FOLD Kids Book-of-the-Month

Each month, FOLD Kids highlights one picture book and one middle grade or young adult title by a marginalized Canadian author. You can find past years’ Book-of-the-Month picks at the bottom of this page.

Previous years’ FOLD Kids Book-of-the-Month picks

ABOUT ALONE: THE JOURNEYS OF THREE YOUNG REFUGEES

Each year, more than 400 minors arrive alone in Canada requesting refugee status. They arrive without their parents, accompanied by no adult at all.

Alone relates the journey of three of them: Afshin, Alain and Patricia. Their story opens a window onto the many heartbreaks, difficult sacrifices and countless hardships that punctuate their obstacle-filled path. But Alone most especially tells of the courage and resilience that these young people demonstrated before being able to finally obtain a life where threats and danger are no longer a part of their everyday existence.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Paul Tom was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, the son of Cambodian parents. He currently lives in Montreal where he uses his talent and sensitivity for projects that give a voice to those people we don’t hear enough about. Whether working as a film editor, director or author, he tells stories in such a way as to shed light on the intimate, precious and fragile aspects of human beings. Alone is his first book.

Mélanie Baillairgé lives and works in Montreal. A multi-talented artistic and creative director, she likes to create images using bold colours and dramatic lines. Her illustrations, which have great evocative power, go straight to the heart.

Arielle Aaronson (Translator)

ABOUT THE INVITATION

Stacey May Fowles’ debut picture book is a whimsical, warmhearted story of how a super-special surprise can lead to anxiety — or invite imagination.

One beautiful fall day, Fern opens her mailbox and finds an envelope. After much worrying about what it could possibly contain, her friend Fawn encourages her to open it. Inside, she finds an invitation to a super-special surprise at the museum — but Fern doesn’t like surprises!

Luckily, Fawn offers to come with her to the party. What could possibly happen, he asks. Along the way, Fern voices her worries: What if they can’t make it in time? What if they don’t know anyone there?

Fawn playfully follows his friend’s way of thinking, while gently suggesting twists to her story and a fun new cast of characters — the chipmunk who could show them a shortcut, the grumpy bear who could clear their path, the brave dentist who might treat the bear’s toothache — until at last they arrive, and Fern is able to enjoy the wonderful surprise happening around her.

Marie Lafrance’s delightfully dreamy illustrations bring the imagined world of Fern and Fawn to life in this super-special story about catastrophic thinking.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Stacey May Fowles is a multiple award-winning journalist, essayist and author of four books, including the national bestseller, Baseball Life Advice: Loving the Game that Saved Me. She is the co-editor, with Jen Sookfong Lee, of the anthology Good Mom on Paper: Writers on Creativity and Motherhood. A former columnist at the Globe and Mail, Stacey currently writes the Book Therapy column for Open Book Ontario. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and daughter.

Marie Lafrance has illustrated for magazines, newspapers, billboards and boxes of jelly powder, but now she prefers to use her warm and engaging artwork to bring picture books to life. Her books include The Lady with the Books by Kathy Stinson, Gemma and the Giant Girl by Sara O’Leary and The Brass Charm by Monique Polak. Her art has been included in the New York Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibition, and she has won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award. Marie lives in Montreal, Quebec.

ABOUT BABY DRAG QUEEN

Transgender teen Ichiro enters a drag contest in hopes of earning enough money to live off the grid.

Ichiro is a transgender youth in his final year of high school. He has a job as a dishwasher to earn money to help support his single mother. But it’s not enough. Ichiro dreams of buying a camper van for the two of them so they can escape and live off the grid and not have to worry about money anymore. A budding drag queen, he takes a second job performing drag at a local club and learns of an upcoming contest where the prize money would be enough to pay for a camper van. But nobody knows he does drag. So when some of his friends find out what he’s really doing in the evenings, Ichiro is worried about what they will think of him. Will they still accept him?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.A. Tanaka is a trans masculine multiracial writer of Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian and Scottish descent. A graduate of The Writer’s Studio program at Simon Fraser University, they have a BFA in intermedia from Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design and, in 2017, were awarded a fully funded literary residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. C.A. is the executive director for the Storytelling with Drag Queens Foundation, a local non-profit organization with a mandate to promote diversity and inclusion in literacy for children, teens and adults. They live in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the unceded ancestral homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

ABOUT THE SONG THAT CALLED THEM HOME

From the award-winning author of On the Trapline comes a cinematic fantasy-adventure story inspired by Indigenous legends.

