from and similar to his life now. This is a heartfelt story about memory, imagination and intergenerational connection that perfectly captures the experience of a young child’s wonder as he is introduced to places and stories that hold meaning for his family.

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The Rock from the Sky
Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Candlewick Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-53621-563-2
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades K-2

Here comes The Rock from the Sky, a hilarious meditation on the workings of friendship, fate, shared futuristic visions, and that funny feeling you get that there’s something off somewhere, but you just can’t put your finger on it. Merging broad visual suspense with wry wit, celebrated picture book creator Jon Klassen gives us a wholly original comedy for the ages.

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The Sour Cherry Tree
Written by Naseem Hrab
Illustrated by Nahid Kazemi
Owlkids Books, 2021
ISBN 978-1-77147-414-6
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Grades 1-3

After her grandfather’s death, a young girl wanders through his house. As she tours each room, the objects she discovers stir memories of her grandfather—her baba bozorg. His closet full of clothes reminds her of the mints he kept in his pockets. His favorite teacup conjures thoughts of the fig cookies he would offer her. The curtains in the living room bring up memories of hide-and-seek games and the special relationship that she and her baba bozorg shared, even though they spoke different languages.

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Stand Like a Cedar
Written by Nicola I. Campbell
Illustrated by Carrielynn Victor
HighWater Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-5537-9921-4
IL: Ages 3-5 RL: Grades K-2

Award-winning storyteller Nicola I. Campbell shows what it means to “stand like a cedar” on this beautiful journey of discovery through the wilderness. Learn the names of animals in the Nłeʔkepmxcín or Halq’emeylem languages as well as the teachings they have for us. Experience a celebration of sustainability and connection to the land through lyrical storytelling and Carrielynn Victor’s breathtaking art in this children’s illustrated book.

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Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know
Written by Brittany Luby
Illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
Translated by Alvin Ted Corbiere and Alan Corbiere
Groundwood Books, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7730-6326-3
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Grades PreK-2

In this lyrical story-poem, written in Anishinaabemowin and English, a child and grandmother explore their surroundings, taking pleasure in the familiar sights that each new season brings. We accompany them through warm summer days full of wildflowers, bees and blueberries, then fall, when bears feast before hibernation and forest mushrooms are ripe for harvest. Winter mornings begin in darkness as deer, mice and other animals search for food, while spring brings green shoots poking through melting snow and the chirping of peepers.

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Tough Like Mum
Written by Lana Button
Illustrated by Carmen Mok
Tundra Books, 2021
ISBN 978-0-73526-598-1
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Grades PreK-1

Kim’s mum is tough. Everyone says so. She can deal with unruly customers at the Red Rooster with a snap of her fingers. Kim is tough, too. She doesn’t need to wear a hat to keep her ears warm. And she can make soup all by herself, even without the stove. Kim and her mum are tough.  But Kim is learning that sometimes toughness doesn’t look like what you’d expect.

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We Dream Medicine Dreams
Written and illustrated by Lisa Boivin
HighWater Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-5537-9987-0
IL: Ages 6-8 RL: Grades K-2

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.

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Junior & Intermediate Fiction

Borders
Written by Thomas King
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan
HarperCollins Canada, 2021
ISBN 978-1-4434-6067-5
IL: Ages 10-14 RL: Grades 3-4

On a trip to visit his older sister, who has moved away from the family home on the reserve to Salt Lake City, a young boy and his mother are posed a simple question with a not-so-simple answer. Are you Canadian, the border guards ask, or American? “Blackfoot.” And when border guards will not accept their citizenship, mother and son wind up trapped in an all-too-real limbo between nations that do not recognize who they are.

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Burying the Moon
Written by Andrée Poulin
Illustrated by Sonali Zohra
Groundwood Books, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7730-6604-2
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-7

In Latika’s village in rural India, there are no toilets. No toilets mean that the women have to wait until night to do their business in a field. There are scorpions and snakes in the field, and germs that make people sick. For the girls in the village, no toilets mean leaving school when they reach puberty. No one in the village wants to talk about this shameful problem. But Latika has had enough. When a government representative visits their village, she sees her chance to make one of her dreams come true: the construction of public toilets, which would be safer for everybody in her village.

