February 28, 2013

Circles and Cycles: Social Justice Book List #10

This is our last book list for social justice. Just as our lists have come full circle, so does the teaching and learning of social justice. These books exemplify how we can help others learn to become more open-minded and inclusive, widening Circle and Cycles.

Picture Books
Bagels from Benny
by Aubrey Davis
Illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Age 5-8
2003

 



A Castle on Viola Street
by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
HarperCollins Canada
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2001




From Far Away
by Robert Munsch 
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Annick Press
24 pp.
Ages 4+
1995

 


Ghost Train
by Paul Yee
Illustrated by Harvey Chan
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 8-12
1996

 



 
Gifts
by Jo Ellen Bogart
Illustrated by Barbara Reid
Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
1994

 


A Hen for Izzy Pippik
by Aubrey Davis
Illustrated by Marie LaFrance
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2012

 


Jack the Bear
by Christine Leist
Simply Read Books
40 pp.
Ages 3-7
2009

 




The Last Piece of Sky
by Tim Wynne-Jones
Illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
1993

 



Lights for Gita
by Rachna Gilmore
Illustrated by Alice Priestley
Second Story Press
24 pp.
Ages 4-7
1994

 


A Man Called Raven
by Richard Van Camp
Illustrated by George Littlechild
Children's Book Press
32 pp.
Ages 7+
1997

 




Migrant
by Maxine Trottier
Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 7-13
2011

 


The Miss Meow Pageant
by Ricardo Keene Douglas
Illustrated by Marie LaFrance
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
1998

 

Nanabosho Dances
by Joseph McLellan
Illustrated by Rhian Brynjolson
Pemmican Publications
52 pp.
Ages 5-8
1991

 

The Stamp Collector
by Jennifer Lanthier
Illustrations by François Thisdale
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 8+
2012


 




Fiction
Cape Town
by Brenda Hammond
Great Plains Teen Fiction

326 pp.
Ages 14+
2012

 




 
Elijah of Buxton
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Scholastic Canada
288 pp.
Ages 9-12
2007

 




The Glory Wind
by Valerie Sherrard
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
222 pp.
Ages 11+
2010

 




Lost Goat Lane
by Rosa Jordan
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
197 pp.
Ages 9-12
2005

 




Making Bombs For Hitler
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic Canada
186 pp.
Ages 8-12
2012

 


Many Windows: Six Kids, Five Faiths, One Community
by Rukhsana Khan with Elisa Carbone and Uma Krishnaswami

Illustrated by Patti Gallinger
Napoleon and Company
84 pp.
Ages 8-10
2008

 


The Royal Woods
by Matt Duggan
Key Porter
218 pp.
Ages 8-12
2007

 



Thunder Over Kandahar
by Sharon E. McKay
Annick Press
260 pp.
Ages 12+
2010

 




The Tiffin
by Mahtab Narsimhan
Dancing Cat Books
190 pp.
Ages 9-12
2011

 




Non-Fiction

Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees
by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books
128 pp.
Ages 10 and up
2009

 



Courage and Compassion: Ten Canadians Who Made a Difference
by Rona Arato
Maple Leaf Press
96 pp.
Ages 11-13
2008

 



The Good Garden: How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough
by Katie Smith Milway
Illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 8-10
2010

 


Healing our World: Inside Doctors Without Borders
by David Morley
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
121 pp.
Ages 12-17
2007

 


Imagine That!
by Janet Wilson
Stoddart Kids
32 pp.
Ages 5+
1999

 


Lacey and the African Grandmothers
by Sue Farrell Holler
Second Story Press
164 pp.
Ages 9-13
2009 

 



Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue from War
by Marsha Skrypuch
Pajama Press
99 pp.
Ages 10-15
2011

 


No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs
by Rob Laidlaw
Pajama Press
64 pp.
Ages 9-12
2011

 


One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
by Katie Smith Milway
Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 7+
2008

 


Our New Home: Immigrant Children Speak
Edited by Emily Hearn and Marywinn Milne
Second Story Press
129 pp.
Ages 8-11
2007 
Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk about AIDS
by Deborah Ellis
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
104 pp.
Ages 12+
2005

 




The Quilt of Belonging: Stitching Together the Stories of a Nation
by Janice Weaver
Maple Tree Press
64 pp.
Ages 9-12
2006

 


Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa that Brought Them Together
by Herb Shoveller
Kids Can Press
56 pp.
Ages 10-14
2006

 




Saving Lives and Changing Hearts: Animal Sanctuaries and Rescue Centres
by Rob Laidlaw
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
62 pp.
Ages 10-14
2013

 



Shannen and the Dream for a School
by Janet Wilson
Second Story Press
206 pp.
Ages 8+
2011

