Each year our team creates a blog series highlighting our favourite reads of the last year, books we are looking forward to reading over the holiday break, or books we plan to give as gifts this year. We hope you enjoy these first suggestions and check back each of the next two weeks for the rest of the series.
Wonderfully Wired Brains by Louise Gooding
I am excited to explore this book with my neurodivergent children. This book explains brain function in lots of great illustrations, helping children understand what happens in our brains, and how it impacts our whole lives. It then helps children, and adults, develop a deep understanding of diverse brains, such as those with Autism, processing disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Cerebral Palsy and Dyslexia. I really like that it covers a timeline of the understanding of neurodiversity, as well as highlighting eight neurodivergent individuals. My daughter with ADHD has a special interest in neurology, and in understanding her and her brother’s brains, so I can’t wait to read this with her!
- Katie Johnson, Program Director
Permanent Astonishment by Thompson Highway
Permanent Astonishment is a memoir by Thompson Highway, a Cree writer best known for his plays Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing and the Rez Sisters. It tells the story of Highway’s childhood in Brochet, a remote village in northern Manitoba, in a landscape not unlike that of the area around Yellowknife and much of the NWT.
Highway tells how growing up in a family with twelve siblings was a magical experience in a harsh and beautiful land. He recounts episodes of delight, wonderment and terror in unique and stunning prose.
With his best intentions in mind, his parents sent him away to boarding school to prepare him for the wider world. His experiences there were mostly positive, very much unlike those of most people who attended residential schools in Canada at the time. His younger brother Rene joined him at the residential school, and later went on to become a renowned dancer who eventually died of AIDS. This story is also a tribute to his brother and his joyous approach to life.
Permanent Astonishment is a wondrous tale of a life lived to the fullest in two very different worlds.
- Keith Horechka, Project Specialist -- Immigration Advising and Digital Skills for Seniors
Care Of Letters, Connections, and Cures by Ivan Coyote
I had the privilege of watching Ivan Coyote perform at Northwords prior to reading their book Care Of Letters, Connections, and Cures. They are a brilliant storyteller both on the stage and the page! Although years have passed since the pandemic, I had continued to prefer to be entertained by worlds not referencing such a dark time that I had just lived through. I put that all aside to dive into Ivan’s stories. Normally, Ivan Coyote spends upwards of 200 days per year on the road performing to live audiences. When March 2020 rolled around, just as all our lives halted, so did theirs. Over the years, they had tucked away meaningful emails, letters, and notes, but had never had the time to respond to them. The great pause that Covid caused allowed Ivan to take the time to respond with great vulnerability and honesty along with an ever-present hint of humour. What followed was a beautiful set of correspondences that illustrate how listening to each other can illuminate great beauty and connection in our lives. This book will be ending up in someone’s stocking this year. A must read, indeed!
- Rachel Vander Veen, Project Specialist -- Family Literacy
The Watchers by A.M. Shine
The Watchers had been on my To Be Read list for a while, and I decided to pick it up when the movie adaptation by director Ishana Night Shyamalan released earlier this year. Set in and around the remote countryside of Western Ireland, the story follows a young artist named Mina who gets lost in the forest on her way to make a delivery. She encounters a group of strangers trapped in a terrifying game with mysterious entities called The Watchers that come out at night to terrorize them.
The book does a fantastic job at building suspense and dread, making the reader question what is real and what is in the characters’ minds. The result is a thrilling supernatural horror story based in traditional Irish folklore with many twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.
- Belinda Breadmore, Project Specialist – Youth Literacy and Communications
The World of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
This year I asked some young friends about which books I should buy. The World of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler, illustrated by Joanie Stone, was a favourite. This is a juvenile fantasy fiction series. Emily doesn’t know how to swim but gets the chance to learn at swimming lessons at school. When she gets into the water, her legs seem to be stuck together and, when she looks down, she sees she has a bright shiny tail. Great for youngsters with lively imaginations.
- Helen Balanoff, Project Manager
Maybe by Kobi Yamada
When I first opened Maybe, I was amazed by how beautiful this book is—not just in its words, but in the breathtaking illustrations. It’s more than just a children’s book; rather, it’s the kind of book that feels like a gift, not just to the person reading it but to the soul itself.
The simplicity of the author’s message—about the limitless potential within all of us—spoke directly to my heart. It reminded me of moments in my life when I’ve doubted myself, and how important it is to remember that we’re all capable of extraordinary things, even if we don’t see it right away. I remember missing a promotion because I didn’t feel I had what it takes, more so, being fearful of what others may think. I’d gift this book to the young, and to the old who have stayed in the space of self-doubt for so long. This book will give them a dose of positivity and hope in a way that magic does to children, without being preachy. It’s one that stays with you long after you’ve closed its cover, whispering its quiet, powerful message: You are more than enough, and your possibilities are endless.
- Grayce Patino, Project Specialist -- HIPPY
Reuniting with Strangers by Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio
When I purchased Reuniting with Strangers, it became a book to be shared and read together in my home. This book tells multiple stories that begin disconnected but have a thread that ties them together, all centering around the experiences of Filipinx immigrants in Canada. The author created fictional stories that resonate and feel truthful by blending her own lived experience with perspectives from her work supporting families. This story is meaningful in my life and the lives of my loved ones, so naturally we had questions and insights for one another. As discussions emerged while taking turns with the book, we decided to read chapters aloud to one another instead. It was a fun challenge for me to practice speaking Tagalog to my partner, and it was very relaxing and moving to be read to.
I am excited to continue sharing this book over the holiday season. I would recommend the story for all ages. Just be sure to support with reading, and some emotional content, for any younger audiences!
- Jordyn Riou, Project Specialist -- Family Literacy
