I READ CANADIAN DAY, February 17, 2021, is a national day of celebration of Canadian books for young people (and everyone). This is a day dedicated to ‘reading Canadian.’ The purpose is to raise awareness of Canadian books and celebrate the richness, diversity and breadth of Canadian literature. We have a wealth of talent in our country!
Categorizing books according to age is a messy business. Just like there is a lot of crossover between adult and YA, there is also cross over between YA and younger teens. I've starred the YA titles that could easily be read by students in grades six and up. The following lists are a hodgepodge of all kinds of genres, nonfiction, poetry and graphic novels. I hope think there is something for everyone!
YOUNG ADULT NOVELS
Creepy plants are taking over the world! Yikes. Teens don't just seem like they are part alien, they really are! Thankfully they have lots of courage to deal with this evil flora.
Celia's Song by Lee Maracle
This beautifully written book, if you are able to let go of your own conceptions of reality, will show you that there is more than one way to know the world. The characters in this novel inhabit a landscape where past, present, future, and physical and spiritual realms exist simultaneously.
Cold Falling White * by Gabrielle S. Prendergast (series)
Earth has been invaded by alien creatures called The Nahx. The Nahx, who are a cross between machine and clone, hunt humans and kill them with a special kind of poison dart. The story focuses on a group of friends who were camping in the Rocky Mountains when the invasion took place. This saved their lives, but they were still hunted by Nahx soldiers. The world building, the characters, and the story held me in its sway till it was finished.
Dance of the Banished by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Like all great historical fiction, Skrypuch's novel opened my eyes to world events that I was unaware of. In this case it is the Armenian genocide from the time of the first world war. Her characters, Ali and Zeynep, will win your heart.
Half-Breed by Maria Campbell
Maria Campbell had a challenging, but love filled childhood. Her family were poor, but so was everyone else around her. As the oldest child, she did what she had to to protect her younger siblings. After her mother died, that meant, at fifteen years old, getting married to someone she did not love in order to give them a home. She survived all kinds of horror before finally starting to get her life back in order around the time she turned 30. This is another one of those books that has been languishing on my to read shelf for years. I wish I had read it earlier.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
Toxic relationships exist no matter your sexual orientation. Getting out of them isn't easy. In this book, Freddy has to figure out what she gets out of her relationship with Laura Dean and what she gives up.
I love love love Mariko Tamaki's art. It's so easy for the reader to see what's going on before Freddy does
Leggings Revolt * by Monique Polak
This is the story of some teens who take challenge the misogynist dress code at their high school. I really appreciated the solution that the students finally came up with.
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
This addresses big issues, but isn't overwhelmed with angst. Adam and Zayneb each have a lot on their plates. Adam is dealing with a diagnosis of MS. Zayneb is in the middle of confronting an Islamophobic teacher. Falling in love ends up enabling them to help each other.
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
Imagine the future 40 years from now wherein climate change and global warming have caused the ice to melt. Massive storms continue to destroy coastal landscapes and the earth has responded sending its own kind of the destruction: earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Corporate entities have ravaged the water supplies and sucked dry what fresh water was left in Northern Canada. White people have lost their ability to dream and are harvesting dream marrow from indigenous people. A small group have banded together in the North Ontario wilderness to escape from the recruiters.
Nobody Cries at Bingo by Dawn Dumont
The power in family, community acceptance and love are the most important elements I took from this brilliant, semi autobiographical, first novel by Cree author, Dawn Dumont.
It doesn't hurt that it is screamingly funny.
Her narrative is imbued with such abundant tenderness, that it's one of those profound coming of age books I want everyone to read.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
This book took me way out of my comfort zone. It's told in two parts. One part is the story of a girl name Sadie, who is searching for her sister's murderer. The other part is the transcription of a radio show about the two girls and what happened to them. It's a dark thriller that brings awareness of child sex abuse and highlights why so many girls go missing.
Sara and the Search for Normal by Wesley King
King takes us inside the head of a young girl with all kinds of mental health issues. Sara is a teenager who wants, more than anything, to be normal. She has a long checklist of things to achieve in order to get there. The thing is, Sara has never been normal, and no matter how hard she tries, never will be. This is a book about the power of friendship. It's about learning to love and accept yourself for who you are.
Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson (series)
This is one of the most brilliant coming of age novels I've read in ages. It's the first in series of books about Jared, a young man growing up in a culture almost decimated by the actions of colonialism.
Blending science-fiction and indigenous mythology Robertson has created a riveting mystery full of heartbreak and humour. The characters, all of them, including the supernatural, are convincing. The dialogue is brilliant. Cole Harper returns to his hometown of Wounded Sky after being away for ten years. Shortly after he arrives, people are being murdered and a deadly virus starts killing people off. It’s up to Cole and his remaining friends to figure out what’s going on.
Surviving the City by Tasha Spillett & Natasha Donovan (series)
Let me begin by saying that this isn't a story for the faint of heart. The history of indigenous peoples in Canada is rife with violence and oppression. This short graphic novel deals with one aspect of it: murdered and missing women, girls, and two spirited peoples.
Tilly by Monique Gray Smith
Based on the author’s life, Tilly started drinking while in grade seven. She didn’t stop until she was in her twenties. This is her story of becoming sober, healing, and finding out how to help others.
NOVELS FOR TEENS AND TWEENS
This is an historical novel based on true events. It’s the story of two Jewish sisters involved in the Toronto garment strike of 1931, that lasted from Feb 25 to May 1. Strikers walked the picket line during worst snowfall in 55 years
Awkward (Berrybrook Middle School) by Svetlana Chmakova (series)
The Berrybrook Middle School is a series of graphic novels that look at the emotions and choices young teens have to deal with. Each book highlights one of the students. They are all fabulous, although my favourite is Crush.
