The Specific Ocean

Maclear, Kyo (Author)

Maurey, Katty (Illustrator)

Kids Can Press 2015. 32 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

city and country life, expectations, family life, first-person narration, nature, oceans, travel, vacation

Summary: On the surface, this is a story about coming around to the idea of summer vacation, yet the book is more deeply about the slow falling in love with the pace and space of the sea, and about how we hold what we love after it is left behind.

Jane, the Fox & Me

Britt, Fanny (Author)

Arsenault, Isabelle (Illustrator)

Groundwood Books 2013. 104 pages

First published: 2013

Book type: Graphic Text

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

body image, bullying, cliques, family life, friendship, identity, Jane Eyre, Montréal, school life, self-esteem, summer camps

Summary: Poetic, incisive language and rich artwork create this graphic story about Hélène’s journey from bullied to best friend—and a better, reality-based, body image.

The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk

Thornhill, Jan (Author/Illustrator)

Groundwood Books 2016. 44 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

birds, Canadian animals, ecology, environment, extinction, Great Auk, greed, history, Iceland, Newfoundland and Labrador, predators, research, wildlife conservation

Summary: The story of the great auk species is creatively told along with its slow extinction as a result of its own evolutionary adaptations and human predation.

When Morning Comes

Raina, Arushi (Author)

Tradewind Books 2016. 232 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

1970s, activism, apartheid, first-person narration, multiple voices, protest movements, racism, school life, socio-economic disparity, South Africa, Soweto

Summary: This sensitive, tense novel explores the social complexities of apartheid through the lens of the events surrounding the 1976 Soweto uprisings by black South African students.

Love and First Sight

Sundquist, Josh (Author)

Little, Brown 2017. 282 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

acceptance, blindness, bullying, disabilities, first romantic relationships, first-person narration, humour, male protagonist, new students, school life, surgery

Summary: Sixteen-year-old blind teen Will Porter undergoes an experimental surgery that enables him to see for the first time, all while navigating a new school, new friends, and a crush.

Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees

Leatherdale, Mary Beth (Author)

Shakespeare, Eleanor (Illustrator)

Annick Press 2017. 64 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

boat people, children, economic disparity, identity, interviews, migration, multigenre, multimodal, persecution, perseverance, personal history, pirates, refugees, rescue, survival, war

Summary: Five young boat refugees recall their stories, with introductions that provide background context for each departure, and “What Happened?” epilogues that recount their post-arrival progress.

Binky the Space Cat

Spires, Ashley (Author/Illustrator)

Kids Can Press 2009. 64 pages

First published: 2009

Book type: Graphic Text

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

adventure, cats, creativity, graphic tale, humour, outer space, perseverance, quests, responsibility

Fight to Learn: The Struggle to Go to School

Scandiffio, Laura (Author)

Annick Press 2016. 168 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

activism, child labour, child soldiers, children’s rights, discrimination, education, gangs, global awareness, illustrations (photographs), Indigenous peoples, poverty

Summary: Through the creative vision of activists, learning opportunities are made available to struggling youth such as former child soldiers in Uganda, ‘untouchables’ in India, gang-besieged teens in Chicago, and Indigenous kids in Canada’s north.

The Summer We Saved the Bees

Stevenson, Robin (Author)

Orca 2015. 234 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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Keywords:

apiculture, bees, British Columbia, endangered animals, environment, family life, first-person narration, hippies, protecting the environment, road trips

Summary: A hippie family sets off from Victoria, British Columbia to raise awareness about the environmental consequences of the dwindling populations of honeybees, but the notion of colony collapse soon becomes figurative as individual needs are pitted against the greater good.

Not If I See You First

Lindstrom, Eric (Author)

Little, Brown 2015. 314 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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Keywords:

blindness, breakups, cousins, disabilities, families, female protagonist, first romantic relationships, first-person narration, forgiveness, friendship, loss

Summary: High school junior Parker Grant lost her sight and her mother in a car accident, years ago. But now her father has died too. While grieving, Parker must adapt to her cousins’ family, who’ve come to take care of her, a new “buddy” to help at school and a flood of new students—including the hated Scott, who broke her heart in middle school. Luckily, Parker has good friends, and her lone run in the mornings, to help her through these difficult times.

