Kits
Anti-Racism: Primary
We are not colour-blind. Racism is still very prevalent in our society in Canada today. Unwinding it from our institutions begins with education. This kit is designed to help students understand what is meant by anti-racism and how we can talk about race and diversity while acknowledging the inequalities faced by Black, Indigenous, and other people of colour. Its purpose is also to educate students on how they can be allies in standing up against racism in all aspects of their lives. This kit contains two professional resources to help you, as the teacher, understand anti-racism. The remaining books are designed to be used as discussion points in class, as read-alouds, or as a temporary classroom library.
Suitability: Grade K, 1, 2, 3, Language Arts, Social Studies.
Anti-Racism: Intermediate
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We are not colour-blind. Racism is still very prevalent in our society in Canada today. Unwinding it from our institutions begins with education. This kit is designed to help students understand what is meant by anti-racism and how we can talk about race and diversity while acknowledging the inequalities faced by Black, Indigenous, and other people of colour. Its purpose is also to educate students on how they can be allies in standing up against racism in all aspects of their lives. This kit contains two professional resources to help you, as the teacher, understand anti-racism. The remaining books are designed to be used as discussion points in class, as read-alouds, or as a temporary classroom library. Suitability: Grade 4, 5, 6, 7, Language Arts, Social Studies. |
Anti-Racism: High-School
We are not colour-blind. Racism is still very prevalent in our society in Canada today. Unwinding it from our institutions begins with education. This kit is designed to help students understand what is meant by anti-racism and how we can talk about race and diversity while acknowledging the inequalities faced by Black, Indigenous, and other people of colour. Its purpose is also to educate students on how they can be allies in standing up against racism in all aspects of their lives. This kit contains two professional resources to help you, as the teacher, understand anti-racism. The remaining books are designed to be used as discussion points in class, as read-alouds, or as a temporary classroom library.
Suitability: Grade 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Social Studies, Social Justice, English
Anti-Racism: Teaching Through Books: K-3
Anti-racism is the practice of actively identifying and opposing racism by challenging the systems, structures, policies, and practices that uphold the power of some and systematically deny it from others. Suitability: Grade K, 1, 2, 3 English Language Arts, Social Studies.
Anti-Racism: Teaching Through Books: 4-8
| Anti-racism is the practice of actively identifying and opposing racism by challenging the systems, structures, policies, and practices that uphold the power of some and systematically deny it from others. Suitability: Grade 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 English Language Arts, Social Studies. |
Freedom sampler quilt
A visual, tactile aid for classes studying the Underground Railroad. Quilt is specially encoded with messages towards freedom in the seemingly innocent patterns. Will be effective paired with novels, such as Underground to Canada and Freedom Train.
Created by teacher-librarians Gerrie Green, Diane Sales, Debbie Hartley, Janet Saltman, Janis Walkey, Carola Hughes, Karen Simmons, Claire Hynes, Dorcas Raines. Donated to the District Resource Centre (now District Learning Commons) by the Prince George District Teacher-Librarians' Association.
Suitability: Grade K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 History, Social Studies, Literature.
Novels by Black Authors
Dreamer (Nonfiction Graphic Novel)
Akim Aliu—also known as "Dreamer"—is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. Dreamer tells Akim's incredible story, from being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community, to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto, to confronting the racist violence he often experienced both on and off the ice. This is a gut-wrenching and riveting graphic novel memoir that reminds us to never stop dreaming, and is sure to inspire young readers everywhere.
Suitability: Grade 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 English Language Arts.