One summer day, Lauren and her little brother, James, go on a trip to the land with their Moshom (grandfather). After they’ve arrived, the children decide to fish for dinner while Moshom naps. They are in their canoe in the middle of the lake when the water around them begins to swirl and crash. They are thrown overboard and when Lauren surfaces she sees her brother being pulled away by the Memekwesewak — creatures who live in and around water and like to interfere with humans. Lauren must follow the Memekwesewak through a portal and along a watery path to find and bring back James. But when she finally comes upon her brother, she too feels the lure of the Memekwesewak’s song. Something even stronger must pull them back home.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

David A. Robertson is the author of numerous books for young readers, including Governor General’s Literary Award winners On the Trapline and When We Were Alone. The Barren Grounds, the first book in the middle-grade Misewa Saga series, was shortlisted for many awards, including the Govenor General’s Award, the TD Award for Children’s Literature, and the Ontario Library Association’s Silver Birch Award. It received a starred review from Kirkus and was a Kirkus, NPR, and Quill & Quire best middle-grade book of 2020, as well as a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection. The Great Bear, the second book in the series, was also shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association’s Silver Birch Award. A sought-after speaker and educator, and winner of the Writers’ Union of Canada’s Freedom to Read Award, Dave is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg.

Maya McKibbin is a Two-Spirited Ojibwe, Yoeme and Irish filmmaker, illustrator and storyteller. Using their education in computer graphics and interactive media, Maya’s work is rooted in the natural world and our relations to it. Maya’s previous picture book, Swift Fox All Along written by Rebecca Thomas, was nominated for numerous awards including a Governor General’s Literary Award.

ABOUT THE PARTY DIARIES: AWESOME ORANGE BIRTHDAY

In this full-color early chapter book series, Priya starts a party-planning business to help save the planet — one party at a time!

Pick a book. Grow a Reader!

This series is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Priya is excited to plan her aunty’s birthday party. She will donate the money she makes to help the cutest endangered animal on the planet, the quokka! But the party is this Saturday! With so many items on her to-do list, can she get it all done in time? Priya sends out handmade invitations, makes DIY decorations, and sets an orange-only snacks menu — including pumpkin samosas! Will Priya’s very first party be a success?

With speech bubbles, easy-to-read text, and vibrant artwork on every page, this series is perfect for newly independent readers!

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Mitali Banerjee Ruths grew up in Houston, Texas and dreamed of becoming an astronaut someday. She has worked as a babysitter, an ice cream seller, and a medical doctor. She is the author of the picture book Archie Celebrates Diwali, and the Scholastic Branches early chapter book series, The Party Diaries. Mitali lives in Canada with her husband, three kids, and their dog, Tux.

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer and visual development artist based in Texas.

ABOUT BIINDIGEN! AMIK SAYS WELCOME

Busy beavers have a family reunion in this story that celebrates Indigenous perspectives

It’s a special day for Amik the beaver and her little sister, Nishiime. Their cousins are coming to visit! Amik is excited, but Nishiime feels nervous about meeting new people, and when the cousins finally arrive, Nishiime disappears.

Lively, immersive illustrations show Amik and her cousins as they search the woods for Nishiime. Each creature they encounter, introduced to readers using their Anishinaabe names, reveals how beavers help the forest community. A fish thanks them for digging canals in the mud that they swim through. A deer thanks the beavers for cutting down trees so they can reach the tastiest leaves. None of the creatures have seen Nishiime, but keen-eyed kids will have spotted her hiding in the background throughout the story.

Eventually, Nishiime returns to the group, having overcome her shyness by learning an important lesson: despite being from different places, the beavers are all united by the ways they support the forest ecosystem. With the perfect blend of fact and fun, this salute to the industrious beaver is also an energetic celebration of Indigenous perspectives, languages, and diversity.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Nancy Cooper is from the Chippewas of Rama First Nation in southern Ontario. She grew up all over northern Ontario, and her favorite place to be is out in the forest seeing and learning new things. Nancy lives in Toronto now and loves to spend time with her twin sons, her wife, and their poodle Joy.

Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley is an Ojibwe woodland artist from Barrie, Ontario. He is a member of Wasauksing First Nation, and currently lives in the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-waututh peoples. When he’s not illustrating picture books, he is operating a screen-print shop and raising his baby daughter.

ABOUT DELICIOUS MONSTERS

The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.

Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls…

A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at “Miracle Mansion” allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that’s nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother’s lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?

As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Liselle Sambury is the Trinidadian Canadian author of the Governor General’s Literary Awards Finalist Blood Like Magic and its sequel, Blood Like Fate. Her work spans multiple genres, from fantasy to sci-fi, horror, and more. In her free time, she shares helpful tips for upcoming writers and details of her publishing journey through a YouTube channel dedicated to demystifying the sometimes complicated business of being an author.

ABOUT GRANNY’S KITCHEN

Accompanied by Ken Daley’s vibrant, sun-soaked artwork, Sadé Smith’s debut picture book Granny’s Kitchen is the perfect readaloud for budding chefs everywhere.