Nimona

Stevenson, Noelle (Author/Illustrator)

HarperCollins 2015. 266 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Graphic Text

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

adventure, fantasy, friendship, heroes, humour, magic, Middle Ages, satires, science, superheroes, villains

Summary: When the spunky yet troubled Nimona shows up at his evil fortress, arch-villain Lord Ballister Blackheart grudgingly gives her the job of sidekick, because of her shapeshifter abilities. This causes a rift in business-as-usual for the hero Goldenlion, who no longer wins every time—and who is less of a hero than tradition might demand. As the three characters’ fates become intertwined, a more nuanced understanding of heroism emerges.

Nancy Knows

Young, Cybèle (Author/Illustrator)

Tundra Books 2014. 40 pages

First published: 2014

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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Keywords:

elephants, friendship, memories, sorting, vocabulary

Summary: Nancy the elephant tries to remember something important she has forgotten. Through visual storytelling using tiny paper sculptures, she finally comes up with the thing she needed to remember – a playdate with a friend.

Show Mode

Rivera, Raquel (Author)

Orca 2017. 140 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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Keywords:

cliques, competitions, cultural heritage, first-person narration, friendship, identity, Montréal, musicals, school life

Summary: In this high-interest novel for teen readers, Adina wants to put together a perfect act for the school fashion show.

Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon

Kuhlmann, Torben (Author/Illustrator)

NorthSouth Books 2016. 124 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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Keywords:

ambitions, engineering, exploration, innovations, inventions, mice, moon, perseverance, space travel

Summary: This lengthy picture book imagines the intellectual curiosity, research and spirit of exploration behind the first moon landing—as accomplished by an intrepid mouse.

A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius

Matson, Stacey (Author)

Scholastic Canada 2014. 266 pages

First published: 2014

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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Keywords:

Alberta, bullying, empathy, fathers and sons, first romantic relationships, first-person narration, friendship, identity, loss, multimodal, school life, self-esteem, transition to high school, writing

Summary: Seventh-grader Arthur Bean, soon-to-be a rich and famous author, is determined to win the school writing contest and the heart of his secret crush, Kennedy, but his life has had some major twists and turns lately, and the recent loss of his mother definitely complicates things.

The Lynching of Louie Sam

Stewart, Elizabeth (Author)

Annick Press 2012. 288 pages

First published: 2012

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

19th century, British Columbia, Canadian history, discrimination, first-person narration, historical fiction, Indigenous peoples, justice, persecution, tragedy

Summary: After Native American Louie Sam is suspected of killing someone, he is chased into Canada and lynched, but teenager George Gillies, a newcomer to Washington Territory, doesn’t think Louie was guilty and sets out to investigate.

Still Life With Tornado

King, A.S. (Author)

Penguin Random House 2016. 296 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

abuse, art, homelessness, magic realism, mental health, multiple narrators, multiple personalities, point of view, psychology, secrets, survival, trauma, unreliable narrator

Summary: This novel explores the adolescent psyche and delves into family secrets after the sophomore protagonist stops going to school. The narrative unfolds like a psychological mystery, as Sarah’s quest for originality leads her instead to uncover difficult truths.

Boy 21

Quick, Matthew (Author)

Little, Brown 2013. 256 pages

First published: 2012

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

basketball, competitions, first-person narration, grief, identity, loss, mental health, poverty, rivalries, self-esteem, socio-economic disparity

Summary: When Coach asks him to convince the new kid Russ to play on their basketball team, Finley quickly learns this may mean losing his own spot on the starting lineup. What’s even more confusing is that Russ claims he is Boy 21, an extra-terrestrial waiting for his parents to fetch him back to outer space. As Finley chooses between rivalry and friendship, the teens help each other recover from violent traumas of the past, to seek opportunities beyond their impoverished and racially divided town.

Smithsonian Maker Lab

Challoner, Jack (Author)

DK 2016. 160 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

activities, chemistry, creativity, design, illustrations (photographs), instructions, science, science experiments

Summary: A hands-on science book presenting 28 spectacular experiments using everyday materials.

Manners Are Not For Monkeys!

Tekavec, Heather (Author)

Huyck, David (Illustrator)

Kids Can Press 2016. 32 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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Keywords:

habitats, human behaviour, humour, manners, mischief, monkeys, mothers, play, zoos

Summary: In this simian comedy of manners, little monkeys imitate human children, much to the distress of the monkeys’ mother, who misses the mess and the monkeying around.

