Freedom to Read 2023 Canadian Reading List: As Seen on CTV Your Morning
February 19-23, 2023 is Freedom to Read week in Canada, devoted to promoting intellectual freedom as guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For 39 years, The Book and Periodical Council has reported on book challenges received in libraries across the country and creates resources for the public, which you can find on the Freedom to Read website, freedomtoread.ca. Often the challenged titles feature the most vulnerable people in our society, and removal from school and library collections is a form of erasure. Here are eight Canadian titles that have been challenged, as featured on CTV Your Morning on February 20, 2023.
Plainspoken, accessible and inclusive, Pink and Blue and You is an excellent introduction to the concept of gender and stereotypes for ages 4-8.
This nonfiction title for ages 7-11 is presented as a series of comics and covers a range of topics such as anatomy, consent, crushes, relationships, and feelings. Sex is a Funny Word asks the reader questions on every page, encouraging kids to identify and name their own feelings.
Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle is s comprehensive and beautifully designed history of the Pride movement that begins with the author’s personal experience and expands to include a wide range of experiences and facts. Ages 9-13.
In 2002, activist and award-winning children’s author Deborah Ellis collected a series of interviews with children living in Israel and the Palestine territories, resulting in this eye-opening, authentic and honest portrayal of what it is like for children living in conflict zones. Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak is intended for readers ages 11-14.
The Great Bear (ages 10-14) is the second book in the best-selling Misewa Saga, chronicling the real life and fantastical adventures of two Indigenous children.
Award-winning graphic novel This One Summer is a perfect summer coming-of-age story, full of grit, heartbreak, family crisis and characters the reader will remember well past Labour Day. Intended for ages 12+.
Homegrown, international superstar Rupi Kaur’s first collection of poems, milk & honey, chronicles the author’s experience with love, heartbreak, sexual assault, and ultimately, healing. Intended for adults, Kaur’s work also hit a nerve with teen readers.
This tender and poignant collection, intended for adults, includes 3 graphic novels set in and around Ontario’s Essex County. The stories in The Collected Essex County chronicle a series of loosely connected characters in a small farming community over a number of generations. Look for the TV mini-series based on the books coming from CBC Gem in March.