Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth

Jeffers, Oliver (Author/Illustrator)

HarperCollins 2017. 44 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

advice, communication, Earth, fathers, humour, parent-child relationships, philosophy, solar system, stars, universe

Summary: This sweet and funny discourse on our planet is conveyed through a father’s advice to his newborn, on what to expect from life and how to get along.

Lila and the Crow

Grimard, Gabrielle (Author/Illustrator)

Annick 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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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

discrimination, friendship, isolation, new students, resilience, school life, self-acceptance, symbolism, teasing

Summary: Lila is bullied because of her dark skin, but the crows have a solution for that!

The Sandwich Thief

Marois, André (Author)

Doyon, Patrick (Illustrator)

Chronicle Books 2016. 160 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

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Keywords:

detectives, food, humour, investigations, mystery, school life, scientific method, stealing

Summary: Someone at school keeps stealing the sandwiches from Marin’s lunchbox, and he is determined to find the culprit.

Essex County

Lemire, Jeff (Author/Illustrator)

Top Shelf Productions 2009. 512 pages

First published: 2009

Book type: Graphic Text

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

biography, brothers, childhood, country life, disabilities, family life, farms, grief, hockey, identity, illustrations (black and white), intertextuality, loss, love, mental health, Ontario, superheroes, uncles

Summary: Young Lester pretends he’s a superhero—like in the comics he draws—living with Uncle Ken on the family farm and playing hockey with Jimmy (brain-damaged, ex-NHL-player). Family stories travel back and forth in time to reveal their tangled history, including brothers on the ice, rivals in love, a pregnant nun and more.

The Biggest Poutine in the World

Poulin, Andrée (Author)

Serre, Marc (Illustrator)

Battuz, Christine (Illustrator)

Annick Press 2016. 160 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:

child abandonment, first-person narration, food, growing up, healing, humour, illustrations (black and white), independence, mothers and sons, non-traditional text layout, record breaking

Summary: There’s a lot involved to make a Guinness World record for the largest poutine, as 12-year-old Thomas Gagné finds out. It includes making a new friend, kidnapping a treasured pet, and finally, learning the truth of why his mother abandoned him all those years ago.

Short Stories for Little Monsters

Gay, Marie-Louise (Author/Illustrator)

Groundwood Books 2017. 42 pages

First published: 2017

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:

children, comic strips, creativity, humour, imagination, short stories, speech bubbles

Summary: Collects a series of humorous short stories that explore the things kids think about, from what trees talk about to lies their mother tells them.

The White Cat and the Monk

Bogart, Jo Ellen (Author)

Smith, Sydney (Illustrator)

Groundwood Books 2016. 32 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

K

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

cats, graphic tale, isolation, loneliness, monks, oral history, retelling, spirituality

Summary: A monk leads a simple life. He studies his books late into the evening and searches for truth in their pages. His cat, Pangur, leads a simple life, too, chasing prey in the darkness. As night turns to dawn, Pangur leads his companion to the truth he has been seeking.

Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys)

Spalding, Amy (Author)

Little, Brown 2016. 312 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

K

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

alternating narrators, first romantic relationships, first-person narration, friendship, love, multigenre, music, school life, sexuality, voluntarism, writing

Summary: When the other half of their band become a couple, Riley and Reid decide to help each other find love—or at least dates—while keeping a notebook to record their progress. As Riley pursues her crush on Ted (and other boys start showing interest), Reid records his adventures with girls. When the notebook goes missing, panic ensues and the teens confess their activities to everyone involved.

Pablo Finds a Treasure

Poulin, Andrée (Author)

Malenfant, Isabelle (Illustrator)

Annick Press 2016. 32 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

books, brothers and sisters, bullying, family life, garbage, poverty, survival, treasures

Summary: Pablo and his sister Sofia spend their days at Treasure Mountain, the local dump, collecting items their mother can sell in order to provide food for the family, but one day a real treasure is discovered.

Abracadabra! It’s Spring!

O'Brien, Anne Sibley (Author)

Gal, Susan (Illustrator)

Abrams 2016. 24 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

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Keywords:

animals, life cycles, lift-the-flap books, magic, nature, seasons, spring

Summary: Winter turns to spring in this lyrical book that celebrates the magic of nature and the changing seasons. Eleven gatefolds open to recreate the excitement and surprise of spring’s arrival.