Dogs of War

Keenan, Sheila (Author)

Fox, Nathan (Illustrator)

Scholastic 2013. 204 pages

First published: 2013

Book type: Graphic Text

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

adventure, animals and war, dogs, heroes, K9 units, military history, multiple stories, Vietnam War, war, World War I, World War II

Summary: Inspired by military history, this graphic novel portrays three stories of war and the invaluable contribution of service dogs: in the trenches of WWI; on an Arctic installation during WWII; and as part a K9 unit, scouting the jungles of Vietnam.

The Bully Boys

Walters, Eric (Author)

Penguin Random House Canada 2012. 292 pages

First published: 2000

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

adventure, Canada, Canadian history, first-person narration, heroes, identity, James FitzGibbon, military history, soldiers, spies, United States, war, War of 1812

Summary: 14-year-old Tommy’s life is changed when he knocks unconscious a looting American soldier and must go into hiding, aided by the daring Lieutenant FitzGibbon and his wily wilderness fighters, the Bully Boys. Based on historic events, Tommy’s own journey from boy to young man is touched by suspense, military strategy, key historic figures and enemy soldiers fallen at his own hands.

Tuesday

Wiesner, David (Author/Illustrator)

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011. 32 pages

First published: 1991

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

city life, fantasy, flight, frogs, graphic tale, magic, mystery, night, time, wordless book

Summary: Beautifully rendered illustrations depict a magical night of flying adventures, for frogs in the pond.

The Chinese Head Tax and Anti-Chinese Immigration Policies in the Twentieth Century

Chan, Arlene (Author)

Lorimer 2014. 96 pages

First published: 2014

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

Canadian history, Canadian Pacific Railway, Chinese Canadians, Chinese labourers, discrimination, Exclusion Act, human rights, illustrations (photographs), immigrants, primary documents, racism, railroads, taxation, War Measures Act

Summary: Through historical photographs, documents, and first-person narratives from Chinese Canadians who experienced the Head Tax or who were children of Head Tax payers, this book offers a full account of the injustice of this period in Canadian history. It documents how this official racism was confronted and finally acknowledged.

Trash

Mulligan, Andy (Author)

Penguin Random House 2011. 234 pages

First published: 2010

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

adventure, alternating narrators, friendship, garbage, mystery, Philippines, point of view, poverty, social classes, social justice, survival

Summary: Behala is the suburb-size dumpsite outside Manila, Philippines, where young Raphael, Gardo and Rat live and work, sifting through the trash for whatever they may use or sell. Generations of poor are born and die here, but the boys’ fates change when Raphael finds a package containing money and a mysterious key, map and coded message. Solving the mystery requires surviving an interrogation by vicious police, manipulating authorities, a prison visit and robbing a grave on the Day of the Dead. In the end, the children find the hidden six million dollars and return it to the poor from whom it was robbed in the first place.

A Monster Calls

Ness, Patrick (Author)

Dowd, Siobhan (Author)

Kay, Jim (Illustrator)

Candlewick Press 2013. 214 pages

First published: 2011

Book type: Graphic Text

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

allegories, cancer, coping, family life, fantasy, grief, illustrations (monochrome), loss, mothers, multiple stories, terminal illness

Summary: A young boy copes with his mother’s terminal illness, tussling with and turning to the monster who visits him nightly, representing what he most fears, and helping him face those fears.

A Day of Signs and Wonders

Pearson, Kit (Author)

HarperCollins 2016. 212 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

19th century, British Columbia, Canadian art, coming of age, Emily Carr, friendship, identity, loss, social classes, spirituality

Summary: This novel imagines a meeting by two historical figures in late-nineteenth-century Victoria, British Columbia, and spins out the day they spend becoming friends, weaving together painting, class, spirituality, and the suffocating grasp of mourning.

Today I Will Fly!

Willems, Mo (Author/Illustrator)

Disney/Hyperion Books 2007. 58 pages

First published: 2007

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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Keywords:

elephants, flight, friendship, humour, pigs, recurrent patterns, speech bubbles

Summary: While Piggie is determined to fly, Elephant is skeptical, but when Piggie gets a little help from others, amazing things happen.

Boy, Were We Wrong About the Human Body!

Kudlinksi, Kathleen V. (Author)

Tilley, Debbie (Illustrator)

Penguin Random House 2015. 32 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

history, human anatomy, human body, medicine, research, science, scientific errors

Summary: Few things are as preoccupying and mysterious as the human body. Since the dawn of recorded time, humans have sought to understand their own physiology—and what they couldn’t comprehend, they made up! This short illustrated book explores and debunks some of the most fascinating myths about the human body.

