White Raven

Spathelfer, Teoni. White Raven. Victoria: Heritage, 2021.
Little Wolf moves with her husband and three daughters to a peaceful island home where they enjoy living by the seashore and exploring in the forest. When Little Wolf’s mother, White Raven, comes to visit, the girls learn about their grandmother’s childhood in a residential school. Based on the author’s own mother’s experiences at a residential school in Alert Bay, B.C., this picture book is one of the most detailed in its depiction of life for indigenous children. It focuses on facts: children had their heads shaved and covered with DDT; the food given to them was often mouldy and bug-ridden; sausages were served raw; toilet paper was sometimes eaten to appease the constant hunger; nights were filled with the sounds of children crying; if they spoke their own language, their mouths were washed out with soap; they were always called by number rather than name. However, the story also mentions the kindness of one of the teachers, Mrs. Oak, who cared for White Raven when she was ill and sewed her a new dress.

The format of this book – brightly coloured illustrations and a relatively large font with widely spaced lines of print – makes it ideal for reading aloud. The sentence structure is straight-forward and well-suited for readers eight to ten years old. The factual details make it excellent as a research resource for students nine to twelve years old. Therefore, while discretion should be used in presenting this picture book to very young readers, it is highly recommended for both elementary and middle school libraries. 

More picture books based on memories

More books about indigenous people

More books set in Canada

The Big Sting

Delaney, Rachelle. The Big Sting. Toronto: Tundra, 2023.
Leo and his family are spending a week on a small island off the coast of British Columbia. Leo enjoys virtual adventures on his computer at home in Toronto, but now he is in the middle of a real-life mystery: his recently deceased grandmother’s beehives have been stolen and his grandfather is determined to find them. Meanwhile, his parents have taken themselves off to a luxury resort. How will Leo cope with his grumpy grandfather and impetuous younger sister? The hopefulness of Patricia MacLachlan’s stories and the zany humour of Polly Horvath’s stories combine in this life-affirming novel highly recommended for readers 8 to 11 years old.

A novel by Patricia MacLachlan

Novels by Polly Horvath

Stories about grandparents

Stories by Canadian writers

Stories set in Canada

National Aboriginal Day

It’s National Aboriginal Day in Canada!

Vickers, Roy Henry and Robert Budd. Raven Brings the Light. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Pub., 2013.
This complex powerful legend from the Tsimshian people of the Pacific northwest coast of N.A. is recommended for readers nine-years-old and up. An excellent read-aloud and an intriguing story for readers who enjoy inferring cross-cultural connections and finding universal themes. 

Find more stories of indigenous peoples of N.A. HERE.

Campbell, Nicola. Shi-shi-etko. Toronto: Groundwood, 2005.
A little girl is taught by her mother, father, and grandmother how to remember her home and her culture before she is taken away on a cattle truck to residential school. Astonishingly beautiful illustrations accompany this poignant story filled with five senses details. Highly recommended for readers – and listeners – of all ages.