I Don’t Want to Be a Frog

Petty, Dev (Author)

Boldt, Mike (Illustrator)

Penguin Random House 2015. 28 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

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Keywords:

animals, differences, fathers and sons, frogs, humour, individuality, non-traditional text layout, self-acceptance, speech bubbles, surprise endings, wolves

Summary: A discontented young frog wishes he was all sort of animals but himself. Discussions with his father don’t help, but when a hungry wolf refuses to eat him, life as a frog starts looking good.

The Theory of Hummingbirds

Kadarusman, Michelle (Author)

Pajama Press 2017. 160 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

acceptance, courage, determination, first-person narration, friendship, hummingbirds, libraries, perseverance, physical disabilities, races, recovery, school life

Summary: Alba is a sixth grader with a clubfoot she calls ‘Cleo’. Her best friend, Levi, doesn’t believe she will be able to run the cross-country race and she questions his obsession with wormholes. They overcome difficulties and differences and find acceptance and strength.

Little Elliot, Big Family

Curato, Mike (Author/Illustrator)

Macmillan 2015. 36 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

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4

5

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

adoption, belonging, brothers and sisters, elephants, families, friendship, humour, mice

Summary: At Mouse’s house, Elliot the elephant finds more than a friend—he finds a family.

Fatty Legs: A True Story

Jordan-Fenton, Christy (Author)

Pokiak-Fenton, Margaret (Author)

Amini-Holmes, Liz (Illustrator)

Annick Press 2010. 106 pages

First published: 2010

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

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5

6

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ESL

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

abuse, acceptance, courage, curiosity, illustrations (photographs), Indigenous peoples, Inuit, learning to read, loneliness, memoir, perseverance, residential schools, resilience

Summary: This book chronicles the unbreakable spirit of an Inuit girl while attending an Arctic residential school.

A World of Information

Platt, Richard (Author)

Brown, James (Illustrator)

Candlewick Press 2017. 64 pages

First published: 2016

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:

descriptions, diagrams, Earth, facts, global awareness, inventions, nature, science

Summary: Large-size spreads of diagrammatic illustrations discuss a great variety of systems, alphabets, inventions and phenomena of natural world.

Letters to a Prisoner

Goldstyn, Jacques (Author/Illustrator)

Owlkids 2017. 44 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

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5

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

Amnesty International, community, dictatorship, empathy, hope, isolation, letters, peaceful protests, prisoners, wordless book

Summary: In a wordless story, a man who was arrested during a peaceful protest begins to despair, when a bird begins delivering messages of support from the outside.

Everything on a Waffle

Horvath, Polly (Author)

Macmillan 2008. 184 pages

First published: 2001

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

British Columbia, cooking, country life, family life, first-person narration, fishing, loss, orphans, recipes, villages

Summary: Eleven-year-old Primrose living in a small fishing village in British Columbia recounts her experiences and all that she learns about human nature and the unpredictability of life in the months after her parents are lost at sea.

Explosion Newsie

Halsey, Jacqueline (Author)

Migani, Loretta (Illustrator)

Formac 2015. 32 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

K

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

determination, family life, Halifax, Halifax explosion, newspapers, Nova Scotia, overcoming adversity

Summary: Based on the real experiences of paperboys in the early 1900s, this engaging narrative tells the story of a “newsie” who proves his mettle when disaster strikes his city.

We Found a Hat

Klassen, Jon (Author/Illustrator)

Candlewick Press 2016. 52 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

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5

6

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

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Keywords:

deserts, hats, jealousy, night, open-ending, problem-solving, sharing, turtles

Summary: Two turtles find a ten-gallon hat in the desert and struggle over what to do with it. With two of them and only one hat, they decide to leave it where it is and dream of what it would be like to each have one.

The Only Child

Guojing (Author/Illustrator)

Penguin Random House 2015. 108 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

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3

4

5

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ESL

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

childhood, China, fantasy, graphic tale, imagination, loneliness, lost and found, parent-child relationships, quests, wordless book

Summary: In a hypnotic blend of realism and fantasy, a small child’s experience of feeling lost and lonely is rendered in soft-edged, monochrome images.

Blue and Red Make Purple: A Musical Journey

Gasoi, Jennifer (Author)

Adams, Steve (Illustrator)

Secret Mountain 2016. 48 pages + 1 CD

First published: 2016

Book type: Anthology

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

1

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4

5

6

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

anthologies, creativity, music, music history, poetry (collections), songs

Summary: This beautifully illustrated picture book featuring the irresistible songs of Jennifer Gasoi offers children the opportunity to discover the different colours of her jazz-inspired music.

