The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell by @ValerieSherrard DCB @cormorantbooks #ireadcanadian #redmaple #forestofreading

The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell
Valerie Sherrard
DCB Cormorant Books

Valerie Sherrard's latest novel is one of this year's Red Maple Award nominees. She has created an entertaining story about a boy, named Derek, who finds himself invisible and infamous over the course of the novel. His fame and popularity are determined with the help of a single social media post. 
Valerie describes her characters so well that the reader can easily visualize them and relate to their personalities. I enjoyed the way Valerie described Derek's internal feelings about his rise in status at school so that the reader could see how different it is from his public persona.
It's a great read-aloud for middle-grade students as they begin to define their own presence and limits on social media. It would generate some valuable discussions around good decision making when creating your own digital footprint. Valerie explains the pitfalls of notoriety in a humorous and relatable manner.  

Sarah and the search for normal by @WesleyTKing @simonschuster @redmaple #forestofreading #ireadcanadian

Sarah and the Search for Normal
Wesley King
Simon and Schuster

Wesley King's latest novel is a prequel to his book OCDaniel. Both books address mental health issues and help to reduce the stigma of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and OCD. Not only does Sarah, the protagonist, struggles with mental health and she also faces the fear of not fitting in.  Readers will relate to this common elementary school fear.

Sarah gives her insight into what it's like for her to be in a special education class. This is a unique perspective that we don't see often in middle grade. The novel is a great read-aloud for grades 6+ as it will generate great discussion around mental health issues and feelings of belonging.

When Wesley describes Sarah's feelings it builds empathy in the reader. Wesley King manages to write a serious novel in a humorous and relatable way. He shows the spark and intelligence in Sarah even though she must overcome many obstacles to get through the day. Sarah is a likeable character and you are rooting for her throughout the book.

Restart by @gordonkorman @scholasticCDA

Restart
Gordon Korman
Scholastic Press

Gordon Korman doesn't disappoint with this book called Restart. I love the way he envisioned the life of a bully and how someone could get a new start. I also how he describes a serious topic re:concussions but manages to infuse his sense of humour into the situation. My students really enjoyed reading this book and it's a great read aloud for students in grades 6 and up. I would recommend reading this at the beginning of the year to create community and to enable students to try to see others in a new light. This novel opens up great discussions around one's reputation, after affects of concussions and how we need to give others a second chance.

Don't Tell the Enemy by @MarshaSkrypuch @scholasticCDA #forestofreading #redmaple

Don't Tell the Enemy
Marsha Skrypuch
Scholastic

This novel was a difficult read for me because of the way Marsha Skrypuch described the factual events of her family's history within a historical fiction framework.  After reading this novel I wanted to learn more about the Russian treatment of Ukrainians after World War 2.  I knew very little about this time in history and this historical fictional novel helped me to gain more insight and empathy into the lives of others.  This is not a suitable read for sensitive readers but the atrocities described need to be told so that we understand the history.  Marsha bravely told her family story in a direct way.  I think it was a great choice for Red Maple readers because there are many readers who are ready to read compelling tales of post-war tragedies.

Sadia by @ColleenNelson14 @dundurnpress #forestofreading #redmaple

Sadia
Colleen Nelson
Dundurn Press

I loved the way Sadia successfully learns to navigate her new Canadian home and the love of basketball with her Muslim culture and traditions.  My favourite word I learned from this book was "dejabbing."  I think this would be a great read aloud in grades 6+ as it would generate some questions and conversations around equity and justice.
I felt Colleen created a very believable and relatable character in Sadia and her friends.  My students have really enjoyed reading this book as they loved the positive message! I appreciated the message that refugees arrive in Canada with different strengths and needs.  We need to remember to meet all of our students in our class where they are and not where we think they should be.  I suggest reading the memoir Homes by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung is a natural companion read to this novel. This Canada Reads finalist taught me more about the Syrian crisis.

Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, Winnie Yeung @fhbooks #Canadareads @cbcbooks

Homes

Abu Bakr al Rabeeah,  

Winnie Yeung

Freehand Books

I really enjoyed this nominated Canada Reads book as it helped me gain insight into the life of a Syrian family and their dangerous journey to Canada.  This was an excellent memoir to read as it taught me more about the Syrian crisis and I have developed more empathy and understanding.  The book is quite accessible for many readers and many I feel that students in grades 7+ could learn from it.  I would make a great read aloud as it would generate many conversations around social justice and gratitude for our Canadian lifestyle.  This memoir would have been very difficult to write as it would bring back difficult times and mastering the words to describe his experience would have seemed daunting.  I congratulate the writing team!
This is a great companion to Colleen Nelson's fictional novel Sadia.

No Fixed Address by @susinnielsen @TundraBooks

No Fixed Address
Susin Nielsen
Tundra Books

This realistic fiction would be a great read aloud for grades 6+ to assist with and to help develop conversation around social justice and mental health issues.  It is set in Vancouver and Felix is a high school student that must hide his homelessness and deal with his mother's mental health concerns. I think this novel reminds us all that everyone struggles in life and that it is okay to ask for help. I feel that this is another great example of how a fictional novel can develop empathy for others.  This book will be a "window" and a "mirror" for your students.  The characters are well-developed and relatable; a strength of Susin Nielsen's writing.  I couldn't help to make a text-to-text connection to Ann Braden's book The Benefits of Being an Octopus.  I feel that both authors address the struggles with poverty in a realistic and empathetic manner.  These two books would work very well together to support the inquiry around social justices issue such as poverty in our wealthy countries of Canada and the United States.