Strong Nations Bundles

The 2021 Edition of From Sea to Sea to Sea features 25 Indigenous picture books published from 2018 to 2020 and selected by IBBY Canada.

To learn more about IBBY Canada and this list of picture books, visit https://www.ibby-canada.org/indigenous-picture-book-collection/

Title availability may fluctuate. Scroll below to learn more about the resources included from this list at this time. Books that are in reprint or out of print are not included in the bundle price and will not be included in your order.

This bundle includes a variety of genres and resources under the speculative fiction umbrella, including but not limited to science-fiction; fantasy; horror; ghost stories and supernatural fiction; Indigenous futurisms; and alternative histories.  It is recommended for young adults and adult readers.  Resources may include novels, anthologies, graphic novels, and more. 

Scroll below to learn more about each resource included. Pre-read all resources to ensure they are a good fit for students, as many are not written specifically for teens or young adults and may contain mature or triggering content.  Resource availability may fluctuate.

This bundle includes titles in the Follow the Water series.

• iʔ siwɬkw nkwancinəm k̕əl suliʔ / The Water Sings to Suli?
• kəxntim sʕanixʷ k̕əl nixʷtitkʷ acxʷəl̕xʷalt / We Go With Muskrat to Those Living
• skɬp’lk’mitkw / Water Changeling
• kʷu‿c̕əx̌ʷəntim təl stunx isck’ʷuls / Lessons From Beaver’s Work

The recommended reading ages for books in this series vary. Please scroll down to explore each title and its suggested age range.

Scroll below to learn more about each of the resources included in this bundle. Title availability may fluctuate, as titles go in and out of print. The status of each title, indicating whether it will be included in the bundle, is displayed below. 

This bundle includes novels in the No Name series by Tim Tingle:

• No Name
• No More No Name
• A Name Earned
• Trust Your Name
• Name Your Mountain 

Books in this series are recommended for grades 7 to 11.

Scroll below to learn more about each of the resources included in this bundle. Title availability may fluctuate, as titles go in and out of print. The status of each title, indicating whether it will be included in the bundle, is displayed below. 

This bundle includes all four graphic novels in the A Girl Called Echo series and the educator resource Teacher Guide for A Girl Called Echo: Learning About the History and Culture of the Metis Nation in Grades 6-8. 

About the A Girl Called Echo Series (Student Resources)
A Girl Called Echo is a graphic novel series by Governor General Award-winning writer and author of The Seven Teaching Stories Katherena Vermette.

The A Girl Called Echo series tells the story of Métis teenager Echo Desjardins, who is struggling to adjust to a new school and a new home while in foster care. Readers follow Echo as she travels through time and experiences pivotal events from Métis history, gains new perspectives about where she came from, and imagines what the future might hold.

Scroll below to learn more about each book in the series.

About the Teacher Guide
Written by Anishinaabe educator Reuben Boulette, the Teacher Guide for A Girl Called Echo includes

• lesson plans specific to each book in the A Girl Called Echo series
• original articles outlining the history of the Métis Nation and their fight for sovereignty
• in-depth reading activities that engage students’ critical thinking skills
• activities that introduce students to the critical study of graphic novels and sequential art

This teacher guide will engage students’ understanding of Métis history and culture and encourage reflection on the importance of learning Indigenous histories.

72 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Spiral Bound

This bundle includes the student resource Beyond the Orange Shirt Story and the teacher resource Beyond the Orange Shirt Story Teacher Lesson Plan.

About the Student Resource
Beyond the Orange Shirt Story is a unique collection of truths, as told by Phyllis Webstad's family and others, that will give readers an up-close look at what life was like before, during, and after their Residential School experiences. In this book, Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors share their stories authentically and in their own words. Phyllis Webstad is a Residential School Survivor and founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement. Phyllis has carefully selected stories to help Canadians educate themselves and gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of the Residential School System. Readers of this book will become more aware of a number of challenges faced by many Indigenous peoples in Canada. With this awareness comes learning and unlearning, understanding, acceptance, and change. Phyllis's hope is that all Canadians honour the lives and experiences of Survivors and their families as we go Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.

100 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | Paperback | Young Adult Nonfiction (ages 12+)

About the Teacher Lesson Plan
Teacher lesson plans and resources that accompany the book Beyond the Orange Shirt Story.

License allows the use of this lesson plan within a single school. It can be copied and shared within one school but is not to be shared beyond that.

15 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

Scroll below and click on individual resources to learn more about them.

This bundle includes the student resource Meet Your Family / Gikenim Giniigi'igoog and the educator resource Meet Your Family Teacher Lesson Plan.

About the Student Resource
Mother Earth, we come from her, we go to her, without her we wouldn't be here, she gives all of us life and because of her we are all one family. In many segments of Indigenous life we speak of Mother Earth, Father Sky, Grandfather Sun, and Grandmother Moon. Meet Your Family / Gikenim Giniigi'igoog is a rhythmic poem that will enlighten readers on how to view these important figures and share a greater concept of seeing the world as our natural family. Meet Your Family is presented in both English and Ojibway. An additional softcover book written in Ojibway with a phonetics guide is included inside this hardcover book. Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

About the Teacher Lesson Plan
The Teacher Lesson Plan includes comprehension questions, group activities, wordsearch, colouring pages, etc. 

Includes:

– Brainstorming Activity

– Letter Writing

– Comprehension Questions

– Colouring

– Crossword Puzzle

– Word Search

The license allows the use of this lesson plan within a single school. It can be copied and shared within one school but is not to be shared beyond that.

12 pages.

