Writers in the Classroom applications are open! Here are books by authors participating in the fall instalment of our popular program. Apply for an author to visit your classroom by Friday, September 30, and click here for more details.
1) Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) by Kathleen Gros
Anne Shirley has been in foster care her whole life. So when the Cuthberts take her in, she hopes it’s for good. They seem to be hitting it off, but how will they react to the trouble that Anne can sometimes find herself in . . . Then Anne meets Diana Barry, a girl who lives in her apartment building, the Avon-Lea. The two become fast friends, as Anne finds she can share anything with Diana. As time goes on, though, Anne starts to develop more-than-friends feelings for Diana. A new foster home, a new school, and a first-time crush—it’s a lot all at once. But if anyone can handle life’s twists and turns, it’s the irrepressible Anne Shirley.
2) Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks
Victoria has always loved horses. But riding in competitions is high stakes, high stress, and shockingly expensive. And even though Victoria’s best friend Taylor loves competing, Victoria has lost her taste for it. After a heartbreaking fight with Taylor, Victoria needs a new start—at a new stables. Edgewood Stables seems ideal. There are plenty of horses to ride, and Victoria is perfectly happy giving the other riders the cold shoulder. But can she truly be happy with no friends?
3) The Wars of Gods and Men by Chris Humphreys
After the Coming of the Dark, most immortals in the world have been killed. The religion of the Four Tribes has taken over the world, and any who resist it are crushed. They await the return of their prophesised One, who is both male and female, and neither. They have not been seen for fifteen years, but belief rules all. A few still fight. A handful of surviving immortals, once seen as gods, have hidden away. And over the mountains, kept secret from the world, the One has grown into their adulthood. It is time for them to return and see what is being done in their name. And that means going to war.
4) All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac
Brian Isaac’s powerful debut novel All the Quiet Places is the coming-of-age story of Eddie Toma, an Indigenous (Syilx) boy, told through the young narrator’s wide-eyed observations of the world around him. It is the story of what can happen when every adult in a person’s life has been affected by colonialism; it tells of the acute separation from culture that can occur even at home in a loved familiar landscape. Its narrative power relies on the unguarded, unsentimental witness provided by Eddie.
5) Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust, Once Removed by Marsha Lederman
Marsha was five when a simple question led to a horrifying answer. Sitting in her kitchen, she asked her mother why she didn’t have any grandparents. Her mother told her the truth: the Holocaust. Decades later, her parents dead and herself a mother to a young son, Marsha begins to wonder how much history has shaped her own life. Reeling in the wake of a divorce, she craves her parents’ help. But in their absence, she is gripped by a need to understand the trauma they suffered, and she begins her own journey into the past to tell her family’s stories of loss and resilience.
6) In the Key of Dale by Benjamin Lefebvre
Sixteen-year-old Dale Cardigan is a loner who’s managed to make himself completely invisible at his all-boys high school. He doesn’t fit with his classmates; even his mother never quite sees how gifted a musician Dale might be. After Dale is unable to locate his father’s grave at the cemetery, he starts writing letters addressed to his father, initially to tell him everything he can’t bring himself to tell his mother and soon as a way to keep track of some unexpected developments. Somewhat against his will, he befriends his classmate Rusty, who gets a rare look at Dale’s complex life outside school. Their friendship gets awkward when it seems Dale’s growing attraction to Rusty is doomed to remain one-sided, but it’s to Rusty that Dale turns when he stumbles upon a family secret.
7) Be a Good Ancestor by Leona Prince and Gabrielle Prince
Addressing environmental issues, animal welfare, self-esteem and self-respect, and the importance of community, the authors deliver a poignant and universal message in an accessible way: Be a good ancestor to the world around you. Thought-provoking stanzas offer a call to action for each one of us to consider how we affect future generations. Every decision we make ripples out, and we can affect the world around us by thinking deeply about those decisions.
8) Because You Are by Jael Richardson, illustrated by Nneka Myers
Conceived of as a letter to her younger self, Because You Are captures Jael Richardson’s insightful lessons about growing up, being joyful and loving yourself as a young Black girl. By exploring what inner beauty means, this story inspires children to recognize and build their self-worth, to dream big and to make a difference in the world. These lessons are brought to life on the page with lively and tender illustrations by Nneka Myers.
9) The Science of Boys by Emily Seo, illustrated by Gracey Zhang
Science nerd Emma Sakamoto wants to reinvent herself. So when a popular girl at school seeks Emma’s help in getting a boy to like her, Emma starts writing The Science of Boys. Can gravity pull a boy into a girl’s orbit? Emma applies scientific laws and theories to a perplexing subject—boys. But do people really conform to scientific principles? The results are unpredictable in this heartwarming story about the struggles of fitting in and the complexities of friendship.
10) Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith
It’s 1995. When the Full Tilt Dancers give an inspiring performance at the opening of the new bingo hall, twelve-year-old Finbar (Barry) Squires wants desperately to join the troupe. The Full Tilt Irish Step Dancers are the most sought-after act in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Having watched Riverdance twice, Barry figures he’ll nail the audition. With questionable talent and an unpredictable temper, Barry’s journey to stardom is jeopardized by his parents’ refusal to take his dreams seriously. Thankfully, Barry has the support of a lively cast of characters: his ever-present grandmother, Nanny Squires; his adorable baby brother, Gord; an old British rocker named Uneven Steven; a group of geriatrics from the One Step Closer to God Nursing Home; and Saibal, a friend with whom Barry gets up to no good.
11) As Glenn as Can Be by Sarah Ellis, illustrated by: Nancy Vo
Glenn was a child who knew his own mind — he liked boats but did not like fishing; he enjoyed puns and pranks but did not like bullying; but more than anything else he loved to play the piano. Glenn had a professional performing career by the time he was fifteen; he gave concerts all over the world in his twenties. But Glenn grew to dislike concerts. He discovered that when he played and recorded music in an empty concert hall, he could make it sound exactly the way he wanted. He could do what he loved best, while being completely himself. Sarah Ellis’s beautifully written portrait of Glenn Gould is complemented by Nancy Vo’s gorgeous illustrations, bringing the life and times of this extraordinarily talented musician to readers young and old.
12) Sky Wolf’s Call: The Gift of Indigenous Knowledge by Eldon Yellowhorn & Kathy Lowinger
Through the knowledge inherited from their Elders and ancestors, Indigenous Peoples throughout North America have observed, practiced, experimented, and interacted with plants, animals, the sky, and the waters over millennia. Knowledge keepers have shared their wisdom with younger people through oral history, stories, ceremonies, and records that took many forms. In Sky Wolf’s Call, award-winning author team of Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger reveal how Indigenous knowledge comes from centuries of practices, experiences, and ideas gathered by people who have a long history with the natural world. Indigenous knowledge is explored through the use of fire and water, the acquisition of food, the study of astronomy, and healing practices.