Let the Monster Out
Bones Malone feels like he can’t do anything right in his new small town: He almost punched the son of the woman who babysits him and his brothers, he’s one of the only Black kids in Langille, and now his baseball team (the one place where he really feels like he shines) just lost their first game. To make matters worse, things in town are getting weird. His mom isn’t acting like herself at all—she’s totally spaced out, almost like a zombie. And then he and his brothers have the same dream—one where they’re running from some of their deepest fears, like a bear and an eerie cracked mirror that Bones would rather soon forget. Kyle Specks feels like he can never say the right thing at the right time. He thinks he might be neurodivergent, but he hasn’t gotten an official diagnosis yet. His parents worry that the world might be too hard for him and try to protect him, but Kyle knows they can’t do that forever. Even though he’s scared, he can’t just stand by and do nothing while things in this town get stranger and stranger, especially not after he and Bones find a mysterious scientist’s journal that might hold answers about what’s going on. But when faced with seemingly impossible situations, a shady corporation, and their own worst nightmares, will Kyle and Bones be brave enough to admit they're scared? Or will the fear totally consume and control them?
Suitability: Grade 4, 5, 6, 7.
The Crossover (Novel in Verse)
Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.
Suitability: Grade 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
Dragons in a Bag
When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she's not his grandmother—but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering baby dragons to a magical world where they'll be safe. There are two rules when it comes to the dragons: don't let them out of the bag, and don't feed them anything sweet. Before he knows it, Jax and his friends Vikram and Kavita have broken both rules! Will Jax get the baby dragons delivered safe and sound? Or will they be lost in Brooklyn forever?
Suitability: Grade 4, 5, 6, 7.
King and the Dragonflies
In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy's grief takes him beyond the bayous of his backyard, to learn that there is no right way to be yourself. Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family. It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy-that he thinks he might be gay. "You don't want anyone to think you're gay too, do you?" But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King's friendship with Sandy is reignited, he's forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother's death.
Suitability: Grade 6, 7, 8, 9.
Beatrice and Croc Harry
Beatrice, a young girl of uncertain age, wakes up all alone in a forest tree-house. How did she arrive in this cozy dwelling, stocked carefully with bookshelves and oatmeal accoutrements? And who has been leaving a trail of clues, composed in delicate purple handwriting? So begins the adventure of a brave and resilient young Black girl and her search for identity and healing in bestselling author Lawrence Hill's middle-grade debut. Though Beatrice cannot recall how or why she arrived in the magical forest of Argilia—where every conceivable fish, bird, mammal and reptile coexist, and any creature with a beating heart can communicate with any other—something within her knows that beyond this forest she has a family who are waiting anxiously for her return. Just outside her treehouse door lives Beatrice's most unlikely ally, the enormous and mercurial King Crocodile Croc Harry, who just may have a secret of his own. But as they form an unusual truce and work towards their common goal, Beatrice and Croc Harry will learn more about their forest home than they ever could have imagined. And what they learn about themselves may destroy Beatrice's chances of returning home forever.
Suitability: Grade 4, 5, 6, 7.
OCDaniel
A coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder--until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything. Daniel is the back-up punter for the Erie Hills Elephants. Which really means he's the water boy. He spends football practice perfectly arranging water cups--and hoping no one notices. Actually, he spends most of his time hoping no one notices his strange habits--he calls them Zaps: avoiding writing the number four, for example, or flipping a light switch on and off dozens of times over. He hopes no one notices that he's crazy, especially his best friend Max, and Raya, the prettiest girl in school. His life gets weirder when another girl at school, who is unkindly nicknamed Psycho Sara, notices him for the first time. She doesn't just notice him: she seems to peer through him. Then Daniel gets a note: "I need your help," it says, signed, Fellow Star Child--whatever that means. And suddenly Daniel, a total no one at school, is swept up in a mystery that might change everything for him. With great voice and grand adventure, this book is about feeling different and finding those who understand.
Suitability: Grade 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Black History Stories
Underground to Canada
This is the story of the bravery of two black slave girls, Jubully and Liza, as they make their way to Canada, the land of freedom. Along the way, they are plagued by white slave owners, fatigue, violent weather, and the risk of being caught. They are supported throughout their journey by people who risked their lives to protect them. The story is a fictional account of the legendary underground railroad to Canada.
Suitability: Grade 7.
