National Day for Truth and Reconciliation for Kids

A selection of books for children including picture books, novels and non-fiction, by Indigenous authors in Canada.

Updated September 14, 2024
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Abalone woman
Spathelfer, Teoni
Paper Book
A vivid dream teaches Little Wolf about courage and acceptance of those who are different, and inspires her to show her daughters and their classmates how to be proud of their diverse cultural backgrounds. Throughout her life, Little Wolf has been troubled by the injustice she sees all...
Aggie & Mudgy : the journey of two Kaska Dena children
Proverbs, Wendy
Paper Book
Based on the true story of the author's biological mother and aunt, this middle-grade novel traces the long and frightening journey of two Kaska Dena sisters as they are taken from their home to attend residential school. When Maddy discovers an old photograph of two little girls in...
Amazing L'nu'k: A Celebration of the People of Mi'kma'ki
Pellissier-Lush, Julie
Paper Book
The newest installment in the celebrated illustrated series about Amazing Atlantic Canadians, featuring incredible Indigenous people. Delve into the uplifting stories of the people of Mi'kma'ki in this full-colour illustrated book. Meet a devoted water protector, learn about a teen...
Blue camas, blue camas
Marcotte, Danielle S.
Paper Book
The captivating story of how the Blue Camas, a flower that has been cultivated on Canada's west coast since time immemorial, came to symbolize the meeting of two contrasting ways of life and the perseverance of traditional knowledge against all odds. Blue Camas, Blue...
The case of the pilfered pin
Hutchinson, Michael
Paper Book
The Windy Lake First Nation's lands have been shared with cottagers for fifty years, but no one can agree on where the reserve land ends. The only thing that can prove the boundary is a steel surveyor's pin with the borders of the Windy Lake reserve etched into its head. When the Mighty...
Crow helps a friend
Fritz, Andrea
Paper Book
Key Selling Points Q'uleeq'e' the crow tries to make up for her mistake in this story about finding friendship and new beginnings through challenging experiences. The text includes names and words in Hul'q'umi'num', an Indigenous language spoken on and around Vancouver...
Dad, I Miss You: A Residential School Story
Sammurtok, Nadia
Paper Book
This story is dedicated to the author's mother and father, both of whom are residential school survivors. Told in the voice of a boy and his father by turns, this book takes a thoughtful and heartfelt look at the emotional toll of a child being taken from their family and community to...
Dancing with our ancestors
Davidson, Sara Florence.
Paper Book
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...
Every child matters
Webstad, Phyllis.
Paper Book
Learn the meaning behind the phrase, 'Every Child Matters.' Orange Shirt Day founder, Phyllis Webstad, offers insights into this heartfelt movement. Every Child Matters honours the history and resiliency of Indigenous Peoples on Turtle Island and moves us all forward on a path toward Truth and...
Ga's = The train
Callaghan, Jodie
Paper Book
The dual-language edition, in English and Mi'gmaq, of the Silver Birch Express-nominated title, The Train. Ashley meets her great-uncle by the old train tracks near their community in Nova Scotia. Ashley sees his sadness, and Uncle tells her of the day years ago when he and the...
The Girl Who Loved the Birds
Dandurand, Joseph
Paper Book
A story for children by Kwantlen storyteller and award-winning poet Joseph Dandurand. The Girl Who Loved the Birds is the third in a series of Kwantlen legends by award-winning author Joseph Dandurand, following The Sasquatch, the Fire and the Cedar Baskets and A Magical Sturgeon. ...
Heart berry bling
Dupuis, Jenny Kay
Paper Book
On a visit to her granny, Maggie is excited to begin her first-ever beading project: a pair of strawberry earrings. However, beading is much harder than she expected! As they work side by side, Granny shares how beading helped her persevere and stay connected to her Anishinaabe culture when she...
Kaiah's garden
Florence, Melanie
Paper Book
An uplifting story of a girl's connection to her beloved grandmother through the beadwork art they created together. As she wakes up one dull morning, Kaiah feels as cold and grey as the day. She longs to be with her grandmother again. Kaiah's life doesn't feel right without her. But...
Kekwan Etakwak MîkisîhkWhat's in a Bead?
Borgford, Kelsey
Paper Book
Tessa loves how her grandmother always smells of campfire stories. Mom says it's because Kohkom spends her days sewing beautiful beads onto smoked hides. Inspired, Tessa asks Kohkom to teach her beading, but first she must listen and learn about the many stories held in a bead. This dual...
Let's Go
Flett, Julie
Paper Book
An extraordinary book that celebrates skateboarding, family, and community, from beloved artist and author Julie Flett, a winner of the New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book Award. Every day, a little boy watches kids pass by on...
Lights along the river
Skene, Pat
Paper Book
On a cold winter morning in 1952, Patsy Lamondin wakes to the day electricity will finally be connected to her small town along the Magnetawan River. Patsy and her siblings buzz with excitement, eagerly awaiting the ceremony being held at the center of town. The Lamondins have lived along...
Muinji'j asks why : the story of the Mi'kmaq and the Shubenacadie Residential School
MacEachern, Muinji'j
Paper Book
An educational and heartfelt retelling of the story of the Mi'kmaq and their traditional lands, Mi'kma'ki, for young readers, focused on the generational traumas of the Indian Residential School System. "The story of the Mi'kmaw people is one that very few truly know, Ladybug....
My little Ogichidaa : an Indigenous lullaby
Poll, Willie
Paper Book
My Little Ogichidaa is inspired by Indigenous motherhood. It invites readers to explore the compelling dreams and hopes of an Indigenous parent for her soon-to-be-born warrior. The word Ogichidaa itself means warrior in Anishinaabemowin, and this beautifully illustrated book is a tribute to...
My Trip to Pond Inlet
Awa, Solomon
