Recommended Booklists – Canadian School Libraries

Recommended Book Lists and Review Sites

Keeping up with the newest and best in children’s literature is always a challenge but a critical task for all school library professionals. Because of the nature of continuous publication it is especially difficult to keep lists current; however, we can make some recommendations based on the proven professionalism and reliability of the following sources of reviews and booklists. All vendors also create lists of books they carry based on levels and themes so we suggest that you consult those regularly. Due to the goals of this project we have included a few specific vendors who specialize in diverse materials.

Bibliovideo: The destination YouTube channel for young readers, librarians, teachers, parents, authors, illustrators, researchers and others who want to locate and learn more about great Canadian books for young people. See featured videos:
Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books: Educators’ Resource Launch
Tackle Racism with Canadian Books | For Educators
Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books | Virtual Launch | Hosted by Waubgeshig Rice

Bit About Books: A blog written by two friends with library background, school and public, with archived recommendations on a wide variety of age groups and genres that they read and discuss.

Canadian Children’s Book Centre: The CCBC is a national, not- for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing, illustrating and publishing of Canadian books for young readers. The site is rich with recommended lists by age group and theme including The Teachers’ Book Bank, a database of Canadian historical fiction and non-fiction books, and the Social Justice and Diversity Book Bank, a database of books for educators reflecting themes of social justice and diversity. Subscribe to CCBC Newsletter to keep up on all the latest reviews and lists, like the CCBC National Indigenous History Month Reading List.

Canadian Review of Materials: A reviewing journal from Manitoba, published weekly online September – June, reviews Canadiana of interest to children and young adults. Reviewers are teachers, teacher-librarians, public librarians, and university professors. The site may be searched for pertinent topics.

CanLit for Little Canadians: CanLit for Little Canadians is a blog of reviews by Helen Kubiw. As well as several regular monthly reviews you will discover links to many popular Canadian authors as well as to publishers. Check out the Book Awards and Booktrailers sections. Follow Helen on Twitter to catch all the updates as they are posted.

CBC Books: The CBC Books site includes Canadian children/young adult recommendations. For example, see seasonal previews lists such as 28 Canadian YA books to check out in spring 2021. Many articles and resources to search relate to diversity topics.

Children’s Books on Inclusion: This is a list of book recommendations from the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) focused on disability and inclusion, including titles in English and French.

Concordia University Inuit Book List: This list was created on behalf of CUE’s Indigenous Knowledge and Research Centre for virtual event, Creating Safe Spaces for Inuit (Introductory Learning Session provided by Inuuqatigiit). Includes many works by Inuk authors. Extensive cataloging accessible for each book. (Concordia University, Edmonton, Nov. 24, 2020)

Diverse Book Finder: This recipient of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning Site 2021 includes a selection of multicultural children’s picture books set in Canada.

Equity4Educators – Resources for Educators: An organic and diverse collective of K-12 educators in the Greater Toronto Area list resources for educators to support classroom instruction, professional learning for educators, and a list of community connections. French resources section included.

The FOLD: The Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) celebrates diverse authors and storytellers, held in historic downtown Brampton. The FOLD Kids page includes webinars and activities as well as information about the annual FOLD Kids Book Fest. Each month, FOLD Kids Book-of-the-Month highlights one picture book and one middle grade or young adult title by a marginalized Canadian author. FOLD Kids: 2021 Summer Reading List highlights 10 picture books, 10 middle grade and 10 young adult reads.

49th Kids: Thousands of Canadian kids’ books listed here with a database that can be searched by genre, age range, grade level, or theme. A monthly series, Notes from a Children’s Librarian, pinpoints selections for Canadian school curricula or themes. Includes teacher resources and reading guides. 49th Shelf and 49th Kids are produced by the Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP).

IBBY Canada: IBBY Canada is a chapter of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Includes the 2021 edition of From Sea to Sea to Sea: Celebrating Indigenous Picture Books, 25 best Indigenous picture books published in Canada between 2018–2020 reflecting the diversity of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit voices.

