Poetry

An authentic rallying cry for anyone who has been affected by bullying. 

In February 2013, Shane Koyczan's passionate anti-bullying poem "To This Day" electrified the world. An animated video of the lyric narrative went viral, racking up over 12 million hits to date and inspiring an international movement against bullying in schools. Shane later performed the piece to sustained applause on the stage of the 2013 annual TED Conference. 

Now this extraordinary work has been adapted into an equally moving and visually arresting book. Thirty international artists, as diverse as they are talented, have been inspired to create exceptional art to accompany "To This Day." Each page is a vibrant collage of images, colors and words that will resonate powerfully with anyone who has experienced bullying themselves, whether as a victim, observer, or participant. 

Born of Shane's own experiences of being bullied as a child, To This Day expresses the profound and lasting effect of bullying on an individual, while affirming the strength and inner resources that allow people to move beyond the experience. A heartfelt preface and afterword, along with resources for kids affected by bullying, make this book an invaluable centerpiece of the anti-bullying movement. 

Reviews
"The poem is searing, exposing the short and long-term impacts of bullying, and rallying those who engage with the poem to take action and become active participants in stopping bullying. The range of art in this trim book is extraordinary; this is a true double-impact collection with the power of the verse itself interpreted in drastically different ways through the illustrative choices, from realistic sketches to comic book-style renderings to abstract representations of the tone rather than words on the page." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, November 2014

"His passionate, implacable rejection of bullying describes the effect school violence has on the hearts and minds of its victims. But Koyczan also offers hope for healing." — Publishers Weekly, August 2014

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 10-18

Additional Information
72 pages | 6.50" x 9.75"

Level 7 Illustrated by Bill Helin. Back cover book introduction: There are many things that we do with friends and family. What are some activities that you do with your friends and family?

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series that are chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. These books are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 7

This resource is also available in French: Un cercle d’amis.

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781927571187

Level 9 Back cover book introduction: This poem is about making bannock. Do you know what bannock is? Who do you think the surprise is for?

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series that are chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. These books are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 9

This resource is also available in French: Le bannock surprise.

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781927571262

Level 4 Illustrated by Bill Helin. Back cover book introduction: Ravens like shiny things. What do you think Black Raven might find in the forest?

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series that are chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. These books are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 4

This resource is also available in French: Corbeau noir 

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781927571064

Level 6 Illustrated by Bill Helin. Back cover book introduction: Frog can do many things. Frog wants to fly. Do you think Frog will ever learn to fly?

Educator & Series Information
Frog Can Do Many Things is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. Strong Readers are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 6

This resource is available in French: Grenouille sait faire beaucoup de choses.

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781927571149

Level 9 Illustrated by Bill Helin. Back cover book introduction: Raven and Frog find a book under a Cedar tree. They love to read together. Where are some places that they might read together at?

Educator & Series Information
Reading Together is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. Strong Readers are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 9

This resource is also available in French: Lisons ensemble.

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781927571231

Level 10 Back cover book introduction: There are four seasons during a year, winter, spring, summer and fall. Which season do you think it is on the cover of this book? Which season is it outside right now?

Educator & Series Information
Seasons is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. Strong Readers are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 10

This resource is also available in French: Les saisons.

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781927571309

Level 7 Illustrated by Bill Helin. Back cover book introduction: This is a poem about Green Frog, Bald Eagle, Black Bear and Black Raven. They all have special places they like to sleep and special foods they like to eat. What do you think they like to eat?

Educator & Series Information
We Sleep, We Eat is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. Strong Readers are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 7

This resource is also available in French: Nous dormons, nous mangeons.

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781927571170

With the young person in mind, these strong, clear and encouraging poems from Rita Joe speak directly to all of us, a testament to courage and her hope for a better world. Down-to-earth and often humorous and a world honoured Mi'kmaw elder and Order of Canada recipient, in the book Rita Joe passes her torch to the young.

Born in 1932, in Whycocomagh, Rita Joe lived a hardscrabble existence, from foster home to foster home, experiences that helped her decide to admit herself to Shubenacadie Indian Residential School, a place most Mi'kmaq people had come to dread. It was a rare example of the child choosing Shubie, "to better myself," to get an education. That same determination compelled her to write about her personal combination of traditional Mi'kmaw spiritualism and Catholic faith, carrying forward her 'gentle war'. Her last poem, unfinished, was found in her typewriter when she died in March 2007.