Because of Winn-Dixie

DiCamillo, Kate (Author)

Candlewick Press 2009. 182 pages

First published: 2000

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

1

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4

5

6

1

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ESL

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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5

Keywords:

companionship, dogs, family life, friendship, healing, human-animal relationships, loneliness, loss, religions

Summary: Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.

The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel

Ellis, Deborah (Author)

Tanaka, Shelley (Author)

Twomey, Nora (Author)

Groundwood Books 2018. 80 pages

First published: 2018

Book type: Graphic Text

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

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4

5

6

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ESL

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

Afghanistan, children’s rights, discrimination, education, female protagonist, gender roles, justice, oppression, perseverance, political regimes, religions, responsibility, social justice, survival, war

Summary: This beautiful graphic-novel adaptation of The Breadwinner animated film tells the story of eleven-year-old Parvana who must disguise herself as a boy to support her family during the Taliban s rule in Afghanistan.

The Water Hole

Base, Graeme (Author/Illustrator)

Penguin Random House 2004. 32 pages

First published: 2001

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

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4

5

6

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ESL

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

animals, conservation, counting, droughts, numbers, onomatopoeias, protecting the environment, rain, water

Summary: As ever-growing numbers of animals visit a watering hole, introducing the numbers from one to ten, the water dwindles.

Hear the Sea

Delaunois, Angèle (Author)

Henry, Mylène (Illustrator)

Annick Press 2015. 24 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

1

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3

4

5

6

1

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ESL

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Keywords:

beaches, happiness, nature, oceans, play, seashore, vacation

Summary: This book depicts the ocean as a majestic force that scatters starfish amongst its shores while making sails dance and changing colors with her mood.

Aram’s Choice

Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk (Author)

Wood, Muriel (Illustrator)

Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2006. 84 pages

First published: 2006

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

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ESL

1

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

Armenia, boats, Canadian history, genocides, hope, immigrants, kindness, loss, orphans, refugees, war

Summary: Aram, an orphaned Armenian boy, has been forced to leave his home in Turkey due to the genocide there, and while staying in exile in Greece he learns he has the opportunity to emigrate to the far away country of Canada.

Blue on Blue

White, Dianne (Author)

Krommes, Beth (Illustrator)

Simon & Schuster 2014. 48 pages

First published: 2014

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

1

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4

5

6

1

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ESL

1

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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5

Keywords:

country life, farms, illustrations (scratchboard), patience, rain, stories in rhyme, storms, weather

Summary: Rhyming text and illustrations depict the swell and quieting of a storm.

Husky

Sayre, Justin (Author)

Penguin Random House 2015. 268 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

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Keywords:

baking, body image, family life, first-person narration, friendship, identity, independence, music, operas, summer

Summary: Davis, an opera loving and slightly overweight 12-year-old growing up in Brooklyn with his mother and grandmother, struggles with his identity in the summer before High School.

Under the Moon: Jazz Standards and Lullabies

Michel, Misja Fitzgerald (Editor)

Green, Ilya (Illustrator)

Secret Mountain 2016. 40 pages + 1 CD

First published: 2016

Book type: Anthology

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

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ESL

1

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

African Americans, biography, jazz, music, poetry (collections), songs

Summary: Some of the most celebrated voices in Jazz history can be found in this compilation of standards and lullabies whose lyrics are inspired by the seasons.

Zen Ties

Muth, Jon J. (Author)

Scholastic 2008. 40 pages

First published: 2008

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

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6

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ESL

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

community, empathy, generosity, giant pandas, haiku, illustrations (watercolours), intergenerational relationships, peace, play, sharing, thoughtfulness

Summary: When Stillwater the panda encourages Koo, Addy, Michael, and Karl to help a grouchy neighbor, their efforts are rewarded in unexpected ways.

Wave

Lee, Suzy (Author/Illustrator)

Chronicle Books 2008. 40 pages

First published: 2008

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

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ELA

K

1

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5

6

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ESL

1

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ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

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Keywords:

beaches, discovery, nature, oceans, play, seashore, summer, vacation, wordless book

Summary: A wordless picture book that shows a little girl’s first experiences at the beach, as she goes from being afraid of the roaring waves to playing on the shore while gulls soar overhead.

When Sophie’s Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt

Bang, Molly (Author/Illustrator)

Scholastic 2015. 36 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

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ELA

K

1

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ESL

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Keywords:

colours, emotions, feelings, individuality, perspectives, school life, self-acceptance, teasing, trees

Summary: Sophie’s is hurt when the other children laugh at her painting of her favorite tree—but when she explains her painting everybody understands what she was trying to do.