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre (Nonfiction Picture Book)
The 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma, race massacre was one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation's history. On May 31 and June 1 an armed mob looted homes and businesses as Black families fled. The police did nothing to protect Greenwood, and as many as three hundred African Americans were killed, most buried in unmarked graves. No official investigation occurred until seventy-five years later. Weatherford helps young readers understand the events of this incident.
Suitability: Grade 4, 5, 6, 7.
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water (Picture Book)
A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.
Suitability: Grade 4, 5, 6, 7.
The Underground Railroad (Nonfiction Graphic Novel)
A nonfiction graphic novel about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
Suitability: Grade 5, 6, 7 Language Arts.
Anti-Racism Nonfiction Books
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
| Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism—and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. At it's core, racism is a powerful system that creates false hierarchies of human value; its warped logic extends beyond race, from the way we regard people of different ethnicities or skin colors to the way we treat people of different sexes, gender identities, and body types. Racism intersects with class and culture and geography and even changes the way we see and value ourselves. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilites—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their posionous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves. Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society. Suitability: Professional. |
The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism by Tiffany Jewell
| What is racism? What is antiracism? Why are both important to learn about? The Antiracist Kid answers your questions about these words (and the big ideas behind them) and give you the tools to practice antiracism in your everday life! This must-have guide explains: IDENTITY: What is is and what it means for you. JUSTICE: What it is, what racism has to do with it, and how to fight injustice. ACTIVISM: How to be the best antiracist kid you can be! This book teaches you ways to recognize racism and injustice-and helps you figure out what you can do when you find them at home, at school, and in any of the stories, games, and videos that you read, watch, and play. Suitability: Grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Language Arts, Social Studies, Core Competencies. |
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
| In this groundbreaking and timely book, antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo explores how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively. Suitability: Professional. |
Stop the Hate for Goodness Sake: How Can Classroom Teachers Disrupt Discrimination and Promote Hope, Foster Healing, and Inspire Joyful Learning? by Andrew B. Campbell
Stop the Hate for Goodness Sake shows teachers how to confront racism and disrupt discrimination in order to deepen students' understanding of social justice, diversity, and equity. Background information, statistics, and reports on incidents of hate will help students consider ethical and moral behavior. Forty step-by-step lessons involve discussion, oral and written narratives, case studies, assumption charts, and more. This thoughtful examination of today's world will help teachers encourage reflection, foster inclusion, and inspire students to take action. This in-depth guide will show teachers of 8 to 14-year-olds how to start and manage important conversations that will lead to change. Suitability: Professional.
Wayi Wah!: Indigenous Pedagogies: An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education by Jo Chrona
Extend your learning to explore how racism and bias are embedded in education systems, as well as our own perspectives--and how to create equitable education for all learners. How can Indigenous knowledge systems inform our teaching practices and enhance education? How do we create an education system that embodies an anti-racist approach and equity for all learners? This powerful and engaging resource is for non-Indigenous educators who want to learn more, are new to these conversations, or want to deepen their learning. Some educators may come to this work with some trepidation. You may feel that you are not equipped to engage in Indigenous education, reconciliation, or anti-racism work. You may be anxious about perpetuating misconceptions or stereotypes, making mistakes, or giving offence. In these chapters, I invite you to take a walk and have a conversation with a good mind and a good heart. With over two decades in Indigenous education, author Jo Chrona encourages readers to acknowledge and challenge assumptions, reflect on their own experiences, and envision a more equitable education system for all. Each chapter includes reflection questions to help process the ideas in each chapter; suggestions for taking action in both personal and professional spheres of influence; recommended resources to read, watch, or listen to for further learning; personal reflections and anecdotes from the author on her own learning journey; voices of non-Indigenous educators who share their learning and model how to move into, and sit, in places of unknowing and discomfort, so we can examine our own biases and engage in this work in a good way. Grounded in the First Peoples Principles of Learning, this comprehensive guide builds on Chrona's own experiences in British Columbia's education system to explore how to shape anti-racist and equitable education systems for all. Perfect for reading on your own or with your professional learning community! Suitability: Professional.