Additional Information
52 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Raw, honest and powerful, these moving bilingual poems by noted Salvadoran poet Jorge Argueta explore a young native boy's connection to Mother Earth and how he is healed from the terrible wounds of racism he has endured. Tetl has learned from his grandmother about the spirituality of his ancestors, about how they viewed the earth as alive with sacred meaning. This helps him move from doubt and fear, created by the taunts of other children, to self-acceptance and a discovery of his love for nature.

Mountains, wind, corn and stones all speak to Tetl, almost seeming to vibrate with life. He feels deep roots in them and, through them, he learns to speak and sing. They reveal his Nahuatl self and he realizes that he is special, beautiful and sacred.

These gripping poems have something to teach us all, perhaps especially those who have been either intentionally or casually cruel or racist, as well as those who have been the victims of racism.

Crudos, honestos e impactantes, estos conmovedores poemas bilingües por el aclamado salvadoreño Jorge Argueta exploran la relación de un joven nativo con la Madre Tierra y de como fue curado de las terribles heridas causadas por el racismo que ha tenido que aguantar. Tetl ha aprendido de su abuela sobre la espiritualidad de sus ancestros, sobre como ellos veían la tierra como un ser vivo con un sentido sagrado. Esto lo ayuda a pasar de la duda y el miedo, creado por las burlas de los otros niños, a la aceptación de sí mismo y al descubrimiento de su amor por la naturaleza.

La montañas, el viento, el maíz y las piedras le hablan a Tetl, parece casi que vibran de vida. El siente profundas raíces en ellos, a través de ellos, y aprende a hablar y cantar. Ellos le revelan su parte Náhuatl y él se da cuenta de que es especial, bello y sagrado.

Estos poemas apasionantes tienen algo que enseñarnos a todos, quizás especialmente a aquellos que intencionalmente o sin quererlo han sido crueles o racistas, como también a aquellos que a su vez han sido víctimas del racismo.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.94" x 9.56"

The poems in this book tell stories of animals and nature, from two sweaty hippos, a smiling lizard and some creepy crawlers to a few tricky dandelions. At the end of each poem, find out more in an interview with a key character or a list of fascinating facts.

Reviews
"A terrific book for kids...funny and informative—great to read aloud in a classroom setting. Highly recommended." — CM Magazine

Educator & Seris Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is part of the Orca Echoes series.

Additional Information
64 pages | 5.00" x 7.50" | 16 b&w illustrations | Paperback

Award-winning poet David Bouchard offers words that remind the reader of the power of the wind, the sweep of the sky, and adventures on a cold prairie night. Henry Ripplinger's stunning paintings are treasures for the mind and the heart.

Reviews
"If you're from the prairie or not it doesn't matter: this evocative book will take your breath away. David Bouchard has created a series of verses about life on the prairie that are simple, lyrical and exquisite. Henry Ripplinger's brush matches the cadence of the poetry stroke for stroke. This is a book that is hard to put down and easy to return to. Is it an adult book masquerading as a children's book? It is the author's and illustrator's loving look back to their home, but it transcends age and time and place. A child will be drawn in by the poetry's ingenious metaphors and the pictures' panoramic rural scenes. The prairie landscape is realistically painted with a magical glow that distance in time allows the painter. An adult will hear the nostalgic echoes of childhood. Adult or child--one's eyes will be lost in the expanse of the prairie and one's ears will reverberate with the melodic rhymes." - Theo Hersh, CM Magazine

Educator Information
Ages: 6+

This resource is also available in French: Si tu n’es pas de la prairie

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.34" x 9.36"

The lights of the night, especially the stars and the moon, have captivated Native American peoples across North America and elsewhere for centuries. Joseph Bruchac, an Abenaki storyteller, has collected in this companion volume to Thirteen Moon's on Turtle's Back a series of stories what these celestial bodies mean to diverse Native American cultures; he then retells them in lyric poetry. Included are "Sky Bear" of the Mohawk, "Song to the Firefly" of the Anishinabe, "Flute Song" of the Pima (which evokes the myths of Kokopeli), "The Northern Lights" of the Missisquoi, "Mother's Bragging Song" of the Winnebago, "The Scattered Stars" of the Cochiti Pueblo, "The Seven Mateinnu" of the Lenape, "The Tale of Pinon Gatherers" of the Chumash, "A Summer Song" of the Inuit, "The Old Wolf's Song" of the Lakota, "Dawn House Song" of the Navajo, and "Spirit Dance Song" of the Pawnee. Mr. Bruchac, in an Author's Note at the end of the volume, explains what these stories mean to all Native American peoples, children and adults alike. He reveals that the constellation we know as the Big Dipper (the Drinking Gourd in African-American folklore) is also seen as a great bear, the Sky Bear of his poetry, something many of us all too often take for granted.