Idea Exchange – Diverse Canadian Literature: Idea Exchange is a municipal tax-supported institution operating under the Public Libraries Act and administered by a volunteer board of Cambridge, Ontario, residents. This list of books is written by diverse Canadian authors and includes non-majority narratives exploring topics such as race, multiculturalism, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

K–3 Indigenous Literature for Classroom Use (Empowering the Spirit 2017): Literature recommendations embedded on the Alberta professional development consortia site, Empowering the Spirit. Very comprehensive in Indigenous ways of knowing, curricular planning and lessons. Many books are evaluated by teacher-librarians. Sources listed with for each book, with links to additional resources.

Novelist – Diverse Reads in Canada: NoveList, a division of EBSCO, is a subscription source for booklists and reviews, available in many public and school libraries. This blog post provides examples of established and newer authors on underrepresented groups, and includes suggested search strategies for finding similar books in NoveList, with a downloadable flyer.

Parents for Diversity – Diversity Library: Parents for Diversity is a collective of parents and allies committed to ensuring every child’s right to an education free from discrimination. They are building a library of children’s books that celebrates the diversity of Canada’s population. You can search through their growing library by various filters.

Quill and Quire: Quill & Quire is the classic, comprehensive Canadian book trade magazine. Q&Q posts regular online updates and news.

Rabia Khokhar: Toronto teacher Rabia Khokhar received the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) 2021 Anti-Racist and Equity Activism Award for creating her monthly newsletter that models and shares anti-racist and equity-focused strategies, book recommendations and other resources, all available from this website. Khokhar, a new teacher-librarian, wrote about weeding as an equity issue in Canadian School Libraries Journal as well a writing the paper Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy in a Racially Homogenous School for CSL’s TMC6 Research Symposium.

Top Grade: Top Grade CanLit for the Classroom is a sampling and promotion program coordinated by the Association of Canadian Publishers’ Children’s Committee. Books can be explored through theme or category and include First Nations, Métis & Inuit, Diversity and Inclusion. Resources are introduced through book talk videos by Katherine Mitchell. Book lists are downloadable.

We Need Diverse Books: An American non-profit organization started by a team of writers, illustrators, and publishing professionals compiled this list of sites that offer recommendations for diverse titles in children’s books.

Awards Sites

First Nations Communities READ: This program annually selects and awards titles in the Children’s and Young Adult/Adult Categories. Chosen by a jury of Indigenous librarians from across Ontario, these titles represent the very best of Indigenous literature. Lists of recognized books are archived on the site.

Forest of Reading®: The Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading offers ten programs to encourage a love of reading in people of all ages, in English and French. Readers participate through school and public libraries, and the readers themselves vote for the award winners. The Forest website includes archived lists of nominated titles and award winners over the history of the program, as well as links to other OLA reading lists not associated directly with the Forest.

Livres Canada Books – Canadian Book Awards: This not-for-profit organization supports Canadian-owned book publishers; this page provides links to the major Canadian book awards, including children’s book awards.

French-Language Sites

Kaléidoscope: A review site featuring French language children’s books that encourage children to get out of pre-conceived ideas and stereotypical roles, promoting reflection, the emergence of critical thinking, openness and tolerance.

Mistikrak: Offers reviews of French language children’s books, organized by various helpful categories.

Vendors Specializing in Diverse Literature for Children

A Different Booklist: A Different Booklist is an African-Canadian owned bookstore showcasing the literature of the African and Caribbean diaspora, the global south and all the major publishers and small presses.

Another Story Book Shop: Another Story sells a broad range of literature for children, young adults and adults with a focus on themes of social justice, equity,& diversity.They have a large collection of children’s books and the staff are knowledgeable with the current Ontario curriculum. They create custom orders for schools and help diversify their collections by attending vendors fairs and tabling at educator events.They also host book fairs, provide educator discounts, and are always looking for new ways to support students, teachers and their schools.

GoodMinds: GoodMinds is a leading source of Indigenous education resources for schools and libraries in North America, actively promoting Indigenous authors, illustrators and translators. Their offerings include comprehensive selections of fiction and non-fiction in a variety of formats, resources for educators, and books in a range of Indigenous languages.

Knowledge Bookstore: Knowledge Bookstore is an independent Afrocentric bookstore located in Brampton Ontario that sells African Canadian, African American, Caribbean and children books.