Art Dog

Hurd, Thacher (Author/Illustrator)

HarperCollins 1997. 32 pages

First published: 1996

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

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3

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ELA

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1

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6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

art, artists, creativity, dogs, imagination, mistaken identity, museums, mystery, painting, superheroes

Summary: Arthur is a mild-mannered guard dog at the Dogopolis Museum of Art. By night he dons a mask to become Art Dog—creating artworks throughout the city. Painterly adventures ensue when Art Dog tracks a stolen painting, gets his own art exhibition—and retains his secret identity.

See Me Grow

Arlon, Penelope (Author)

Gordon-Harris, Tory (Author)

Scholastic 2012. 32 pages

First published: 2012

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

animal classification, animals, babies, growth, illustrations (photographs), life cycles, science

Summary: Introduces various types of animals that lay eggs or have young that are born alive, and discusses the early parts of the life cycles of rabbits, butterflies, frogs, kangaroos and koalas, sharks, chickens, bees, fish, horses, dogs, and birds.

Welcome Home, Beaver!

Weightman, Magnus (Author/Illustrator)

Clavis 2017. 36 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

animals, dialogue, exploration, habitats, imagination, nature, questions

Summary: After leaving his home on an adventure, Beaver and Akita the dog travel around the world searching for Beaver’s home.

Ice

Geisert, Arthur (Author/Illustrator)

Enchanted Lion Books 2011. 28 pages

First published: 2011

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

community, engineering, family life, fantasy, pigs, resourcefulness, water, wordless book

Summary: This wordless tale depicts a community of pigs that suffer from the heat and go in search of ice despite the odds against them.

Marilyn’s Monster

Knudsen, Michelle (Author)

Phelan, Matt (Illustrator)

Candlewick Press 2015. 40 pages

First published: 2015

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

companionship, courage, determination, friendship, imaginary creatures, individuality, monsters, patience

Summary: Some of the kids in Marilyn’s class have monsters. Marilyn doesn’t have hers yet, but she can’t just go out and look for one. Your monster has to find you. That’s just the way it works. Marilyn tries to be patient and the kind of girl no monster can resist, but her monster doesn’t come. Could she go out and search for him herself? Even if that’s not the way it works?

Starry Messenger

Sís, Peter (Author/Illustrator)

Macmillan 2012. 40 pages

First published: 1996

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

astronomy, Galileo Galilei, inventions, non-traditional text layout, persecution, perseverance, religions, science, telescopes

Summary: Describes the life and work of Galileo who changed the way people saw the galaxy, by offering objective evidence that the earth was not the fixed center of the universe.

Reptiles

Holland, Simon (Author)

DK 2013. 56 pages

First published: 2002

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

animal behaviour, camouflage, habitats, illustrations (photographs), life cycles, nature, questions, reptiles

Summary: Explores the world of reptiles, discussing lizards, snakes, tortoises, turtles, alligators, crocodiles, and tuataras.

Wolf in the Snow

Cordell, Matthew (Author/Illustrator)

Macmillan 2017. 48 pages

First published: 2017

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

compassion, determination, empathy, family life, human-animal relationships, lost and found, perseverance, snow, survival, wolves, wordless book

Summary: In this nearly wordless story, a little girl and a wolf cub get lost in a snowstorm and find each other. The girl delivers the cub back to its family and the wolf pack steps in to make sure she is found by her clan, too.

The Gargoyle in My Yard

Dowding, Philippa (Author)

Napoleon 2009. 114 pages

First published: 2009

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

empathy, family life, fantasy, gargoyles, inclusion, perseverance

Summary: What do you do when a 400-year-old gargoyle moves into your backyard, especially when no one else but you knows he’s alive? Twelve-year-old Kathryn Newberry can tell you all about life with a gargoyle.

Life Is Like the Wind

Innes, Shona (Author)

Agócs, Írisz (Illustrator)

Barron’s 2014. 32 pages

First published: 2014

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

compassion, death, empathy, grief, loss, metaphors, mourning, nature, symbolism

Summary: Explores the concept of death, including what happens to life once it leaves the body and the different ways people deal with the death of loved ones.

The Monster Who Did My Math

Schnitzlein, Danny (Author)

Mayer, Bill (Illustrator)

Peachtree Publishers 2007. 32 pages

First published: 2007

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

determination, fear, imagination, mathematics, monsters, overcoming adversity, school life, stories in rhyme

Summary: A boy who is terrified by math is visited by a monster at midnight who offers to do his homework. But when he is called upon to solve an equation in class and cannot, he realises that he needs to approach problem solving his own way.