Scroll below and click on individual resources to learn more about them.

This bundle includes the student resource Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story and the accompanying teacher's guide Teacher Guide for Sugar Falls: Learning About the History and Legacy of Residential Schools in Grades 9-12.

About the Student Resource
Sugar Falls is based on the true story of Betty Ross, Elder from Cross Lake First Nation. We wish to acknowledge, with the utmost gratitude, Betty’s generosity in sharing her story. 

Abandoned as a young child, Betsy was soon adopted into a loving family. A few short years later, at the age of 8, everything changed. Betsy was taken away to a residential school. There she was forced to endure abuse and indignity, but Betsy recalled the words her father spoke to her at Sugar Falls—words that gave her the resilience, strength, and determination to survive.

Recommended for grades 9 t0 12.

This 10th-anniversary edition brings David A. Robertson’s national bestseller to life in full colour, with a foreword by Senator Murray Sinclair, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and a touching afterword from Elder Betty Ross herself.

48 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | full colour throughout

About the Teacher Guide
Sugar Falls is a story of strength, family, and culture that shares the awe-inspiring resilience of Elder Betty Ross. Taken away to a residential school, Betsy is forced to endure abuse and indignity, but her father’s words give her the strength and determination to survive.

Written by Anishinaabe educator Christine M'Lot, the Teacher Guide for Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story offers a diverse menu of activities that support teachers in

• planning lessons throughout the reading process, including before, during, and after reading Sugar Falls
• creating dynamic learning experiences for their students, while maintaining a respectful and dignified approach to Indigenous topics
• enhancing students’ prior knowledge about the topics addressed in the book
• using trauma-informed practices to prepare students for sensitive topics
• identifying cross-curricular connections and opportunities to collaborate with teachers in other subject areas
• infusing Indigenous pedagogical practices, such as working with others, seeking holism in understanding, and learning through storytelling
• engaging students’ understanding and encouraging them to embrace differing worldviews
• facilitating activities for individual students, small groups, whole-class instruction and discussion, or even the whole school

Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story includes sensitive topics (e.g., abuse, trauma); therefore, it is most appropriate for grades 9–12. The activities in this guide are most appropriate for courses such as English Language Arts, Social Studies, History, Global or Contemporary Issues, as well as Current Topics in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies. They could be adapted for use at the university or college level.

92 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

Scroll below and click on individual resources to learn more about them.

This bundle includes the student resource This Is What I've Been Told and the educator resource This Is What I've Been Told Teacher Lesson Plan.

About the Student Resource
Knowing our culture means knowing who we are. When we know who we are, we can walk in a good way.

It's been said when teachings are passed down from one generation to the next, good things can happen. Language is learned, knowledge is shared and culture is practiced. In this story of language preservation, author/illustrator and Anishnaabemowin language teacher Juliana Armstrong illuminates a number of Anishnaabemowin words along with their cultural connections, passed down from her Ojibway ancestors. Knowing our culture means knowing who we are. When we know who we are, we can walk in a good way.

40 Pages | Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

About the Teacher Lesson Plan
The Teacher Lesson Plan that accompanies the book This Is What I've Been Told, includes comprehension questions, group activities, word search, colouring pages, etc. 

What's Included:

– Brainstorming Activity

– Letter Writing

– Comprehension Questions

– Colouring

– Crossword Puzzle

– Word Search

The license allows the use of this lesson plan within a single school. It can be copied and shared within one school but is not to be shared beyond that.

12 pages.

Scroll below and click on individual resources to learn more about them.

This theme bundle includes plenty of resources for learning the ABCs and 123s.

Additional resources for the emergent reader and learner are also included to help further foster the development of reading, writing, and oral language skills and overall cognitive development.

For example, wordless books are included to help develop valuable literacy skills, as they engage children, of any reading level, in storytelling, meaning-making, critical thinking, prediction, using listening skills, and more. Books in our Raven Series are included, too, as each book focuses on a specific learning intention for emergent readers and learners:

Raven and the Box: promotes an oral retell
Raven and Duck: basic concepts
Raven and Frog Count: number recognition
I Spy Raven: rhyme and perspective
Raven Sings the ABC's: letter recognition, vocabulary building
Raven Makes a Necklace: colours and patterns

Books from the earlier levels and sets of our Strong Readers and Cedar School Decodables series are also included.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous resources are included.

Scroll below to learn about individual resources included. Resource availability may fluctuate.

This bundle includes resources for learning and sharing about beavers!

Indigenous and supplementary resources are included.

Scroll below to learn more about each resource included. Resource availability may fluctuate.

This bundle features resources for learning about birds!

Key Topics: bird facts, bird life cycles, bird conservation, ornithology, endangered species, habitat loss, young birders, Canadian birds, Indigenous stories, traditional knowledge.

Scroll below to learn more about the Indigenous and supplementary resources included in this bundle. Resource availability may fluctuate.

This theme bundle includes a collection of social and emotional learning (SEL) resources for children and educators/adults who work with children.

Indigenous and supplementary books explore emotions and feelings, self-regulation, social awareness skills, and social-emotional learning. Fiction and nonfiction resources are included.

Scroll below to learn more about the Indigenous and supplementary resources included in this bundle. Resource availability may fluctuate.

This resource bundle includes resources for learning about fish and fishing.

Scroll below to learn more about the Indigenous and supplementary resources included in this bundle. Resource availability may fluctuate.

Resources in this theme bundle are perfect for learning about forests and trees.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous resources are included.

Scroll below to learn more about individual resources included at this time. Title availability may fluctuate.