 




Tell Me Why: How Young People Can Change the World
Edited by Eric Walters
Doubleday Canada
214 pp.
Ages 10+
2009

 



Viola Desmond Won’t Be Budged!
by Jody Nyasha Warner
Illustrated by Richard Rudnicki
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 6-9
2010

 


Yeny and the Children for Peace
by Michelle Mulder
Second Story Press
118 pp.
Ages 8-13
2008 






And so ends my series of social justice book lists.  I suspect I could continue to amend these lists endlessly as new youngCanLit is published.  All I can promise to do is add a social justice label so that readers can find these.  In the mean while, I hope you avail yourself of these worthwhile reads, whether you're looking for a social justice-themed book or not.

True Worth and Beauty: Social Justice Book List #9

Appreciating what makes someone or something beautiful and valuable gives the opportunity to show acceptance for differences and inclusion. This is our second last book list of youngCanLit, this time dealing with True Worth and Beauty.

Picture Books
 
Anna’s Goat
by Janice Kulyk Keefer
Illustrated by Janet Wilson
Orca Book Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 6-9
2000


Big Bear Hug  
by Nicholas Oldland  
Kids Can Press  
32 pp.  
Ages 5-7  
2009

Buttercup’s Lovely Day
by Carolyn Beck
Illustrated by Andrea Beck
Orca Book Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 3-6
2008


Dear Baobab
by Cheryl Foggo
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Second Story Press
24 pp.
Ages 6-8
2011
Earth to Audrey
by Susan Hughes
Illustrated by Stéphane Poulin
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 5+
 

2005


Emma and the Silk Train
by Julie Lawson
Illustrated by Paul Mombourquette
Kids Can Press
32pp.
Ages 4 - 9
1997
Gift Days
by Kari-Lynn Winters
Illustrated by Stephen Taylor
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 7+
2012


 


 
 Gifts
by Jo Ellen Bogart

Illustrated by Barbara Reid
Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
1994

 



A Good Trade
by Alma Fullerton
Illustrated by Karen Patkau
Pajama Press
32 pp.
Ages 5+
2012

Gray Wolf's Search
by Bruce Swanson
Illustrated by Gary Peterson
Second Story Press
24 pp.
Ages 7-11
2007

 

An Imaginary Garden
by Andrew Larsen
Illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2009

 


Make the Moose Out of Life
by Nicholas Oldland
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 5-7
2010
Miss Meow Pageant
by Ricardo Keene Douglas
Illustrated by Marie LaFrance
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-8

1998




Red is Best
by Kathy Stinson
Illustrated by Robin Baird Lewis
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 2-5
1992
Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend
by Mélanie Watt
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
2007

 




Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt
by Barbara Smucker

Illustrated by Janet Wilson
Lester Publishing
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
1995

 


 Solomon’s Tree
by Andrea Spalding
Illustrated by Janet Wilson
Orca Book Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 6-9
2002

 


Stanley's Beauty Contest
by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Kids Can Press
32 pp.

Ages 4-8
2009
Suki’s Kimono
by Chieri Uegaki
Illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2003

 



 
Tadeo’s Search for Circles
by Marion Brooker
Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2011

 



What’s the most beautiful thing you know about horses
by Richard Van Camp
Illustrated by George Littlechild
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
1998

 



Fiction

Born Ugly
by Beth Goobie
Red Deer Press
270 pp.

Ages 14+
2011

Making Bombs For Hitler
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Scholastic Canada
186 pp.
Ages 8-12
2012


Mirror Image
by K. L. Denman
Orca Book Publishers
105 pp.
Ages 10-15
2007

 




No Ordinary Day
by Deborah Ellis
Groundwood Books
159 pp.
Ages 9-12
2011


Outlaw in India
by Philip Roy
Ronsdale Press
212 pp.
Ages 8-14
2012

The Paper House
by Lois Peterson
Orca Book Publishers
108 pp.
Ages 8-11
2012


Strange Beauty
by Lori Weber
James Lorimer
144 pp.
Ages 13-17
2006
 
Very Serious Children
by Caroline Adderson

Scholastic Canada
145 pp.
Ages 8-12
2008


 



Non-Fiction  
The Birdman
by Veronika Martinova Charles
Illustrated by Anouchka Gravel Galouchko and Stéphan Daigle
Tundra Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2006


The Book of Awesome

by Neil Pasricha
Putnam
400 pp.
Ages 12+
2010

 




In Your Face: The Culture of Beauty and You
by Shari Graydon
Annick Press
176 pp.
Ages 11-17
2004 

 
One Step at a Time: A Vietnamese Child Finds Her Way
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Pajama Press
128 pp.
Ages 8-12
2012