The Barren Grounds by David Alexander Robertson (series)
This middle grade fantasy novel, featuring two indigenous youths, is the first in Robertson’s Misewa Saga. Morgan and Eli are living in a supportive foster home. In the attic of the house is a painted over door that turns out to be a portal into Aski, the land of the Misewa people. This is an adventure that will appeal to all kinds of readers.
The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn (series)
Aggie Morton is a precocious, imaginative twelve year old writer growing up around the turn of the century in 1902. Many of the characters Agatha Christie would come to write about are integrated into this murder mystery for middle grade readers. Peril at Owl Park, the second in the series is also available.
The Case of Windy Lake by Michael Hutchinson (series)
The Mighty Muskrats are a group of four indigenous cousins who live on their reserve and solve mysteries. In this first novel they are trying to figure out what happened to a missing archaeologist. The Case of the Missing Auntie is available and The Case of the Burgled Bundle will be released in April.
Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson
This was an exciting fast paced adventure full of heartfelt characters with all kinds of obstacles to overcome. McKenna Barney agreed to enter a dog sled race for her sister who has stargardt disease. They hope to raise awareness of it so that a cure can be found. The route is challenging, but what makes it more hazardous is that McKenna also has the disease. She's been keeping it a secret from her family because she doesn't want to lose her independence.
Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr
Wendy Orr has created a fabulous world to get lost in. The gods have carved out a brutal destiny for Aissa. Discarded by her priestess mother upon her birth because of perceived imperfections, she was rescued by Kelya, a wise woman, and adopted into a loving goat herding family. She was orphaned at four when raiders killed her father and kidnapped her mother to sell into slavery. After enduring more hardship, she gets her wish to leave the island and become a bull dancer. She has no inkling of what she will have to overcome before she finds acceptance.
Elephant Secret by Eric Walters
Sam and her father, along with a secret partner, run an elephant sanctuary. They live a comfortable life doing meaningful work. Initially Sam has a bit of conflict with her father's girlfriend, but that gets resolved positively. Then the birth of a new baby elephant changes everything.
Escape from Syria by Samya Kullab & Jackie Roche(Illustrations)
This fictional graphic novel follows a family of four as they are forced to leave their home in Aleppo and travel to Lebanon. There they live as refugees before finally making it to Canada. Although the characters themselves are fictional, they represent the very real experiences of ordinary Syrians.
Finding Grace by Becky Citra
I'm always happy to read anything Becky Citra writes. This is the story of Hope, a girl who writes letters to an imaginary person. It turns out that she might not be so imaginary. Finding Grace is one of those stories with a happy ending, even if it isn't the kind of ending you might have expected.
How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating (series)
Ana and her family live at the zoo. It makes her the object of jokes by some people at school. Ana is knowledgeable about and good at talking about animals. Eventually she manages to overcome her fears and anxiety to become the person she wants to be.
Me and Banksy by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Dominica Rivers attends a prestigious school that has surveillance cameras everywhere. When someone hacks into them and shares embarrassing clips of students across social media, Dominica and her friends set out to put an end to it.
Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg
Milo's family was fractured by his mother's death. They don't communicate. They are like separate planets orbiting around a sun that isn't there any more. The tale begins with Milo, his sister and father having moved into their fifth home. He has to start a new school and make new friends all over again. This should appeal to Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but it's much richer.
The Mostly True Story of Pudding Tat, Adventuring Cat by Caroline Adderson
Pudding Tat, an albino cat, was born on a farm in rural Ontario in 1901. Although he was almost blind, he ended up travelling around the world. He couldn't have done it without Flea in his ear. He has many adventures and meets all kinds of interesting people. Even when the characters are not real, they are composites of people who lived at the time.
Song Angel by Nancy Hundal
Carmen is an angel. Her responsibility is to find the just right song to help people die and move on to the sweet hereafter. If she fails, they will end up with her in the After. We discover that in this intermediary place, as they help the dying transition from earth, song angels have to deal with unresolved issues in their own Before. I was awed by Hundal's world building and wish she had written a sequel because I want to know more about these characters.
The Theory of Hummingbirds by Michelle Kadarusman
Alba has a goal to run the school’s annual two km run. The problem is that she’s still wearing a cast from her most recent surgery to correct her clubfoot. Her best friend, Levi, has his own issues with asthma. The two of them suspect that their teacher librarian has a wormhole in her office.
The Three Spartans by James Alfred McCann
Art, a Canadian boy visiting his family's summer home in Birch Bay, Washington and two friends, Leo, and George are the three Spartans. They challenge Zeke, a local bully, to a paintball war in the woods behind the local campgrounds.
Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley
Wicked Nix is a fairy who was left behind after the last midsummer eve revelry. With the help of Mr. Green, the spirit of the forest, Nix has managed to survive, but now a people has trespassed into their woods. Nix is certain that the queen won't be happy with this turn of events and tries to scare the intruder away.
NONFICTION
This might be targeted towards youth, but it is an important book for adults as well. In only 88 pages Kyi provides a wealth of information to help readers understand how stereotypes and bias work. Not only that, she includes ideas and strategies individuals can implement to try and deal with their own prejudices.
This Place: 150 Years Retold by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm et al
Turtle Island: The Story of North America's First People by Eldon Yellowhorn & Kathy Lowinger (nonfiction)
This collection of stories, each written and illustrated by different indigenous Canadians, educates readers about different people and events in the Canadian history of colonization. I especially appreciated how each one divulges aspects that end up personalizing history.
This book tells the history of the people in North and Central American centuries before Europeans arrived. Information and understanding who these people were come from archaeological and other kinds of scientific research, artwork, myths, oral storytelling and imagining.