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Elvis, Me and the Lemonade Stand Summer
Written by Leslie Gentile
DCB, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7708-6615-7
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-5

It’s the summer of 1978 and most people think Elvis Presley has been dead for a year. But not eleven-year-old Truly Bateman — because she knows Elvis is alive and well and living in the Eagle Shores Trailer Park. Maybe no one ever thought to look for him on an indigenous reserve on Vancouver Island. It’s a busy summer for Truly. Though her mother is less of a mother than she ought to be, and spends her time drinking and smoking and working her way through new boyfriends, Truly is determined to raise as much money for herself as she can through her lemonade stand…and to prove that her cool new neighbour is the one and only King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

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The Fabulous Zed Watson 
Written by Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester
HarperCollins Canada, 2021
ISBN 978-1-4434-6092-7
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grade 2

Zed Watson loves a few things: their name (which they chose themself!), their big rambunctious family, and—oh yeah—monsters. When Zed discovered the mystery surrounding an unpublished novel called The Monster’s Castle, they were completely hooked. Now Zed is a member of a small but dedicated legion devoted to finding the long-buried text. When a breakthrough discovery leads Zed to the route that they are sure will take them to the treasure, they know it’s time for a road trip. And with the help of their shy, flora-loving neighbour, Gabe, and his sister, Sam, a geologist who is driving back to college in Arizona, Zed and company are soon off on a wild adventure following cryptic clues.

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The Great Bear
(The Misewa Saga)
Written by David A. Robertson
Puffin Canada, 2021
ISBN 978-0-7352-6613-1
IL: Ages 10 and up RL: Grades 5-8

In this second book in the Narnia-inspired Indigenous middle-grade fantasy series, Eli and Morgan journey once more to Misewa, travelling back in time. Back at home after their first adventure in the Barren Grounds, Eli and Morgan each struggle with personal issues: Eli is being bullied at school, and tries to hide it from Morgan, while Morgan has to make an important decision about her birth mother. They turn to the place where they know they can learn the most, and make the journey to Misewa to visit their animal friends. This time they travel back in time and meet a young fisher that might just be their lost friend. But they discover that the village is once again in peril, and they must dig deep within themselves to find the strength to protect their beloved friends. Can they carry this strength back home to face their own challenges?

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Living With Viola
Written and illustrated by Rosena Fung
Annick Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7732-1549-5
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grade 4-7

Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl at school—and then there’s Viola. Viola is Livy’s anxiety brought to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to push back against Viola’s relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she strikes up new friendships at school. Livy hopes that Viola’s days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head stronger than ever. Only when Livy learns how to ask for help and face her anxiety does she finally figure out living with Viola.

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The Street Belongs to Us
Written by Karleen Pendleton Jimenez
Illustrated by Gabriela Godoy
Arsenal Pulp Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-5515-2840-3
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 4-5

In 1984 Los Angeles, Alex is a tomboy who would rather wear her hair short and her older brother’s hand-me-downs, and Wolf is a troubled kid who’s been wearing the same soldier’s uniform ever since his mom died. They temporarily set their worries aside when their street is torn up by digging machines and transformed into a muddy wonderland with endless possibilities. To pass the hot summer days, the two best friends seize the opportunity to turn Muscatel Avenue into a battleground and launch a gleeful street war against the rival neighbourhood kids.

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Thanks A Lot Universe 
Written by Chad Lucas
Amulet Books, 2021
ISBN 978-1-4197-5102-8
IL: Ages 10-14 RL: Grade 4-7

Brian has always been anxious, whether at home, or in class, or on the basketball court. His dad tries to get him to stand up for himself and his mom helps as much as she can, but after he and his brother are placed in foster care, Brian starts having panic attacks. And he doesn’t know if things will ever be “normal” again . . . Ezra’s always been popular. He’s friends with most of the kids on his basketball team–even Brian, who usually keeps to himself. But now, some of his friends have been acting differently, and Brian seems to be pulling away. Ezra wants to help, but he worries if he’s too nice to Brian, his friends will realize that he has a crush on him . . .