Mole Music

McPhail, David (Author/Illustrator)

Macmillan 2001. 32 pages

First published: 1999

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

fantasy, happiness, inspiration, kindness, moles, music, musical instruments, story within a story, violins

Summary: Mole digs by day, but wishes to play violin at night. After a rocky start, and much practice, his music affects the world above ground in a powerful way.

Clementine

Pennypacker, Sara (Author)

Frazee, Marla (Illustrator)

Disney/Hyperion Books 2008. 138 pages

First published: 2006

Book type: Novel

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

acceptance, differences, family life, friendship, humour, individuality, perseverance, school life, self-esteem

Summary: Eight-year-old Clementine weathers the ups and downs of friendship, school and family life, with inimitable spirit and style.

Green City: How One Community Survived a Tornado and Rebuilt for a Sustainable Future

Drummond, Allan (Author/Illustrator)

Macmillan 2016. 36 pages

First published: 2016

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

community, disasters, engineering, environment, rebuilding, sustainable energy, sustainable living, tornados

Summary: The story of Greensburg, Kansas, a town that rebuilt completely green after a deadly tornado.

Beavers

Gibbons, Gail (Author/Illustrator)

Holiday House 2013. 32 pages

First published: 2013

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

animal anatomy, animal behaviour, animal communication, beavers, Canadian animals, fur, habitats, wetlands

Summary: Presents basic facts about beavers: where they live, how they build their dams and lodges, their family life, etc.

Everything You Need to Know About Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures

Love, Carrie (Editor)

DK 2011. 80 pages

First published: 2011

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

amphibians, animal anatomy, animal classification, frogs, illustrations (photographs), life cycles, reptiles, science

Summary: This detailed overview of reptiles and amphibians is exhaustively researched and brightly photographed, and provides a wide-ranging perspective on animals that crawl, slither, and hop.

Whiffy Wilson: The Wolf Who Wouldn’t Wash

Hart, Caryl (Author)

Lord, Leonie (Illustrator)

Hachette 2012. 32 pages

First published: 2011

Book type: Picture Book

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

baths, cleanliness, friendship, humour, stories in rhyme, wolves

Summary: This rhyming ode to the joys of getting dirty—and washing it off—features a grimy little wolf named Wilson and his best friend Dotty, who shows him it’s okay to take a bath.

I Wonder Why Zippers Have Teeth and Other Questions About Inventions

Taylor, Barbara (Author)

Macmillan 2012. 32 pages

First published: 1996

Book type: Non-Fiction

Cycle

Elementary

Secondary

1

2

3

1

2

ELA

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

ESL Intensive & Enriched

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

Keywords:

discovery, history, innovations, inventions, questions, science

Summary: Answers a wide variety of questions about the invention of common household items.

Latest Selections

Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth

Keywords:

Lila and the Crow

Keywords:

The Sandwich Thief

Keywords:

Essex County

Keywords:

The Biggest Poutine in the World

Additional Illustrators

Keywords:

Short Stories for Little Monsters

Keywords:

The White Cat and the Monk

Keywords:

Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys)

Keywords:

Pablo Finds a Treasure

Keywords:

Abracadabra! It’s Spring!

Keywords:

I Don’t Want to Be a Frog

Keywords:

The Theory of Hummingbirds

Keywords:

Little Elliot, Big Family

Keywords:

Fatty Legs: A True Story

Additional Authors

Keywords:

A World of Information

Keywords:

Letters to a Prisoner

Keywords:

Everything on a Waffle

Keywords:

Explosion Newsie

Keywords:

We Found a Hat

Keywords:

The Only Child

Keywords:

Blue and Red Make Purple: A Musical Journey

Keywords:

Because of Winn-Dixie

Keywords:

The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel

Additional Authors

Keywords:

The Water Hole

Keywords:

Hear the Sea

Keywords:

Aram’s Choice

Keywords:

Blue on Blue

Keywords:

Husky

Keywords:

Under the Moon: Jazz Standards and Lullabies

Keywords:

Zen Ties

Keywords:

Wave

Keywords:

When Sophie’s Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt

Keywords:

Art Dog

Keywords:

See Me Grow

Additional Authors

Keywords:

Welcome Home, Beaver!

Keywords:

Ice

Keywords:

Marilyn’s Monster

Keywords:

Starry Messenger