Every year the Ontario Library Association (OLA) nominates the best in Canadian children's literature in their Forest of Reading program. The Forest of Reading is divided into age-appropriate categories:
In addition to supporting young readers, the OLA promotes literacy in adult readers with the following nominated lists:
Further details can be found at the Ontario Library Association website: _www.accessola.org
All of these books can be found at your local Markham Public Library branch. Students need to read at least 5 titles to be able to vote for their favourite! At Crosby, the Silver Birch novels are available for students to read on their own time. I have been reading the Blue Spruce titles to all of our Kindergarten to gr. 2 classes and, as always, they have really been enjoying them. I'm pretty sure I know which book will win the honour of best picture book this year!
During the lesson, we have discussions about the themes in the books, the author's message(s), discuss our background knowledge about the topics, vocabulary, etc. For example, in the book A Good Trade, a young Ugandan boy named Kato needs to walk far from his family's village, past fields and soldiers to fill cans with water at a communal well for his family to use for the day. We looked at photographs of Uganda, water wells, and Ugandan villages and children. In each class, the students were fascinated with how different their lives and lifestyles were from Kato's. Many great discussions were started and have been continued from this short picture book.
Here is a picture of the Blue Spruce titles that are on the nominated list this year (except for Willow Finds A Way, which has been borrowed by a student!)
- Blue Spruce, the best in picture books for children in Junior Kindergarten to Gr. 2;
- Silver Birch Express, the best in fiction and non-fiction for students in grade 3 and 4. These books are also great for English Language Learners, reluctant readers, and students with special learning needs;
- Silver Birch, excellent fiction and non-fiction selections for children in grades 3-6;
- Red Maple, the best books for intermediate students in grades 7 and 8. Fiction lists are nominate every year and non-fiction lists are nominated every other year;
- White Pine, a fiction list created for students in gr. 9-12, with a non-fiction list nominated every other year.
- Also for school-aged children, French titles are nominated yearly: Le Prix Peuplier, Le Prix Tamarac, and Le Prix Tamarac Express.
In addition to supporting young readers, the OLA promotes literacy in adult readers with the following nominated lists:
- The Golden Oak Award, for adults developing their literacy and English Language skills;
- The Evergreen Award, for adults of any age.
Further details can be found at the Ontario Library Association website: _www.accessola.org
All of these books can be found at your local Markham Public Library branch. Students need to read at least 5 titles to be able to vote for their favourite! At Crosby, the Silver Birch novels are available for students to read on their own time. I have been reading the Blue Spruce titles to all of our Kindergarten to gr. 2 classes and, as always, they have really been enjoying them. I'm pretty sure I know which book will win the honour of best picture book this year!
During the lesson, we have discussions about the themes in the books, the author's message(s), discuss our background knowledge about the topics, vocabulary, etc. For example, in the book A Good Trade, a young Ugandan boy named Kato needs to walk far from his family's village, past fields and soldiers to fill cans with water at a communal well for his family to use for the day. We looked at photographs of Uganda, water wells, and Ugandan villages and children. In each class, the students were fascinated with how different their lives and lifestyles were from Kato's. Many great discussions were started and have been continued from this short picture book.
Here is a picture of the Blue Spruce titles that are on the nominated list this year (except for Willow Finds A Way, which has been borrowed by a student!)
Happy reading!
Mrs. Hunt-Wells
Mrs. Hunt-Wells