National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Children's BooksLike this list

18 items

• Buffalo Dreamer

  a Novel

  Duncan, Violet

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  Summer and her family always spend relaxed summers in Alberta, Canada, on the reservation where her mom’s family lives. Summer begins to have vivid dreams in which she's running away from one of the many real-life residential schools that tore…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Shirley

  An Indian Residential School Story

  Robertson, Joanne, 1960-

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  Shirley is only five years old when she is taken away by the Indian agent to live at a residential school. From the first day walking up the long, lonely stone steps of the school building, life is hard and full of rules. Separated from her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Miya Wears Orange

  John-Kehewin, Wanda, 1971-

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  Gently explores the complex feelings a young girl experiences as she learns the history of residential schools. Miya worries the same thing will happen to her today. Based on the lived experience of the author and her daughter.

• Little Shoes

  Robertson, David, 1977-

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  A boy's journey to overcome generational trauma of residential schools.

• Dad, I Miss You

  Sammurtok, Nadia

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  Told in the voice of a boy and his father by turns, this book takes a look at the emotional toll of a child being taken from their family and community to attend residential school.

• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

  Smith, Dawn, 1967-

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  Readers are invited to learn about residential schools in Canada and the special day for truth and reconciliation.

• Every Child Matters

  Webstad, Phyllis

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  Learn the meaning behind the phrase, "Every Child Matters" by Orange Shirt Day founder, Phyllis Webstad

• The Secret Pocket

  Janicki, Peggy

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  The true story of how Indigenous girls at a residential school sewed secret pockets into their dresses to hide food and survive.

• With Our Orange Hearts

  Webstad, Phyllis

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  "Every child matters, including you and me. With our orange hearts, we walk in harmony." Phyllis Webstad, founder of Orange Shirt Day, shows that sharing her story with the world helped her to process her feelings.

• The Day I Became Number 54

  Gallant, Lorrie

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  Life was happy and carefree for Dawn and her family then she and her siblings went to residential school and everything changed. Relief images are brought to life through plasticine.

• Muinji'j Asks Why

  the Story of the Mi'kmaq and the Shubenacadie Residential School

  MacEachern, Muinji'j

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  Retelling of the story of the Mi'kmaq and their traditional lands, focused on the generational traumas of the Indian Residential School System.

• The Witness Blanket

  Truth, Art and Reconciliation

  Newman, Carey, 1975-

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  Artist Carey Newman created the Witness Blanket to make sure that history is never forgotten. The Blanket is a living work of art―a collection of hundreds of objects from residential schools.

• Aggie & Mudgy

  the Journey of Two Kaska Dena Children

  Proverbs, Wendy

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  Based on the true story of the author’s biological mother and aunt, this middle-grade novel traces the long and frightening journey of two Kaska Dena sisters as they are taken from their home to attend residential school.

• I Lost My Talk

  Joe, Rita, 1932-2007

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  A story of recovering what was lost in residential school, I Lost My Talk will raise conversation about language as a vehicle for truth and reconciliation. Published simultaneously with the companion book I'm Finding My Talk.

• I'm Finding My Talk

  Thomas, Rebecca (Poet)

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  A response to Rita Joe's iconic poem I Lost My Talk. A second—generation residential school survivor, Thomas writes this response poem openly and honestly, reflecting on the process of working through the destructive effects of colonialism.

• White Raven

  Spathelfer, Teoni, 1963-

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  White Raven, an Elder and residential school survivor, shares her difficult past with her daughter and grandchildren in this sequel to Little Wolf.

• The Train

  Callaghan, Jodie, 1984-

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  Inspired by the author's conversations with survivors--including her own grandmother's experience at Indian day school, and memories shared with her by a man she interviewed by the train tracks that transported children to residential school in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Phyllis's Orange Shirt

  Webstad, Phyllis

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  The story of Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, whose orange shirt - that her Granny bought for her -was taken away from her and never returned, when she went to residential school.