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First Nations Communities Read 2023

First Nations Communities Read (FNCR) is an annual reading program launched in 2003 by the First Nations public library community in Ontario. The program is designed to encourage family literacy, and promote the voices of indigenous authors, illustrators, and publishers. Learn more from the FNCR website.

  • Author:
    Kalluk, Babah
    Summary:

    Niitu’s best friend is Chips. It doesn’t matter that Niitu is a kid and Chips is a seal, they spend every moment they can together. When Niitu and Chips head out for a day at the lake, being a seal ends up coming in very handy at the...

  • Author:
    Beynon, Samantha
    Summary:

    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...

  • Author:
    Ken Carriere
    Summary:

    "A first-hand account of a Swampy Cree boy's experiences growing up in the Saskatchewan River Delta, one of the world's largest inland deltas and one of North America's most important ecosystems. Depicting an Indigenous lifestyle that...

  • Author:
    Wilson, Phoenix, Wilson-Trudeau, Marty
    Summary:

    Phoenix loves to play with dolls and marvel at pretty fabrics. Most of all, he loves to dance-- ballet, Pow Wow dancing, or just swirling and twirling around his house. Sometimes Phoenix gets picked on and he struggles with feeling...

  • Author:
    Davidson, Sara Florence
    Summary:

    "Every summer, a Haida girl and her family travel up the Yakoun River on Haida Gwaii, following the salmon. While their father fishes, the girl and her brother spend their time on the land playing and learning from Tsinii (Grandfather...

  • Author:
    Flaherty, William
    Summary:

    Animals Illustrated mixes fun-filled animal facts suitable for the youngest of readers with intricately detailed illustrations to create a unique and beautiful collection of children's non-fiction books about Arctic animals. Each volume...

  • Author:
    Palmater, Candy
    Summary:

    A powerful, often funny, always inspiring memoir from a beloved comedian, professional orator, actor, entertainer, gone all too soon. Candy Palmater loved to connect with people. She lived for the stage, her effervescent presence on...

  • Author:
    Whitecrow, Darcy
    Summary:

    "Elders say they were always here. The horses were small, but strong." "Like me?" "Like you." As they await the birth of a new foal, a man teaches his grandchild about the Ojibwe Horses that used to roam the forests of northwestern...

  • Author:
    Bomgiizhik
    Summary:

    Serpents and Other Spiritual Beings is a collection of traditional Ojibwe/Anishinaabe stories transcribed directly from Murdoch's oral storytelling, preserving the style and rhythm of the storyteller's voice. These are stories of...

  • Author:
    Laronde, Sandra
    Summary:

    "A young Indigenous girl searching for a sense of home finds strength and courage in her gifts, her deepening connection to the land, and her own cultural awakening in this moving coming-of-age story. The last thing that twelve-year-old...

  • Author:
    Meuse, Theresa
    Summary:

    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.

  • Author:
    Illuitok, Levi
    Summary:

    In this faithful retelling of a traditional story from the Kugaaruk region, told by Elder Levi Illuitok, a father must save his infant child from an amajurjuk, an ogress known to steal children. When the ogress takes advantage of the...

  • Author:
    Hutchinson, Michael
    Summary:

    The Mighty Muskrats are back with a chilly new mystery! Windy Lake First Nation is hosting the annual Trappers Festival, and the four Mighty Muskrats are excited about the dogsled races and the chance to visit with family and friends...

  • Author:
    Gallant, Lorrie
    Summary:

    Lorrie Gallant is from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Cayuga Nation, Turtle Clan, and retells the story of Dawn V. Hill's experiences in residential school in the book, The Day I Became Number 54. Life was happy and carefree...

  • Author:
    Brynjolson, Rhian, Dumas, William
    Summary:

    "Helpless to stop a deadly illness, Rocky Cree Elder Kakakiw struggles to help the sick as more and more people pass into the spirit world. To save his people, Kakakiw must overcome doubt to trust in traditional teachings and the gift...

  • Author:
    Fournier, Jamesie
    Summary:

    In "The Net," a girl and her mother arrive at their secluded cabin on a frozen lake to find their fishing net has been attacked, a massive hole ripped through the middle. After the net has been mended and the night's catch eaten, the...

  • Author:
    Johnson, Harold
    Summary:

    Approached by an ecumenical society representing many faiths, from Judeo-Christians to fellow members of First Nations, Harold R. Johnson agreed to host a group who wanted to hear him speak about the power of storytelling. This book is...

  • Author:
    Huson, Brett D.
    Summary:

    "Hoarders. Scavengers. Bringers of new life. Ravens have many roles, both for the land and in Gitxsan story and song. The Raven Mother transports young readers to Northwestern British Columbia to learn about the traditions of the...

  • Author:
    Ferguson, Jenny
    Summary:

    This summer, Lou will working in her family's ice-cream shack with her newly ex-boyfriend and her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago without a word. When she gets a...

  • Author:
    Robertson, David
    Summary:

    A poignant and evocative novel about the bonds of family and the gifts offered by the land. When a troubled father and his estranged teenage daughter head out onto the land in search of the family trapline, they find their way back to...

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