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It's Time for Berries!
By Ceporah Mearns, Jeremy Debicki, Tindur Peturs. 2023
Celebrating the traditional practise of gathering Arctic berries and other Inuit traditional land uses, this cute story of determination and…
enjoying the outdoors is perfect for grandkids to share with their grandparents.
Weird Rules to Follow
By Kim Spencer. 2022

Mi’kmaw Moons: The Seasons in Mi'kma'ki
By David Chapman, Cathy LeBlanc. 2022

Weird Rules to Follow
By Kim Spencer. 2022
★“Readers will be left with a rich image of Mia’s world and the family and people that surround her as…
well as a strong sense of how culture and class impact people’s experiences. A touching exploration of identity and culture.”—Kirkus Reviews Mia knows her family is very different than her best friend's. In the 1980s, the coastal fishing town of Prince Rupert is booming. There is plenty of sockeye salmon in the nearby ocean, which means the fishermen are happy and there is plenty of work at the cannery. Eleven-year-old Mia and her best friend, Lara, have known each other since kindergarten. Like most tweens, they like to hang out and compare notes on their crushes and dream about their futures. But even though they both live in the same cul-de-sac, Mia’s life is very different from her non-Indigenous, middle-class neighbor. Lara lives with her mom, her dad and her little brother in a big house, with two cars in the drive and a view of the ocean. Mia lives in a shabby wartime house that is full of relatives—her churchgoing grandmother, binge-drinking mother and a rotating number of aunts, uncles and cousins. Even though their differences never seemed to matter to the two friends, Mia begins to notice how adults treat her differently, just because she is Indigenous. Teachers, shopkeepers, even Lara’s parents—they all seem to have decided who Mia is without getting to know her first.
Oolichan Moon (Sisters Learn Foods of the Elders)
By Samantha Beynon, Lucy Trimble. 2022
Oolichan Moon is a beautifully illustrated children’s book about passing down traditional knowledge from Nisga'a Elders and the sacredness of…
traditional foods, particularly the oolichan fish. Together, author Samantha Beynon and illustrator Lucy Trimble have created a children’s book rich with cultural knowledge and tradition that relates to their Nisga'a ancestry surrounding the oolichan fish. With playful text and vibrant illustrations, young readers can learn alongside the two Nisga'a sisters as they are gifted with sacred knowledge from their Elders, passed down for many generations in the oral tradition. A gorgeous celebration of Nisga'a language, history and culture, Oolichan Moon also includes historical and cultural information about the oolichan fish and related Nisga'a vocabulary.
Freddie the Flyer
By Fred Carmichael, Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail. 2023
A gorgeous picture book that pays homage to aviator Freddie Carmichael — the first Indigenous commercial pilot in the Arctic…
—with each month of the year highlighting moments from his life, the beauty of the North and the power of dreams.When Freddie was young, he saw a plane up close for the first time when it dropped off supplies at his family&’s remote bush camp. He was instantly hooked.Freddie has flown for nearly seventy years, doing everything from supply runs to search and rescue to transporting dog teams to far-flung areas.This book celebrates Freddie&’s early dreams of flying and his later achievements. Readers move with Freddie through the year, hearing about his journey as a pilot and leader, while learning the names of the months in Gwich&’in and Inuvialuktun at the same time. Art from Inuvialuit painter Audrea Loreen-Wulf perfectly captures the incredible Western Arctic as well as Freddie&’s love for aviation.