Shelly-Ann lives with her Granny on the beautiful island of Jamaica. When Shelly-Ann becomes hungry, she asks her Granny for something to eat. Granny tells her “Gyal, you betta can cook!” and teaches Shelly-Ann how to get in touch with her Jamaican roots through the process of cooking.

As Shelly-Ann tries each recipe, everything goes wrong. But when Granny is too tired to cook one morning, Shelly-Ann will have to find the courage to try one more time and prepare the perfect Jamaican breakfast.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Sadé Smith is a Canadian children’s book author of Jamaican descent. Her books often involve food with colorful illustrations to capture the vibrancy and beauty of the Caribbean islands. In addition to writing, Sadé is also a design technologist who loves the beach and enjoys fruits. She is very passionate about literature and she writes books of representation for young readers. She is the author of Granny’s Kitchen and Julie and the Mango Tree.

Ken Daley is the prize-winning illustrator of Granny’s Kitchen by Sadé Smith, Joseph’s Big Ride by Terry Farish—an Ontario Library Association Best Bet—and Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings by Francie Latour. Ken was born in Canada to parents who emigrated from Dominica. His art and illustrations are inspired by his African-Caribbean roots and has exhibited his work in Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. His artwork can be found in numerous private and public collections.

ABOUT HOW TO BE THE BEST THIRD WHEEL

It’s the last year of highschool, and everything has changed . . .

After a summer spent in the Philippines with her family, Lara Dela Cruz is eager to start her senior year and, most importantly, reunite with her three besties, Carol, Jasmine, and Kiera. Of course summer is the season of change, and Lara knew she’d have to get caught up on the major updates, hot gossip, and other shenanigans she may have missed. But what she did not expect was to show up on the first day of school to all three of her friends now in relationships.

The mushy public displays of affection and lunches spent gushing about their new “boyfries” has Lara quickly realizing her last year of high school is nothing like she imagined.

Since she’s been back, Lara’s long time frenemy, James, has become impossibly annoying. Sure, they are now both third wheels, but why is he asking her to tutor him in classes? And why, after they start spending more time together, does she begin to notice how cute he looks when he smiles . . . uh oh.

Fighting for the attention of her best friends, catching some pretty new and confusing feelings for James, and wading through the pressures post-high-school plans all have Lara reeling. And to make matters worse, Lara’s beautiful and untrustworthy cousin conveniently appears and wiggles her way right between her and James’ budding relationship. Feeling like a third wheel in more ways than one, Lara must learn to accept that change is inevitable, love is complicated, and being the odd one out is sometimes where inner power is found.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Loridee De Villa is the author of the Watty Award-winning How to Be the Best Third Wheel, her debut novel that has accumulated 1.6 million reads on Wattpad. She also wrote The Infinite Worlds of Ella Jane, which won the Shaw Rocket Fund Contest in 2020 and is being turned into a theatrical podcast by the film company Shaftesbury. When she’s not typing up a new chapter, Loridee spends her days drawing, sewing, and watching cartoons, all while balancing courses at the University of Toronto. Loridee currently resides in Ontario, Canada and is pursuing a career in health sciences.

ABOUT BEAUTIFUL YOU, BEAUTIFUL ME

A child who looks different from her mother finds beauty and belonging in this new book from the creator of the New York Times bestseller I Sang You Down from the Stars

Izzy’s favorite place to be is in Mama’s arms–skin to skin, safe and warm. One night, cuddled up on Mama’s lap, Izzy notices something she’s never noticed before: her skin is the color of chocolate, but Mama’s skin is the color of sand.

When Izzy realizes she’s different from Mama in other ways, too, she feels sad and confused. She wants to be beautiful like Mama! But Mama addresses Izzy’s disappointment with a gentle, loving refrain: You’re part of me, and I’m part of you. I’m beautiful like me, and you’re beautiful like you. Finding lessons from nature and repeating her affirming message, Mama encourages Izzy to see her own unique beauty.

This story about a multiracial child navigating identity and belonging draws from author Tasha Spillett-Sumner’s own experience growing up as an Afro-Indigenous girl. Lyrical text and warm, lively illustrations show Izzy’s journey as she learns to celebrate the differences that make her uniquely beautiful, and the connection to her mother that transcends physical traits.

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

Tasha Spillett-Sumner is an Inninewak (Cree) and Trinidadian award-winning poet and author who is also working on her doctoral degree in Indigenous land–based education. She makes her home in Treaty 1 territory, Manitoba, where she raises her daughter, Isabella, with her husband. She is the author of the New York Times best-selling picture book I Sang You Down from the Stars and the award-winning Surviving the City graphic novel series.

Salini Perera has been making art for as long as she can remember — and making art for picture books is a lifelong dream come true. She was born in Sri Lanka and now lives in Toronto, Ontario with her husband and their three cats, Victoria, Albert, and Alice.