Stink and the Hairy, Scary Spider is a great tool to help readers with their arachnophobia as it provides a how-to guide to ease readers fear and learn about the eight-legged creatures. … More Stink and the Hairy, Scary Spider by Megan McDonald, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds
“I now understand that I need to write and I enjoy it immensely. It’s self-expression and creativity, it’s restorative, it’s liberating. It’s recently been full-time. I only wish I had devoted myself to this sooner.” … More 5 Questions for Wayne Ng
Magic amongst the trees, a rumour of a devil, and friends going missing—Camp Twisted Pine is not the pleasant summer camp that was promised. Booksmart Naomi, who prefers the indoors, was already hesitant about the camp before hearing of its legends… … More Camp Twisted Pine by Ciera Burch
Khodi is a biracial Afro-Caribbean writer, rapper, spoken word artist and educator based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Growing up in Moose Jaw, Khodi was often the only Black person in his school and one of few in his community, experiencing a wealth of microaggressions.
Reading the stories of Khodi’s life made me more aware of how important it is to have a Black Canadian perspective on anti-blackness and anti-racism. … More Stay Up: Racism, Resistance, and Reclaiming Black Freedom by Khodi Dill, illus. Stylo Starr
Jessie is the heart of the story and it was easy to follow along with her and to understand and sympathize with her choices as she discovered how to deal with crushes, friend troubles, and the general chaos of the first year of high school. … More Something More by Jackie Khalilieh
Sometimes when YA novels embrace societal issues such as cultural diversity or the sexuality spectrum, it can come across as self-righteous or as forced into the plot to convey a message. Finding Famous is the opposite of that. Josie is simply Iranian-American, and Farsi words and Iranian foods and traditions are naturally woven into the narrative. … More Finding Famous: A Mashad Family Novel, by Candice Jalili
Wab Kinew has created a beautiful world that intertwines virtual reality and Anishinaabe culture in a wonderful way. Descriptions of the Floraverse are stunning and I felt myself get sucked into the ‘Verse, captured by Bugz’ adventures. Chapters often ended on cliffhangers, and I was unable to put the book down. … More The Everlasting Road by Wab Kinew
This book deals with the serious topic of abuse, and realistically portrays how a teenager would deal with someone they care about experiencing domestic abuse. Trace is a believable character, whose behaviour reflects that of a survivor. … More Wingman by Jean Mills
While Airlock is a short book, it has just the right amount of worldbuilding to make it a satisfying science fiction novella. The state of the planet is described in enough detail for the story to be logical without lingering too much on unnecessary information. … More Airlock by Tash McAdam
A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey tackles grief, relationships, and family dynamics through the lens of a teenage girl who just lost her mother to dementia and is on a path to losing herself, too. … More A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey
YOUNG ADULTING 