Smile So Big
By Sunshine Quem Tenasco. 2023
A magical mirror helps a young girl understand her true beauty in this new picture book from the creators of…
Nibi’s Water Song.When Challa comes home in tears after being teased about her smile, her mom gives her a special gift. It’s a magic mirror — shiny, beaded and beautiful — passed on from her mom, and from her djo djo before her.Challa’s mom tells her that when anyone looks into the mirror, they will see their true self. There’s just one rule: Everyone has to say what they see in the reflection.At first the mirror seems to work for everyone but her. Challa keeps looking and looking. The more beauty she sees in herself, the happier she feels, and the longer she looks into the mirror, the more beauty she sees, until finally Challa sees so much beauty, she can't contain her smile!This special story, from award-winning activist Sunshine Quem Tenasco and artist Chief Lady Bird, introduces readers to concepts of self-acceptance, self-empowerment, and recognition of the unique beauty that comes from within.
Nanook
By Larry Hulsey, Austin Hulsey. 2018
A tale of a father, a son, and a fishing trip in the wilderness of Alaska that will delight readers…
young and old. Nanook is an exciting story of an Inuit father and son&’s fishing expedition in the Alaskan tundra. Young Nanook is about to embark on an adventure that will test his responsibility and his readiness to provide for his family. But one dangerous decision will teach him a lifelong lesson . . . From the rushing waters and abundant salmon of the Canning River to his close encounter with dreadful Old One Ear, Nanook&’s journey leads to a message that shows the unbreakable love between father and son.
Orphan Ahwak
By Raquel Rivera. 2007
Aneze, a young Inuit girl, is left for dead after her village is ripped apart by a wife-raid; her father…
and brother are killed and her mother is kidnapped. Aneze is the only survivor. She renames herself Orphan Ahwak as she struggles to survive on her own, first in the forest and then in a remote world of tundra and sea-ice. She endures cold and hunger and befriends people whose customs are completely foreign to her. Through it all she remains determined to become a hunter and to find a place in an often hostile and terrifying world.
A Different Game (Orca Young Readers)
By Sylvia Olsen. 2010
In this sequel to Murphy and Mousetrap, Murphy and his three friends, Danny, Jeff and Albert, are making the transition…
from the tribal elementary school to the community middle school. They are all trying out for the middle school's soccer team, and they're pretty confident that The Formidable Four will all make the team. But once the tryouts begin, Albert, the tribal-school superstar, plays like a second-stringer. Murphy's new friend, Molly, is determined to help the boys find out what's wrong with Albert, but when they discover the truth, they realize that Albert is playing a whole different game.
Maggie Lou, Firefox (Maggie Lou #1)
By Arnolda Dufour Bowes. 2023
Maggie Lou’s grandpa doesn’t call her Firefox for nothing. She’s always finding ways to make life more interesting – even…
if this means getting into big trouble. When her grandfather Moshôm finally agrees to teach her how to box, she decides that the rank odors, endless drills and teasing won’t stop her from wearing a tutu to the gym. Joining her father’s construction crew uncovers a surprising talent — besides learning how to use a broom — and a great source of scrap wood to build a canine hotel for her dogs. And when she turns thirteen, she figures out an ingenious way to make some smokin’ good camouflage to wear on her first deer hunt, where she joins a long family tradition. Through it all she is surrounded by her big extended gumbo soup of a family, pestered by annoying younger siblings, and gently guided by her strong female relatives – her mother, her kohkom and her ultra-cool cousin Jayda. “Keep taking up space,” Maggie’s mother says. “You’re only making room for the girls behind you.” A heroine for today, Maggie Lou discovers that with hard work and perseverance she can gain valuable new skills, without losing one iota of her irrepressible spirit. Key Text Features author’s note biographical note chapters dialogue epigraph illustrations
Mnoomin maan'gowing / The Gift of Mnoomin
By Brittany Luby. 2023
In this bilingual book, an Anishinaabe child explores the story of a precious mnoomin seed and the circle of life…
mnoomin sustains. Written in Anishinaabemowin and English, the story opens at harvest time. A child holds a mnoomin seed and imagines all the life that made a single seed possible—Mayfly, Pike, Muskrat, Eagle and Moose, all had a part to play in bringing the seed into being. What will happen if the seed sprouts? Underwater leaves will shelter young fish, shoots will protect ducklings, stalks will feed larvae, in turn providing food for bats…until finally mnoomin will be ready to harvest again. We follow the child and family through a harvest day as they make offerings of tobacco, then gently knock ripe seeds into their canoe. On shore, they prepare the seeds, cook up a feast, and gratefully plant some seeds they’d set aside. This beautifully written and illustrated story reveals the cultural and ecological importance of mnoomin. As the author’s note explains, many Anishinaabeg agree that “wild rice” is an inaccurate term for this plant relation, since part of the harvest is sown every year to help sustain human and non-human beings. Includes a translator’s note. Key Text Features explanation illustrations informational note translations translator’s note Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
Catching Spring (Orca Young Readers)
By Sylvia Olsen. 2004
The year is 1957, and Bobby lives on the Tsartlip First Nation reserve on Vancouver Island where his family has…
lived for generations and generations. Bobby loves his weekend job at the nearby marina. He loves to play marbles with his friends. And he loves being able to give half his weekly earnings to his mother to eke out the grocery money, but he longs to enter the up-coming fishing derby. With the help of his uncle and Dan from the marina his wish just might come true.