The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-Be

Grey, Mini (Author/Illustrator)

Penguin Random House 2011. 32 pages

First published: 2003

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

fairy tale adaptations, humour, individuality, point of view, Princess and the Pea, princesses, surprise endings

Summary: This version of The Princess and the Pea is told from the perspective of the pea, who plays a bigger role in finding the true princess than the classic version would have it.

Mysterious Traveler

Peet, Mal (Author)

Graham, Elspeth (Author)

Lynch, P.J. (Illustrator)

Candlewick Press 2013. 48 pages

First published: 2013

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

Africa, blindness, deserts, families, guides, intergenerational relationships, journeys, survival, trust, wisdom

Summary: Desert guide Issa finds the baby girl Mariama after a sandstorm, and raises her as his own daughter—until a young man and his protectors come seeking a guide for their dangerous journey through the Bitter Mountains.

How to Code: A Step-by-Step Guide to Computer Coding

Wainewright, Max (Author)

Sterling 2016. 128 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

coding, computer programming, computers, illustrations (cartoon), instructions, robots

Summary: Introduces computer coding concepts and explains the basics of programming with such languages as Logo, Scratch, and HTML.

All Good Children

Austen, Catherine (Author)

Orca 2011. 304 pages

First published: 2011

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

art, brothers and sisters, company towns, creativity, dystopia, first-person narration, friendship, school life, socio-economic disparity, technology

Summary: In a not-so-distant, big-brother future, when a process of immunization begins to force all children to be dutiful, a boy and his family gathers their courage and what’s left of their humanity—the good and the bad—and flee.

I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl

McNeil, Gretchen (Author)

HarperCollins 2016. 346 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

cliques, diversity, first romantic relationships, first-person narration, friendship, identity, mathematics, mutuality, school life, self-esteem, transformation

Summary: After her boyfriend breaks up with her for another girl, Bea reinvents herself as a manic pixie dream girl to win him back.

Singing Away the Dark

Woodward, Caroline (Author)

Morstad, Julie (Illustrator)

Simply Read Books 2010. 36 pages

First published: 2010

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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Keywords:

country life, fear, individuality, loneliness, nature, resilience, self-reliance, singing, stories in rhyme, winter

Summary: As a little girl walks to catch the school bus on a dark and windy winter morning, she finds that by singing, the woods aren’t as scary, the walk isn’t as long and the wind isn’t as cold.

Message in a Bottle

Zenatti, Valerie (Author)

Bloomsbury 2008. 160 pages

First published: 2008

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

bombs, community, conflicts, first-person narration, friendship, Gaza, multimodal, multiple voices, politics, violence, war

Summary: Part epistolary novel, part coming of age, this book relates the correspondence of an Israeli teenage and a young man from Gaza—both of them by happenstance born “in a part of the world that’s on fire”—casting a stark, lived light on the fears, and dreams of each one.

Brave Chicken Little

Byrd, Robert (Author/Illustrator)

Penguin Random House 2014. 32 pages

First published: 2014

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

Chicken Little, cumulative stories, farm animals, farms, fear, folktales, overcoming adversity

Summary: The folk tale Chicken Little, in which the titular chicken, convinced the sky is falling, has a close brush with a hungry fox and learns to be brave, is told in singsong language and accompanied by rich illustrations.

Bugs in My Hair!

Shannon, David (Author/Illustrator)

Scholastic 2013. 32 pages

First published: 2013

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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ESL

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

family life, hair, humour, insects, lice

Summary: Lighthearted text and hilarious images relate one family’s harrowing encounter with a bout of lice.

Son of the Mob

Korman, Gordon (Author)

Scholastic Canada 2004. 266 pages

First published: 2002

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

crime, dysfunctional families, family life, fathers and sons, first romantic relationships, first-person narration, humour, school life

Summary: At home, Vince Luca feels like a fish out of water. Older brother Tommy has already joined their mob-boss dad in the family business, but Vince wants nothing to do with “The Life”. Upset that his lifestyle and opportunities have been financed by organized crime, Vince’s problems only get worse when he falls for Kendra, daughter of the FBI-agent assigned to the Luca family case.

