For those who prefer to read a post rather than watch a video, we are pleased to present a written transcript of the Fall 2024 Young Adult selections!

Hello everyone and welcome back to Top Grade. My name is Spencer Miller and today I'm so excited to introduce you to a brand new selection of Canadian books for young adult readers for the Fall 2024 Season.

We've got some great books to talk about today so let's get started!

Between the Pipes is written by Albert McLeod with Elaine Mordoch and Sonya Ballantyne and illustrated by Alice RL. This graphic novel addresses homophobia and bullying in hockey culture through the experiences of an Indigenous teen.

With the support of an Elder and a two-spirit mentor, 13-year-old Chase is able to find the confidence to take pride in who he is. The illustrations make really good use of colour and there's so much important detail in the visual representations that you see in this book.

Little Moons is written by Jen Storm with illustration by Ryan Howe and Alice RL. Little Moons is a moving graphic novel that addresses what happens after an Indigenous woman, girl or two-spirit person goes missing.

The story follows a 13-year-old Ojibwe teen as she moves through grief and searches for closure a year after the disappearance of her older sister.

We Are the Medicine is written by Tasha Spillett and illustrated by Natasha Donovan. This is the final volume in the groundbreaking Surviving the City graphic novel series.

Now in their final year of high school, the lives of Miikwan, Dez and their friends are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and breaking news of the remains of 215 children found at a former residential school in British Columbia.

This series addresses the truth in Truth and Reconciliation. It honours the experiences of Indigenous youth by showing an honest and accurate portrayal of some of the challenges and difficulties that they've lived through in recent years.

The Rez Doctor is written by Gitz Crazyboy and illustrated by Veronika Baronova, Azby Whitecalf and Toben Racicot. This graphic novel examines the barriers to health care and education faced by many Indigenous communities.

It follows the real life story of Ryan Fox who pursues a career in medicine after being inspired by a Blackfoot doctor during a school assembly.

I love that in the story we get to Ryan age from boyhood into adulthood and that this journey is captured beautifully visually in the illustrations.

God Flare is written by David A. Robertson and illustrated by Scott B. Henderson and Andrew Thomas. The Reckoner Rise' graphic novel series has been praised for bringing a fresh perspective to the superhero genre as it weaves in elements of Cree culture and conversations about mental health.

Superhero stories are of course all about the action, and the illustrations in this book do a fantastic job of making the story move.

Next up I have two gripping young adult novels with supernatural elements.

Beast published by Douglas and McIntyre is written by Richard Van Camp. If any of your students are fans of stories set in the 1980s about groups of teenagers in small towns who come together to battle supernatural horrors, you're going to want to tell them about Beast.

Set in the Northwest territories the story revolves around the treaty between the Dogrib and the Chipewyan that protects the community. When an ancient ghoulish spirit arrives in town determined to destroy the treaty, it's up to Lawson Sauron and his friends to stand together honour the treaty and overcome The Dead One and his servants.

Richard Van Camp is a masterful storyteller and his skills are on full display in Beast. He takes readers on a thrilling and chilling ride but more importantly he delivers a message to young people that culture, tradition, friendship and community have the power to overcome any darkness in this world.

The Great and The Small from Common Deer Press is written by A.T. Balsara. This fascinating young adult fantasy is now available in an updated second edition that includes expanded content, story, and new illustrations.

It's set in a world impacted by a new strain of the bubonic plague and told through the alternating points of view of a human and a rat.

Ananda is a kind-hearted misfit teen with an interest in history and the ability to hear the thoughts of animals. And Finn is a tunnel rat who lives in the passages beneath the city and gets caught up in his uncle's war on the humans. Ananda and Finn cross paths as the worlds of humans and rats collide and each must do what they can in order to survive the dangers of plague and dictatorship.

And our final book for today is an impactful work of non-fiction for teen readers.

What is genocide? How is it defined? Why does it happen? And most importantly how can we prevent it from happening again? These urgent questions are clearly and concisely explored for young adult readers in Genocide.

The book provides a history of genocide worldwide detailing the holding of the Nuremberg Trials, the adoption of the Genocide Convention and examining a series of case studies. This new edition also examines the present debates and controversies surrounding the term genocide and the harm caused by genocide denial.

Our students are hearing about and engaging in conversations about genocide. As educators, it's our responsibility to provide them with appropriate resources and to point them towards accurate and up-to-date information. This book is a good starting place for any student with questions or concerns.

And those are all of our books for today.

On behalf of the Association of Canadian Publishers, thank you so much for watching. We really appreciate your support. We hope that you'll like this video, leave a comment, and most importantly share it with a teacher friend. We also want to give a big thank you to Ontario Creates for their continued support of the Top Grade program.

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What's next?

    •    Find out more about the Top Grade program
    •    Sign up to receive email updates
    •    Download the book list of the Fall 2024 Young Adult books (.csv file)