Belle of Batoche (Orca Young Readers)
By Jacqueline Guest. 2004
Belle, an 11-year-old Metis girl, and Sarah both want the coveted job of church bell ringer. An embroidery contest is…
held to award the position, and Sarah cheats. Before Belle can expose her, the two are caught up in the advancing forces of General Middleton and his troops as they surround Batoche in the 1885 Riel Rebellion. The church bell disappeared that day and remains missing to this day.
Sweetgrass
By Theresa Meuse. 2022
It's early July, and for Matthew and his Auntie that means one thing: time to go sweetgrass picking. This year,…
Matthew's younger cousin Warren is coming along, and it will be his first time visiting the shoreline where the sweetgrass grows. With Auntie's traditional Mi'kmaw knowledge and Matthew's gentle guidance, Warren learns about the many uses for sweetgrass—as traditional medicine, a sacred offering, a smudging ingredient—and the importance of not picking more than he needs. Once the trio is back at Auntie's house, she shows the boys how to clean and braid the grass. This heartfelt story about the gifts we receive from Mother Earth and how to gather them respectfully offers thoughtful insight into a treasured Mi'kmaw tradition
Les bas du pensionnat
By Christy Jordan-Fenton, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. 2010
See below for English description.Margaret supplie son père de la laisser aller à l'école des étrangers. Il finit par accepter.…
Mais avant, il met sa fille en garde : comme l'eau façonne la pierre, les étrangers vont façonner son esprit et le rendront étroit. Au pensionnat, Margaret ne tarde pas à faire la connaissance du Corbeau, une religieuse au nez crochu et aux doigts longs et osseux comme des serres. Bien vite, le Corbeau se heurte à la fillette au tempérament fort. Pour lui montrer à quel point elle lui déplaît, le Corbeau distribue des bas gris à toutes les filles... sauf à Margaret qui en reçoit des rouge vif. La fillette devient aussitôt la risée de toute l'école.The moving memoir of an Inuit girl who emerges from a residential school with her spirit intact. Eight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has set her sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic. Faced with unceasing pressure, her father finally agrees to let her make the five-day journey to attend school, but he warns Margaret of the terrors of residential schools. At school Margaret soon encounters the Raven, a black-cloaked nun with a hooked nose and bony fingers that resemble claws. She immediately dislikes the strong-willed young Margaret. Intending to humiliate her, the heartless Raven gives gray stockings to all the girls -- all except Margaret, who gets red ones. In an instant Margaret is the laughingstock of the entire school. In the face of such cruelty, Margaret refuses to be intimidated and bravely gets rid of the stockings. Although a sympathetic nun stands up for Margaret, in the end it is this brave young girl who gives the Raven a lesson in the power of human dignity. Complemented by archival photos from Margaret Pokiak-Fenton's collection and striking artwork from Liz Amini-Holmes, this inspiring first-person account of a plucky girl's determination to confront her tormentor will linger with young readers. Original title: Fatty Legs: A True Story
Étrangère chez moi
By Christy Jordan-Fenton. 2011
See below for English description.Margaret a dix ans et elle se réjouit à l'idée de rentrer à la maison après…