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Young Adult Fiction

Blood Like Magic
Written by Liselle Sambury
Margaret K. McElderry Books , 2021
ISBN 978-1-5344-6528-2
IL: Ages 13-16 RL: Grades 9 and up

After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn’t expect was to fail. When Voya’s ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic.

Bruised
Written by Tanya Boteju
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021
ISBN 978-1-5344-5502-3
IL: Ages 13 and up RL: Grades 8-9

To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn’t need to deal with the ache deep in her heart. So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she’s going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she’ll need all the opportunities she can get.

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The Forest of Stolen Girls
Written by June Hur
Feiwel & Friends, 2021
ISBN 978-1-2502-2958-8
IL: Ages 13 and up RL: Grades 8-9

1426, Joseon (Korea). Hwani’s family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest near a gruesome crime scene.
Years later, Detective Min—Hwani’s father—learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared from the same forest that nearly stole his daughters. He travels to their hometown on the island of Jeju to investigate… only to vanish as well. Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village—and collides with her now estranged sister, Maewol—Hwani comes to realize that the answer could lie within her own buried memories of what happened in the forest all those years ago.

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Iron Widow
Written by Xiran Jay Zhao
Penguin Teen, 2021
ISBN 978-0-73526-993-4
IL: Ages 14 and up RL: Grades 9-11

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

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Like Home
Written by Louisa Onomé
HarperCollins Canada, 2021
ISBN 978-1-4434-5994-5
IL: Ages 13 and up RL: Grades 8-9

Chinelo—or Nelo, as her best friend, Kate, calls her—is all about her neighbourhood, Ginger East. She loves its chill vibe, its ride-or-die sense of community and the memories she has of growing up there. Ginger East isn’t what it used to be, though. After a deadly incident at the local arcade, most of Nelo’s friends, except for Kate, have moved away. But as long as the two girls have each other, Nelo’s good. Then Kate’s parents’ corner store is vandalized, leaving Nelo shaken to her core. The police and the media are quick to point fingers, and soon more of the outside world descends upon Ginger East with promises to “fix the neighbourhood.” Suddenly, Nelo finds herself in the middle of a drama that is unfolding on a national scale.

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Nothing But Life
Written by Brent Va Staalduinen
Dundurn Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-4597-4618-3
IL: Ages 13 and up RL: Grades 8-9

Dills and his mom have returned to Hamilton, her hometown, hoping to leave the horrors of Windsor behind. But it’s impossible to escape the echoes of tragedy, and trouble always follows trouble. When Dills hurts a new classmate, it comes out in court that he was in the Windsor High library when the shooter came in. But he won’t talk about what he saw, what he still sees whenever he closes his eyes. He can’t. He definitely can’t tell anyone that the Windsor Shooter is his stepfather, Jesse, that Jesse can speak into his mind from hundreds of kilometres away, and that Dills still loves him even though he committed an unspeakable crime.

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Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story
Written by David A. Robertson
Illustrated by Scott B. Henderson
HighWater Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-5537-9334-2
IL: Ages 14-18 RL: Grades 9-12

A school assignment to interview a residential school survivor leads Daniel to Betsy, his friend’s grandmother, who tells him her story. Abandoned as a young child, Betsy was soon adopted into a loving family. A few short years later, at the age of 8, everything changed. Betsy was taken away to a residential school. There she was forced to endure abuse and indignity, but Betsy recalled the words her father spoke to her at Sugar Falls — words that gave her the resilience, strength, and determination to survive. Sugar Falls is based on the true story of Betty Ross, Elder from Cross Lake First Nation. We wish to acknowledge, with the utmost gratitude, Betty’s generosity in sharing her story. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Sugar Falls goes to support the bursary program for The Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation.

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Tremendous Things
Written by Susan Nielsen
Penguin Teen, 2021
ISBN 978-0-7352-7120-3
IL: Ages 12 and up RL: Grades 6-7

We all have moments that define us. For the comically clueless Wilbur, his moment happened on the first day of middle school, when someone shared his private letter with the entire student body. Now it’s the start of ninth grade and Wilbur hasn’t been able to escape that major humiliation. His good friend Alex stuck by him, but Alex doesn’t have as much time since he started dating Fabrizio. Luckily, Wil can confide in his best friend: his elderly neighbour Sal. Also, Wil’s in the school band, where he plays the triangle. They’re doing an exchange program with students from Paris, and Wilbur’s billet, Charlie, captures his heart. Charlie likes him, but only as a friend. So Alex, Fabrizio and Sal host a Queer Eye-style intervention to get Wil in shape and to build his confidence so he can impress Charlie when their band visits Paris, and just maybe replace humiliation with true romance in the City of Love.

