The story centers on a group of seventh graders at Ironville Middle School who join an afterschool video game club to play “The Good War,” a World War II simulation that divides them into Axis powers and Allies teams. What begins as a friendly competition soon spirals out of control as some students, influenced by […]
Kim’s Convenience is a Canadian TV series that follows the everyday lives of the Kim family, first-generation Korean immigrants running a convenience store in Toronto’s Regent Park. Over the course of five seasons, viewers follow the ups and downs of Mr. Kim (Appa), his wife Mrs. Kim (Umma), their daughter Janet, and their estranged son […]
Kim’s Convenience is a play that follows the lives of the Kimfamily, first-generation Korean immigrants running a conveniencestore in Toronto’s Regent Park. Mr. Kim (Appa) is determined tosecure his family’s future through the store, hoping his daughterJanet will take over the business. However, Janet dreams of acareer in photography and resists her father’s wishes. Meanwhile,the […]
Joel Budd’s Underdogs is an exploration of the realities, myths, and shiftingidentities of Britain’s white working-class communities. Through a blend of reportage, interviews, and historical analysis, Budd investigates how this group has been alternately ignored,caricatured, politicized, and often blamed or credited for seismicpolitical shifts such as Brexit and recent general elections. Thebook travels from post-industrial […]
The book offers young readers an accessible introduction tothe long and often overlooked history of Black people in Britain.Olusoga traces this history from Roman times through the Tudors,Stuarts, Georgians, Victorians, and into the 20th century,highlighting the presence, contributions, and struggles of BlackBritons across the centuries. The book explores key figures, suchas John Blanke, Dido Elizabeth […]
This graphic novel tells the story of Ebo, a twelve-year-old boy from a small African village. When Ebo’s brother and sister both set out on the journey to Europe in search of safety and a better life, Ebo follows, determined not to be left behind. His epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert, through the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and onto the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Illegal addresses contemporary issues such as forced migration, human trafficking, and the refugee crisis. The story is inspired by real events and provides a resource for discussing migration, human rights, and empathy.
Inspired by the true story of an Arctic fox’s extraordinary 2,000-mile migration from Norway to Canada, the book follows Leila as she travels to Norway to reconnect with her estranged mother, a climate scientist. Together, they join an expedition tracking Miso’s perilous trek across the Arctic, a journey driven bythe need to survive in a world altered by climate change. The narrative draws parallels between Miso’s migration and Leila’s own experience fleeing Syria, exploring themes of displacement, resilience, belonging, and the search for home.
The story follows Ajay, a street child abandoned on the Mumbai railways, who survives by selling newspapers but dreams of becoming a journalist. When Ajay discovers an old printing press, he and his friends launch their own newspaper, The Mumbai Sun. Their reporting leads them to uncover a corrupt scheme by powerful builders and politicians to demolish a neighboring slum, threatening to leave hundreds homeless. This novel addresses themes of ambition, resilience, friendship, and the power of words to create change. It is an excellent resource for exploring social justice and civic responsibility with students aged 8–12. The narrative encourages critical thinking about ethics, corruption, and the role of the media in society. It provides opportunities for discussions on poverty, homelessness, and the importance of community action.
This novel blends fairy tale elements with real-world challenges. The story follows Hazel, a 12-year-old girl sent ahead of her parents from Kuwait to England to live with her great aunt. Struggling to adapt to a new country, Hazel finds herself caught between reality and a fantasy world, where three mysterious fireflies set her daunting quests. As Hazel navigates summer school and tries to make friends, the fireflies’ challenges become a metaphor for her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety. Through fairy tales, Hazel learns to face her fears, seek support, and discover her own strength. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-flash-of-fireflies-aisha-bushby?variant=39708719415330
This novel centers on thirteen-year-old Aaliyah, a Muslim girl living in the Midlands whose life changes completely after a terrorist attack at a concert. As anti-Muslim rhetoric and racism surge in her community and school, Aaliyah faces bullying and isolation, but instead of hiding her identity, she chooses towear a hijab for the first time as an act of pride and resistance. When her schoolbans the hijab and intimidation escalates, Aaliyah must find her voice and alliesto stand up against prejudice and fight for her rights and those of others facingdiscrimination. Fight Back addresses themes of identity, racism, Islamophobia, allyship, and resilience in the classroom.
Marshall’s Walkabout is a survival novel following two young siblings, Mary and Peter, from America, who, after a plane crash, are stranded in the Australian Outback. Plagued by starvation and exhaustion, their chances of survival in these unknown and strange lands seem to be low until they meet an Aboriginal boy who takes the role […]
This young-adult book focuses on child abuse, parental neglect, social stratification, and friendship and is structured as diary entries of the two girls Treasure and India.Young Treasure lives with her mother and her abusive stepfather Terry who one day hits her with his belt and scars her forehead. Upon this incident, Treasure’s grandmother takes her […]
Robots is an animated science fiction comedy about material values, consumerism, and perseverance. Young robot Rodney Copperbotton follows his dream to become an inventor and leaves his home for the big city to meet his idol Bigweld whose company hires inventors and provides robots with spare parts. Upon arriving, however, Rodney learns that Bigweld has […]
After his parents die, young James is sent to live with his two abusive aunts, Spiker and Sponge. One day, a giant peach magically starts growing on their property. Who would expect that James’ new friends and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure are waiting for him on the inside…
When everyone in London goes to sleep, the animals come out to play. And although London’s animals do not usually get along, they gather for a celebration of peace and harmony once a year. But when a discussion begins about what the most beautiful place in London is, things get a little tense… This bilingual […]
This humorous story of two fox cubs is the perfect introduction to graphic novels for younger readers. Nancy and Ted, two young foxes, have always lived in the Big City. However, they are driven away by the terrifying street cat Princess Buttons. They seek refuge in the countryside, but Grimwood isn’t as peaceful and quaint […]
This animated film follows the life of a small robot called WALL-E. He spends his days collecting garbage on a deserted Earth, made uninhabitable by human behaviour. When he is visited by a probe, EVE, he falls madly in love with her and follows her across the galaxy back to her spaceship. There, on the […]
For her 11th birthday, Kate’s present is all she could have ever wanted… a magical locomotive! She immediately wants to take it for a spin, but her brother and she aren’t the only passengers. The train is filled with endangered animals that need to be returned to their natural habitats. From a lost polar bear […]