Thirteen-year-old bi-racial Malia lives in Indonesia with her Canadian mother. Since her Indonesian father died, her mother wants to return to Canada, but Malia wants to stay and continue her fight for the country’s rainforests. Indonesian Ari works in his uncle’s restaurant where the attractions are a mynah bird called Elvis Presley and an orangutan named Ginger Juice. Ari lives with his uncle so that he can attend an excellent middle school. He is worried that Ginger Juice lives in a too-small cage that is hurting her body and her mind and that her rainforest home is now a palm oil plantation. This story of animal activism in Indonesia is told from three perspectives – Mali, Ari, and even Ginger Juice. The engaging call to action shows readers that they, too, can change the world. The story will remind them of The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (2012). A map of Indonesia appears at the beginning of the book. Backmatter includes a glossary, information about orangutans, an author’s note, and suggestions for how we can help. mjw |
| Title: Berani Author: Michelle Kadarusman Publisher: Pajama Press, Inc. Toronto, Ontario, Canada Copyright: 2022 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77278-260-8 Hardcover pages: 224 Age range: 8-12 Genre: Fiction, Novel Book setting: Indonesia Author’s ethnicity: Australian Author’s residence: Indonesia, Canada, Australia Awards: Author was a Governor General’s Award finalist Subjects: Activism, Animal rescue, Animal rights, Environmental responsibility, Indonesia, Orangutans, Palm oil plantations, Rainforests |
Category Archives: Governor General’s Literary
The Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga, Book One
Seventh grader Eli and eighth grader Morgan are Indigenous foster children in this middle-grade First Nations fantasy. The children feel disconnected from their culture and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home. They find a secret portal in an unfinished attic that leads to another reality, Aski, with frozen, barren grounds. They meet Ochek, a hunter supporting his starving community. He teaches the children traditional ways, and together they embark on a mission to save Misewa. Engaging characters, life lessons, adventure, cliffhangers, evocative descriptions, and twists make this a compelling read about the importance of taking care of the land. “The land provides everything that anybody would need. If you take only what your need, the land renews itself so that it can provide more…In exchange, because we don’t really have anything the land wants, we honor it for what it gives us.” The book is reminiscent of The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. A map of the North Country and a Swampy Cree Glossary and Pronunciation Guide are included. mjw |
| Title: The Barren Grounds Author: David A. Robertson Publisher: Puffin Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers Copyright: 2022 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0735-2661-24 Paperback pages: 256 Age range: 10-17 Genre: Fiction, Novel, Fantasy First Nations Book setting: Winnipeg, Manitoba Author’s ethnicity: Norway House Cree Nation Author’s residence: Winnipeg, Manitoba Awards: Honor Book in the USBBY-CBC Outstanding International Trade Books, Robertson is a two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award Subjects: Cree culture, Fantasy, Folk tales, Foster homes, Indigenous stories, Myths, Chronicles of Narnia, Orphans, Traditions |
The Library Bus
Author Bahram Rahman grew up in Afghanistan during the civil war and Taliban regime of 1996-2001. His story was inspired by the first library bus in Kabul that brought books to girls in remote villages and refugee camps who had no other access to education. Five-year-old Pari is starting her first day as her mother’s helper on the library bus. The girls in the villages and camps are learning English, but Pari cannot even read or write in Farsi yet. She is lucky that she will attend school next year. Her mother had to learn in secret because not long ago, girls were forbidden to read. The captivating watercolor and digital media artwork portrays the girls’ smiling faces, the rich landscape of Afghanistan, and the power of education. Included are notes about refugee camps and the author’s experiences in Kabul. mjw |
| Title: The Library Bus Author: Bahram Rahman Illustrator: Gabrielle Grimard Publisher: Pajama Press. Toronto Copyright: 2020 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-77278-101-4 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 5-8 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Kabul, Afghanistan Author’s ethnicity: born in Kabul, Afghanistan Author’s residence: Ontario, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: born in Montreal Illustrator’s residence: Canada Awards: 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award, 2021 Middle East Book Award Winner, 2021 Sout Asian Book Award – Highly recommended book Subjects: Books, Education, Libraries, Homelessness, Middle East, Poverty, Reading, Refugees |
Stand On The Sky
Inkling
Colette’s Lost Pet
The Sandwich Thief
Alpha
Imagine A World
The Nest
Anxious, OCD-ridden, pre-adolescent Steve has a new baby brother who has congenital health problems. The baby needs surgery and may never be completely normal. Steve’s parents are pre-occupied with the baby and Steve starts to have dreams and nightmares with angels/wasps who promise that they can grow a new, healthy baby to replace his sickly newborn brother. And at the same time, a wasps’ nest is rapidly growing outside the baby’s bedroom window. Scientific information about wasps is woven into Steve’s first-person perspective. Black and white graphite drawings add to the mood of this very intense, intriguing, and scary story that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman mjw |
| Title: The Nest Author: Kenneth Oppel Illustrator: John Klassen Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4814-3232-0 Hardcover pages: 256 Age range: 10 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Canada (Toronto) Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Toronto, Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Los Angeles, California, USA Awards: Author has won the Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award. Illustrator has won the Caldecott Medal Subjects: Babies, Changelings, Ghost stories, Horror stories, Infants, Paranormal fiction, Special needs, Supernatural, Wasps |
This One Summer
Every year Rose and her family go to Awago Beach, but this year her parents are fighting. Best friends Rose and Windy question what it means to be grown up. The gorgeous blue illustrations and writing capture the pace of summer, the joys, struggles, relationships, and feelings during adolescence. It subtly and powerfully touches on misogyny, sexism, depression, and will leave readers pondering how they come to their conclusions of others without knowing the full story. ema |
| Title: This One Summer Author: Mariko Tamaki Illustrator: Jillian Tamaki Publisher: First Second Books Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-62672-094-7 Hardcover pages: 320 Age range: 12-18 Genre: Graphic Novel Book setting: Canada Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Canada Illustrator’s ethnicity: Canadian Illustrator’s residence: Brooklyn Awards: 2014 Governor General’s Literary Award for Illustration, 2015 Caldecott Honor, 2015 Printz Honor, 2015 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Winner Subjects: Bullying, Cartoons, Comics, Coming of Age, Female Protagonists, Graphic Novels, Love, Marital Conflict, Relationships, Summer, Teenage Pregnancy, Teenagers, Vacation, Verbal Abuse |
The Lion And The Bird
A heartwarming friendship builds between a lion and a bird after the bird’s wing is injured. The lion generously offers to care for the bird during the winter. Eventually, the bird’s flock returns signaling their parting. One autumn day the pair are reunited and “stay warm again this winter”. Impressive use of splendid illustrations, created using muted washes of brown, blue, and green colored pencil, conveys the changing of seasons and characters’ emotions. Everyone will be delighted along with the lion when he hears one single note. ema |
| Title: The Lion And The Bird Author: Marianne Dubuc Illustrator: Marianne Dubuc Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books Copyright: 2014 Original Language: French Translator: Claudia Z. Bedrick Original Title: Les éditions de la Pastèque Original Publisher: Le lion et l’oiseau Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-59270-151-3 Hardcover pages: 64 Age range: 4 up Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Canadian Author’s residence: France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Canadian Illustrator’s residence: France Awards: 2014 Governor General’s Literacy Award for Illustrations Subjects: Birds, Helping Others, Lions, Loneliness, Nature, Unexpected Friendships, Seasons |










