We all have fears that we won’t be accepted, but often our differences, quirks, and individuality are what we can contribute most to our friends and communities. In this uplifting event curated by Guest Curator Kim Thúy, authors discuss how we can feel like we belong, and celebrate the unique characteristics we all have. Linh Nguyễn helps kids answer how you define “home” in her sweeping portal fantasy No Place Like Home. Wali Shah explores finding our voice in Call Me Al, about a teenage boy navigating his identity. Isabelle Picard shares a powerful coming of age story about two Innu twins in Nish. Together, they’ll help kids navigate complex and universal questions about strength in our identities. Grades 4–7. Moderated by Kim Thúy.
Themes: Identity, belonging, racism, Indigenous culture
Curriculum Connections: English Language Arts 4-9, Physical and Health Education 4-7, Social Studies 4-5
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LINH S. NGUYỄN is a Vietnamese immigrant to Canada who straddles many intersecting worlds. Her stories revolve around home, liminality and living between cultures. She graduated from the University of Toronto as an English major and went on to pursue her master’s in Arts, Creativity and Education at the University of Cambridge.
ISABELLE PICARD, originally from Wendake reserve in Quebec, is an ethnologist, Radio-Canada’s Senior Specialist in Indigenous Affairs and a lecturer at UQAM. She aims to increase understanding of the realities and challenges faced by Indigenous peoples of Quebec.
Growing up, WALI SHAH faced pressure from his Pakistani-immigrant parents to choose a profession that would justify their sacrifices. He surprised them by becoming a poet and public speaker, inspiring youth at hundreds of schools with his powerful verse, delivering TED talks and serving as a poet laureate for the city of Mississauga.
KIM THÚY was born in Vietnam in 1968. At the age of 10 she left Vietnam along with a wave of refugees commonly referred to in the media as “the boat people” and settled with her family in Quebec, Canada. A graduate in translation and law, she has worked as a seamstress, interpreter, lawyer, and restaurant owner. The author has received many awards, including the Governor General’s Literary Award in 2010, and was one of the top 4 finalists of the Alternative Nobel Prize in 2018. Her books have sold more than 850,000 copies around the world and have been translated into 31 languages and distributed across 43 countries and territories. Kim Thúy lives in Montreal where she devotes her time to writing.