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Non-Fiction

Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians: Inspiring Stories of Courage and Achievement
(Amazing Atlantic Canadians)
Written by Lindsay Ruck
Illustrated by James Bentley
Nimbus Publishing, 2021
ISBN 978-1-77108-917-3
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grade 4-6

This fascinating, full-colour illustrated book features over 50 amazing Black people from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, sharing their incredible stories and accomplishments, past and present. Among these amazing Black Atlantic Canadians are people who saved lives, set sports records (Delmore William “Buddy” Daye), achieved international superstardom (Measha Brueggergosman), made change in their own neighbourhoods (Quentrel Provo), overcame injustice (Viola Desmond), and enacted many other inspiring deeds of courage and perseverance.

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The Bug Club
Written and illustrated by Elise Gravel
Drawn & Quarterly, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7704-6415-5
IL: Ages 4-9 RL: Grades 3-4

Most people know that spiders have eight eyes, but what about the caterpillar? These little critters have them beat with a whopping twelve! Did you know mosquitoes are attracted to smelly feet? That the honey bee has hair on her eyeballs? That butterfly feet double as noses? And grasshoppers have ears on their bellies? These are just some of the many things about bugs that make them endlessly enchanting. Elise’s inquisitiveness and charm pop off the page as she takes us on a walk through her mind—and the awe-inspiring natural wonders that exist right outside our doorsteps.

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Change
(Pride In)
Written by Emilie Dufresne
BookLife Publishing, 2021
ISBN 978-1-8392-7084-0
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-7

Sometimes being who you are can be a hard thing to do. Learn about people from across the LGBTQIA+ community who celebrate who they are and never stop fighting for what they believe in. No matter who you are, inside or out, this book is here to teach you that you can be proud of who you are.

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The Disability Experience: Working Towards Belonging
Written by Hannalora Leavitt
Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich
Orca Book Publishers, 2021
ISBN 978-1-4598-1928-3
IL: Ages 12 and up RL: Grades 6-8

People with disabilities (PWDs) have the same aspirations for their lives as you do for yours. The difference is that PWDs don’t have the same access to education, employment, housing, transportation and healthcare in order to achieve their goals. In The Disability Experience you’ll meet people with different kinds of disabilities, and you’ll begin to understand the ways PWDs have been ignored, reviled and marginalized throughout history. The book also celebrates the triumphs and achievements of PWDs and shares the powerful stories of those who have fought for change.

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Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words
Edited by Dr. Lindsay Herriot, Kate Fry
Orca Book Publishers, 2021
ISBN 978-1-4598-3137-7
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-5

What does it mean to be young and transgender today? Growing Up Trans shares stories, essays, art and poetry created by trans youth aged 11 to 18. In their own words, the works illustrate the trans experience through childhood, family and daily life, school, their bodies and mental health. Together the collection is a story of the challenges, big and small, of being a young trans person. At the same time, it’s a toolkit for all young people, transgender or not, about what understanding, acceptance and support for the trans community looks like. In addition to the contributed works, there are questions and tips from experts in the field of transgender studies to challenge the reader on how to be a trans ally.

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The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures
Written by Christian Allaire
Annick Press, 2021
ISBN 978-1-7732-1491-7
IL: Ages 12 and up RL: Grades 7 and up

As a fashion-obsessed Ojibwe teen, Christian Allaire rarely saw anyone that looked like him in the magazines or movies he sought out for inspiration. Now the Fashion and Style Writer for Vogue, he is working to change that—because clothes are never just clothes. Men’s heels are a statement of pride in the face of LGTBQ+ discrimination, while ribbon shirts honor Indigenous ancestors and keep culture alive. Allaire takes the reader through boldly designed chapters to discuss additional topics like cosplay, make up, hijabs, and hair, probing the connections between fashion and history, culture, politics, and social justice.

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