Sharing Our World: Animals of the Native Northwest Coast

Native Northwest (Group)

Reid, Ian (Illustrator)

Native Northwest 2010. 32 pages

First published: 2010

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

animals, art, Canadian symbols, cultural heritage, Indigenous peoples, multiple illustrators, symbolism, totem poles

Summary: Basic worldview elements of Pacific Northwest Indigenous peoples are addressed through this introduction to totemic animals and what they can teach us—represented in illustrations by Indigenous artists of the region.

Dark Side

Choi, John (Author)

Lorimer 2016. 168 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

depressions (psychological), empathy, family life, friendship, mental health, overcoming adversity, overcoming fears, parent-child relationships, parental authority, self-determination, social media

Summary: The grinding pressure of never feeling good enough is skillfully conveyed through the voice of grade 12 student Emerson Yeung, in this tale of hitting rock bottom and climbing back up again.

Wait and See

Munsch, Robert (Author)

Martchenko, Michael (Illustrator)

Annick Press 1993. 24 pages

First published: 1993

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

birthdays, family life, humour, recurrent patterns, wishes

Summary: Olivia’s first birthday wish produces too much snow, so she must make another wish on a new birthday cake. As the wishes (and cakes) multiply so do the hilarious situations—until at last Olivia wishes for new babies in her family.

Cat Talk

MacLachlan, Patricia (Author)

Charest, Emily MacLachlan (Author)

Moser, Barry (Illustrator)

HarperCollins 2013. 32 pages

First published: 2013

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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Keywords:

cats, first-person narration, free verse, illustrations (watercolours), poetry, poetry (collections), point of view

Summary: This collection of poems introduces us to a group of cats, each with its own personality, likes, and dislikes.

Tales From Outer Suburbia

Tan, Shaun (Author/Illustrator)

McClelland & Stewart 2008. 96 pages

First published: 2008

Book type: Anthology

Cycle

Elementary

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Keywords:

belonging, city life, environment, illustrations (collage), imagination, migration, multimodal, multiple stories, surrealism

Summary: These fifteen elaborately illustrated short stories explore the topics of difference, beauty, and family, anchored in outlandish plots and told through a range of imaginative characters and settings.

Confessions of a High School Disaster: Chloe Snow’s Diary

Chastain, Emma (Author)

Simon & Schuster 2017. 346 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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Keywords:

diaries, epistolaries, family life, first romantic relationships, first-person narration, friendship, LGBTQ, school life, stereotypes

Summary: Starting high school is huge for Chloe Snow; it’s too bad Mom is away in Mexico, working on her novel. From one summer to the next, Chloe’s diary is her confidante through the spectacular highs—and splats—of an eventful year at school and home.

Born With: Erika and Gianni

Nicholson, Lorna Schultz (Author)

Clockwise Press 2016. 232 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

alternating narrators, community, disabilities, family life, first-person narration, friendship, genetic disorders, LGBTQ, musicals, school life, theatre, voluntarism

Summary: Two friends land parts in their school musical, and the buildup to opening night provides the backdrop for learning about difference, in this case Down syndrome and homosexuality.

Cub’s Big World

Thomson, Sarah L. (Author)

Cepeda, Joe (Illustrator)

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2013. 32 pages

First published: 2013

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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Keywords:

Arctic, courage, exploration, mothers and daughters, parent-child relationships, polar bears, separation

Summary: In this picture book about exploring the big snowy world, a tiny polar bear learns that she can be brave—especially with Mom close by.

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Mosel, Arlene (Author)

Lent, Blair (Illustrator)

Macmillan 2007. 48 pages

First published: 1968

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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Keywords:

Asia, brothers, China, Chinese culture, folktales, names, traditions

Summary: When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

Where’s Julius?

Burningham, John (Author/Illustrator)

Penguin Random House 2001. 32 pages

First published: 1986

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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Keywords:

adventure, family life, food, humour, imagination, travel

Summary: Julius uses his bold imagination while he plays to enjoy fabulous escapades, shooting South American rapids and riding camels up pyramids.

A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman

Adler, David A. (Author)

Byrd, Samuel (Illustrator)

Holiday House 1992. 32 pages

First published: 1992

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

African Americans, American history, Black history, courage, Harriet Tubman, overcoming adversity, resilience, slavery, Underground Railroad

Summary: In this picture book biography, Harriet Tubman’s dramatic and inspiring life is recounted—from childhood in slavery, through her contribution to the Underground Railroad, and later years as outspoken champion for the women’s vote.

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