Shannen and the Dream for a School

Written by Janet Wilson

Published by Second Story Press 2011

How can there still be children in Canada, who have to fight for a proper school, in the year 2011? This is the true story of Shannen Koostachin, and her friends who live in Attawapiskat, a Cree community on the coast of James Bay. Twenty years earlier, a fuel spill resulted in the closure of their school, forcing the children to attend schools in portables. The portables were so cold that the students often couldn’t take their mittens or jackets off, even in gym class. The government had promised to build a new school, but ten years later that promise was still unfulfilled.

Shannen Koostachin was a remarkable girl who decided to do something about this terrible injustice. She and her classmates decided to take a trip to Ottawa, where Shannen made a passionate speech to the politicians. She urged them to take care of First Nations children, not just in Attawapiskat, but in every community where children were attending a proper school. They made a YouTube video about their situation. And they received support from children who lived thousands of miles away.

This is another important title in the “A Kids’ Power Book” series, published by Second Story Press. It includes an epilogue, historical notes, timeline, glossary and a glossary of Cree words. “Shannen and the Dream for a School” is a moving and hopeful story about children making a difference. Like all the books in this series, after reading this story and seeing all the photos, I felt a strong connection with the children and their community.

In 2010 Shannen was killed in a car accident, so she never saw her dream of a new school come to fruition. She was 15 years old. Shannen believed that she and her friends could make a difference, and her dream continues today. This is a must-have book for every school library.

Check out these videos to learn more about Shannen:

Great Graphic Wednesdays is a weekly blog posting. Check here every Wednesday for reviews of recommended graphic novels, by members of the Tinlids Graphic Novel Book Club.

Amelia Rules True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know)

Written and Illustrated by Jimmy Gownley

Details: Colour comic reads left to right. Paperback ISBN 9781416986096 Hardcover ISBN 9781416986119

Grade 4-6

Description (from publisher): Meet Amelia Louise McBride. She was forced to move out of Manhattan after her parents decided to get divorced, and is now living in a small town. She's survived being the new kid, multiple trips to the principal's office, and even her first kiss. But it remains to be seen if she'll survive turning eleven! The sixth volume starts with a bang: a huge birthday party featuring surprise guests and a special song from Aunt Tanner! It all seems too good to be true, until it turns out . . . it is. Suddenly, Amelia's friends are fighting all the time. She gets the worst report card of her life. And when she finally musters the guts to tell a certain boy how she feels about him, she brutally learns why it's called a "crush." Aunt Tanner would know just what to do—if she were around. But with her new album and maybe a new boyfriend, she doesn't seem to have time for Amelia anymore.

Review : Oh the memory of ‘tween drama! It’s so funny when you look back on it, but when you’re 11 and just starting to experience all of those confusing and unexpected feelings about your family, it sometimes gets blown out of proportion. I love all of the Amelia books but this one is my favourite so far. I really enjoyed getting to know Amelia’s parents and her aunt Tanner a bit better. Amelia is starting to understand them better too. She’s starting to understand that adults actually had a life and their own drama when they were younger. And they still do!

Jim Gownley’s illustrations are brilliant; the facial expressions deliver that extra bit of information that tells you so much more about the character. Funny gestures and lots of action shots that make you feel like you’re right there in Amelia’s house. I also love Aunt Tanner’s quotes which pop up now and then… like “I’m still waiting to use algebra.”

Maria Martella is the owner of Tinlids Inc.

Other Amelia Books:

Amelia Rules: The Whole World's Crazy

Amelia Rules: What Makes you Happy

Amelia Rules: Superheroes

Amelia Rules: When the Past is Present

Amelia Rules: Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular

'Great Graphic Wednesday' is a weekly blog posting. Check here every Wednesday for reviews of recommended graphic novels, by members of the Tinlids Graphic Novel Book Club.

Big Nate from the Top

Written and Illustrated by Lincoln Peirce

Details: Black and white comic reads left to right. Paperback ISBN 9781449402327

Grade 3-7

Summary (from back of book) Big Nate, a.k.a. middle schooler Nate Wright, is eleven years old, four-and-a-half feet tall, and the wunderkind creation of cartoonist Lincoln Peirce. Nate is also the star of six novelized books to be published by HarperCollins, the first of which debuted on the New York Times children's best-seller list. This Big Nate Collection collects Peirce's Big Nate strips, originally published only in newspapers.

For those not familiar with Big Nate, think Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Calvin and Hobbes. Nate is a self-described genius and a sixth-grade Renaissance man equipped with only a #2 pencil and the unshakable belief that he is destined for greatness (a fortune cookie told him so). He fights a daily battle against overzealous teachers, undercooked cafeteria food, and all-around conventionality. He's the original rebel without a clue, alternately abrasive and endearing to classmates and teachers alike. Throughout Peirce's Big Nate Collection, Nate blazes an unforgettable trail through the sixth grade at P.S. 38, earning straight A’s in laughs (and numerous detentions) along the way.

Review: If you liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid, you’ll love the Big Nate books; the format is exactly the same, except this one is a collection of the Big Nate comic strips, and not written in chapters like the others. The illustrations provide just as much humour as the text, in the details of facial expressions and body language; both work together to enhance our understanding of the hilarious daily situations Nate finds himself in.

I love how confident Nate is, even though he has so many “unlucky days”. I think he’s much more loveable than Greg Heffly from Diary of a Wimpy Kid (which I also like). Nate is good-hearted even when he’s getting into trouble at school or at home, and there’s a real sense of hope in his attitude. Somehow you just know he’s going to be okay, no matter what disaster strikes. I actually laughed out loud – more than once.

Other Big Nate Titles:

In a Class by Himself hardcover ISBN 9780061944369

Big Nate Strikes Again paperback ISBN 978-0007355174 Hardcover ISBN 9780061944369

Maria Martella is the owner of Tinlids Inc.