One rainy day, Solomon is playing inside with his sister. Their mom is cooking polar bear meat in a big pot of water. Suddenly, he trips and burns his arm in the pot of boiling water! The burn is so bad that he must travel to the health centre in the neighbouring community of Pond Inlet, Nunavut....
Métis like me
Hilderman, Tasha
Paper Book
Are you Metis like me? A group of children of Metis descent share and explore all the ways they celebrate and experience their heritage - enjoying traditional foods like bannock bread and Saskatoon berries; crafting with beads; sharing stories, dance, music and songs. Each child shares a different...
Nipakosêyimon = I hope
Gray Smith, Monique
Paper Book
Key Selling Points Simple, straightforward text outlines essential hopes that adults have for the young ones they love and asks young readers what hopes they have for themselves. Monique Gray Smith in an award-winning, bestselling author and advocate for the mental health...
Oolichan moon
Beynon, Samantha
Paper Book
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...
The Raven Boy
Meyok, Rosemarie Avrana
Paper Book
In this retelling of an Inuit traditional story from the Western Arctic, a doll made by a poor old woman who is cast aside by her camp magically comes to life. The boy, with the beak of a raven from the materials the doll was crafted from, lives and is raised as the old woman's son. When he is...
The raven mother
Huson, Brett D.
Paper Book
★ Starred selection for CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2023! Hoarders. Scavengers. Clever foragers. Bringers of new life. Ravens have many roles, both for the land and in Gitxsan story and song. The sixth book in Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)'s Mothers of Xsan...
Sanirajak, a Place I Love
Qanatsiaq, Alice
Alice loves her community, and she's excited to show others her favourite things to see and do throughout the year. From ice fishing to collecting clams to cheering on hunters in the community, there is always something to enjoy in Sanirajak, Nunavut. Explore Sanirajak with Alice in this...
The secret pocket
Janicki, Peggy
Paper Book
★"Captures the sympathy of readers and holds their attention...An age-appropriate telling by an Indigenous creative team of a tragic historical period."--School Library Journal, starred review The true story of how Indigenous girls at a residential school sewed secret pockets into...
Shamus the Urban Rez Dog, P.I
Gentile, Leslie
Paper Book
Missing jewelry, a false accusation, and a real thief. Shamus the Urban Rez Dog, P.I. is on the case. The name's Shamus. I'm a special kind of dog known as a Rez Dog. That means I'm a mix of different breeds and I come from a reserve. I live in the city with Mom and the twins, Rainey and...
Lo Simpson starts a revolution
Florence, Melanie
Paper Book
Key Selling Points Lo's best friend is leaving her behind for makeup, boys, and bras, while Lo wants to stick to her comics and Doctor Who; luckily, she finds some new friends who support her as she is and help her find her voice as an advocate and activist. Lo Simpson...
Sky Wolf's call : the gift of Indigenous knowledge
Yellowhorn, Eldon
Paper Book
From healing to astronomy to our connection to the natural world, the lessons from Indigenous knowledge inform our learning and practices today. How do knowledge systems get passed down over generations? Through the knowledge inherited from their Elders and ancestors, Indigenous Peoples...
Speaking our truth : a journey of reconciliation
Gray Smith, Monique
Paper Book
★"Smith's book is an effort that returns, offering diverse voices that invite the world into the reconciliation experience. Absolutely necessary."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review Canada's relationship with its Indigenous people has suffered as a result of both the residential...
Stand like a cedar
Campbell, Nicola I.
Paper Book
When you go for a walk in nature, who do you see? What do you hear? Award-winning storyteller Nicola I. Campbell shows what it means to "stand like a cedar" on this beautiful journey of discovery through the wilderness. Learn the names of animals in the Nłeʔkepmxcín or Halq...
Sweetgrass
Meuse, Theresa
Paper Book
A modern story of traditional Indigenous knowledge that follows a young boy and his Auntie as they gather and braid sweetgrass, one of the four sacred medicines. It's early July, and for Matthew and his Auntie that means one thing: time to go sweetgrass picking. This year, Matthew's...
Teachings of the Drum
Louie, Ren
Paper Book
The drum is a special symbol in many Indigenous cultures. In this rhyming picture book, young Ren is given a handmade drum by his mother that help to teach him many things about himself and his culture. An adaptation of best-selling book, Drum from the Heart, by Indigenous author Ren Louie for ages...
White Raven
Spathelfer, Teoni
Paper Book
Little Wolf, grown up with children of her own, moves to the country where her mother, White Raven, shares a sad story from her childhood. All grown up with a family of her own, Little Wolf moves from the big city to the island of her ancestors. She wants to share the beauty and...
With our orange hearts
Webstad, Phyllis
Paper Book
"Every child matters, including you and me. With our orange hearts, we walk in harmony." As a young child, your little world can be full of big emotions. In this book, I, Phyllis Webstad, founder of Orange Shirt Day, show that sharing my story with the world helped me to process my feelings. My true...
The Witness Blanket : truth, art and reconciliation
Newman, Carey
Paper Book
For more than 150 years, thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families and sent to residential schools across Canada. Artist Carey Newman created the Witness Blanket to make sure that history is never forgotten. The Blanket is a living work of art--a collection of...
The Wolf Pup
Snowball, Etua
Paper Book
Etua Snowball shares his childhood experience with the unlikeliest of friend--an Arctic wolf pup that he meets at a remote camp where the boy spends his summers. As the child and the pup become more comfortable with one another, they go hunting, walking, exploring, and catching butterflies...

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