Intermediate Senior English

I Can See You by Rosemarie Avrana Meyok; Michelle Simpson (Illustrator) In this adorable book to be shared with babies and toddlers, mothers explore their love for their babies as experienced through the five senses.From the sound of a baby's giggles to the smell of a kunik, this book celebrates the unique bonds shared between mothers and babies.

Phoenix Gets Greater by Marty Wilson-Trudeau; Megan Kyak-Monteith (Illustrator); Phoenix Wilson (As told to) Phoenix loves to play with dolls and marvel at pretty fabrics. Most of all, he loves to dance--ballet, Pow Wow dancing, or just swirling and twirling around his house. Sometimes Phoenix gets picked on and he struggles with feeling different, but his mom and brother are proud of him. With their help, Phoenix learns about Two Spirit/Niizh Manidoowag people in Anishinaabe culture and just how special he is. Based on the childhood experiences of her son, Phoenix, Marty Wilson-Trudeau demonstrates the difference that a loving and supportive family can make.

Wiijibibamatoon Anangoonan/Runs with the Stars by Darcy Whitecrow; Heather M. O'Connor; Lenny Lishchenko (Illustrator); Kelvin Morrison (Translator) As they await the birth of a new foal, a man teaches his grandchild about the Ojibwe Horses that used to roam the forests of northwestern Ontario. The horses once ran wild and free, but when Grandfather was a boy, they almost disappeared. Now he is the caretaker of his own small herd, keeping the breed alive for future generations and teaching his grandchild about the loving bond between human and animals. This dual language edition contains the story in both Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) and English.

The Day I Became Number 54 by Gallant, Lorrie, author, illustrator.

Dancing with Our Ancestors by Sara Florence Davidson; Robert Davidson; Janine Gibbons (Illustrator) In this tender picture book, Sara Florence Davidson transports readers to the excitement of a potlatch in Hydaburg, Alaska--her last memory of dancing with her late brother. It feels like my brother and I have always known how to sing the songs and dance the dances of our Haida ancestors. Unlike our father, we were born after the laws that banned our cultural practices were changed. The potlatch ban did not exist during our time, so we grew up dancing and singing side by side. The invitations have been sent. The food has been prepared. The decorations have been hung. And now the day of the potlatch has finally arrived! Guests from all over come to witness this bittersweet but joyful celebration of Haida culture and community. Written by the creators of Potlatch as Pedagogy, this book brings the Sk'ad'a Principles to life through the art of Janine Gibbons.

Silence to strength : writings and reflections on the Sixties Scoop by Smith, Christine Miskonoodinkwe, 1973- editor. "From the 1960s through the 1980s the Canadian Children's Aid Society engaged in a large-scale program of taking First Nations children from their families and communities and adopting them out to non-Indigenous families. This systemic abduction of untold thousands of children came to be known as the Sixties Scoop. Stories of the intergenerational disruption from loss of family and culture are shared in this collection, as are stories of strength and survivance. In Silence to Strength: Writings and Reflections on the 60s Scoop, editor Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith gathers together contributions from seventeen Sixties Scoop survivors from across the territories of Canada. These courageous writings show there is strength in telling story, and power in ending the silences of the past."-- Back cover.

Journeys of the One to Strike the Wetigo by Ken Carriere A first-hand account of a Swampy Cree boy's experiences hunting and trapping in the upstream region of the Saskatchewan River Delta. Depicting a certain Indigenous lifestyle that existed in Northern Saskatchewan way past the Fur Trade era, Ken Carriere shares his first-hand account of experiences as a young boy helping his father with muskrat trapping, commercial fishing, and guiding hunters in the upstream region of the Saskatchewan River Delta. Opimōtēwina wīna kapagamawāt Wītigōwa / Journeys of The One to Strike the Wetigo contains interviews with elders, stories, personal photographs, and poetry, along with some original Swampy Cree translations. Creating a vivid portrait of what it was like to live off the land in the past, Carriere also reveals how commercial fishing and hunting, hydro-electric dams, and other Western endeavours have impacted the livelihoods of so many Northern communities."-- Provided by publisher.

My Indian Summer by Joseph Kakwinokanasum Winner of the PMC Indigenous Literature Award 2023 Three kohkums, a man named Crow, two best friends, and a drug dealer . . . twelve-year-old Hunter may be getting out of Red Rock sooner than he hoped. For Hunter Frank, the summer of '79 begins with his mother returning home only to collect the last two months' welfare cheques, leaving her three "fucking half-breeds" to fend for themselves. When his older sister escapes their northern BC town and his brother goes to fight forest fires, Hunter is on his own, with occasional care coming from a trio of elders--his kohkums--and companionship from his two best friends. It's been a good summer for the young entrepreneur, but the cash in the purple Crown Royal bag hidden in his mattress still isn't enough to fund his escape from his monstrous mother and the town of Red Rock. As the Labour Day weekend arrives, so does a new friend with old wisdom and a business opportunity that might be just a boy at the crossroads needs. My Indian Summer is the story of a journey to understanding that some villains are also victims, and that while reconciliation may not be possible, survival is.

A Blanket of Butterflies by Richard Van Camp; Scott B. Henderson (Illustrator) A Blanket of Butterflies explores the journey of Shinobu, a mysterious stranger who visits Fort Smith, NWT, to retrieve his family's samurai suit of armor and sword from the museum. When he discovers that his grandfather's sword has been lost in a poker game to the man they call "Benny the Bank," he sets out to retrieve it, with the help of a young boy, Sonny, and his grandmother. Together, they face Benny and his men, Torchy, Sfen and the giant they call Flinch. This graphic novel, beautifully illustrated by Scott B. Henderson, explores the grace of family and the power of the Great Mystery. A Blanket of Butterflies is nominated for a 2016 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue/One-Shot.

Nii Ndahlohke : boys' and girls' work at Mount Elgin Industrial School 1890-1915 by McCallum, Mary Jane Logan, 1974- author. Tucker, Julie, (Nii Ndahlohke) writer of afterword. "This book takes its title from the phrase for "I work" in Lunaape, the traditional language of Munsee Delaware people, and was inspired by the work of the Munsee Delaware Language and History Group. Written for the descendants and communities of children who attended Mount Elgin and intended as a resource for all Canadians, Nii Ndahlohke tells the story of student life at Mount Elgin Industrial School between 1890 and 1915. Like the school itself, Nii Ndahlohke is structured in two sections. The first focuses on boys' work, including maintenance and farm labour, the second on girls' work, such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. In Nii Ndahlohke readers will find a valuable piece of local, Indigenous, and Canadian history that depicts the nature of "education" provided at Canada's Indian residential schools and the exploitation of children's labour in order to keep school operating costs down. This history honours the students of Mount Elgin even as it reveals the injustice of Indian policy, segregated schooling, and racism in Canada."-- ǂc Provided by the publisher.