avoir passé deux ans dans un pensionnat. Mais quand elle retrouve enfin sa famille, sa mère ne la reconnaît pas et crie : « Pas ma fille! » Cet accueil n'est pas celui que Margaret espérait. Elle a oublié la langue de son peuple et a du mal à avaler la nourriture de sa mère. Margaret n'a même pas le droit de jouer avec son amie Agnès parce que les gens trouvent qu'elle ressemble trop aux étrangers détestés. Elle est devenue une étrangère parmi les siens. Dans ce deuxième livre extraordinaire, Margaret dépeint le portrait de son apprentissage difficile pour retrouver sa place et réconcilier son ancienne personnalité avec la nouvelle.Ten-year-old Margaret can hardly contain her excitement. After two years in a residential boarding school, she is finally headed for home. But when she stands before her family at last, her mother doesn't recognize her, shouting, "Not my girl!" This was hardly the homecoming Margaret expected. She has forgotten her people's language and can't stomach her mother's food. She isn;t even allowed to play with her friend Agnes, besause she is now seen as too much like the despised outsiders. She has become a stranger to her own people. In this extaordinary sequel to Fatty Legs (Les bas du pensionnat) Margaret must begin a painful journey of learning how to fit again, how to reconcile her old self with the new. Original title: A Stranger at Home: A True Story
Quand j'avais huit ans
By Christy Jordan-Fenton, Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. 2013
See below for English description.Une adaptation du roman à succès Les bas du pensionnat pour les lecteurs débutants! Olemaun a…
huit ans et elle sait beaucoup de choses. Mais elle ne sait pas lire. Faisant fi des avertissements de son père, elle effectue un long voyage pour aller à l'école des étrangers. Au pensionnat, les religieuses lui retirent son nom. Elles rasent ses cheveux et la forcent à faire des tâches ménagères, mais Olemaun demeure imperturbable. Sa ténacité attire l'attention d'une religieuse vêtue d'une longue robe noire, qui tente de briser son esprit à la moindre occasion. Mais Olemaun est plus déterminée que jamais à apprendre à lire. Basé sur la vraie histoire de Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, cet album rend le roman à succès Les bas du pensionnat accessible aux lecteurs plus jeunes. Maintenant, eux aussi peuvent faire la rencontre de cette jeune fille remarquable qui nous rappelle tout le pouvoir que l'on détient quand on sait lire.Bestselling memoir Les bas du pensionnat (Fatty Legs) for younger readers. Olemaun is eight and knows a lot of things. But she does not know how to read. Ignoring her father's warnings, she travels far from her Arctic home to the outsiders' school to learn. The nuns at the school call her Margaret. They cut off her long hair and force her to do menial chores, but she remains undaunted. Her tenacity draws the attention of a black-cloaked nun who tries to break her spirit at every turn. But the young girl is more determined than ever to learn how to read. Based on the true story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, and complemented by stunning illustrations created by Gabrielle Grimard, Quand j'avais huit ans makes the bestselling Les bas du pensionnat accessible to younger readers. Now they, too, can meet this remarkable girl who reminds us what power we hold when we can read. Original title: When I Was Eight
The Woman and Her Bear Cub
By Dayna B. Griffiths. 2023

It's Time for Berries!
By Ceporah Mearns, Jeremy Debicki, Tindur Peturs. 2023
Celebrating the traditional practise of gathering Arctic berries and other Inuit traditional land uses, this cute story of determination and…
enjoying the outdoors is perfect for grandkids to share with their grandparents.