Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson

The themes are timeless and universal: finding your voice, 

choosing kindness, and navigating the complex emotions of fear, hope, and responsibility. Books for Keeps

It is okay for children to be heroes in a story, even a story set during World War II, but (spoiler alert) I have never felt so relieved as I did in this book when an adult steps in to help even though I had to wait until Chapter 50!

Ronnie Smith lives in London and the war has begun. It has always just been Ronnie, his brother Micky and their mum. His dad suffered during the First World War and had become violent and abusive prior to mum telling him to leave. Micky misses his dad but Ronnie has only bad memories. Then another man steps into their home and their lives - Johnny Simmons. Right from the start Ronnie can see this guy is dangerous and that his behaviour towards his mum and brother are a sham, but mum seems to like Johnny and Micky believes he only has good intentions for their family. 

Johnny heads away to work at all sorts of strange times. London is being bombarded every evening and food is becoming scarce and yet Johnny is able to gift Micky a new bike and give the boys' mum extra food.

We discover, along with Ronnie, that Johnny is using the cover of air raids to rob people's homes but worse Johnny follows the Blackshirts. He is a Nazi sympathiser and it seems he has recruited Micky to do his 'work'. Ronnie needs to protect his brother, convince his mother Johnny is fake and dangerous and hopefully also make sure Johnny is caught by the police. This all feels impossible. Luckily he has a best friend named Lugs to help him along with a gang of neighborhood kids who set themselves a competition to collect shrapnel - hence the title - the shrapnel boys.

"Flaming heck Micky! What is it going to take for you to realize the Johnny is bad news? No matter what I tell you and Mum about him, neither of you will believe me. He's a criminal. I know in my heart of hearts he's a criminal and I know whatever he's got you doing for him is wrong. Why can't you see him for what he is? He's a criminal and a flamin' fascist to boot! Why won't you believe me?"

Shrapnel Boys has been on my to read list since last year. It is a long book (368 pages) with fairly small print so it will suit readers aged 10+ who have good reading stamina but I am sure once they begin this book they will be like me and want to keep reading and reading ever hopeful Jenny Pearson will make sure good conquers evil. This is one of those books that I just read compulsively over a couple of days all the while trying to resist the urge to turn to the final pages to check the ending.

You can read the first chapter here and from this same link you will find a video where Jenny Pearson talks about her book. 

Jenny Pearson is an award-winning author, teacher and mother of two young boys. Her books have been translated into 21 languages, and she has been shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Week Junior Book Award and was the winner of the Laugh Out Loud Book Award. As a primary school teacher, Jenny regularly covers the Second World War in her classroom and was inspired to write Shrapnel Boys by the extraordinary resilience of Londoners living through the war.

There is drama, tension, fear and loss intertwined with the bravado and humour displayed by these young characters. This is a compelling read. A Library Lady

Written with humour, delivering gut-wrenching life lessons, Ronnie’s story is as relevant today as it was eighty years ago. Highly recommended, and not just for kids. Historical Novel Society

Shrapnel Boys is Jenny Pearson’s first historical novel. Led by authentic characters with her trademark spark, this is a funny, heartwarming story with an additional layer of dilemma and emotional depth. It will challenge readers to think about everyone’s role in the Second World War and how it affected ordinary people in extraordinary ways. From men who signed up to fight to those who believed in peace to those who actually agreed with the other side, Shrapnel Boys digs deep into moral questions, responsibility and the definition of a hero. Scope for Imagination

If you are curious about Shrapnel Boys read this very detailed review from Book Craic.

Shrapnel Boys has been longlisted for the Carnegies:

I previously talked about Birdie; Ghostlines and Wolf Siren (2026 winner)

The way these kids form a gang this book made me think of Emil and the Detectives.

Companion Books:

When the Sky Falls

The Valley of Lost Secrets

The Silver Sword

Vinnie's war

When the Siren wailed

My Tiny Universe by Maryam Master

Leif is a unique kid - or at least our insights into his big brain and life experiences make him feel unique. Leif has been born with CIA (Climate Induced Anomalies).  Before you get too worried, I think Maryam Master made up this disease but, in any case, at this time (spoiler alert this book is in set the near future) CIA is not common and in fact Leif is the very first kid with this in the whole world BUT ... being the first kid it means he is subject to all sorts of tests and experiments and this has been going on since he was born. Leif is tired of doctors and hospitals.

What are the symptoms of CIA. Luckily Maryam Master does not go into too much detail but for Leif there is one huge life challenge - he is small - very small. Also, but not connect with CIA, Leif has, as I mentioned, a huge scientific brain which comes from his curiosity about the world of science and his extensive reading on a range of topics. Leif is also a highly self-aware kid. For example, early in the book we learn about all his phobias - these are mostly hilarious such as a phobia of cake icing, the number eight, delivery drones and a fear of phobias - called phobophobia! Leif also has a phobia that you may have too - fear of being without his phone. 

But most of all Leif has a desperate need to make a real friend. 

"I am a certified, card-carrying, genuine science enthusiast. I guess you could say that is the lends through which I see the world. ... I do however fear that it could be this obsession with science that has caused everything else in my life to fall apart. Perhaps it's the reason why most kids my age treat me like I'm a radioactive three-eyed freak. Of course, it could also be my personality. My odd way of speaking, my tendency to notice small details in bit situations ... or it could be my phobias. Which ones you ask? There are simply too many to list ... "

Leif and his family have moved from the Hollow Creek in the OC (Outer Circle) because of a severe drought which has made that area almost uninhabitable. Now they live in Orange Grove in the IC (Inner Circle). 

This story quickly becomes a recount - we read about the events that led to the fire at school which burned down the whole science block. Here is the opening sentence of My Tiny Universe:

"I would like to clarify for the record, one very important, undeniable fact. It wasn't me who burnt down the science block."

Leif has a quirky story voice (which for me could have become slight annoying) so I was pleased to see that Maryam used alternating voices and so we hear his sister's take on the events leading to the fire and almost obsessive relationship with his friend Albie. The switch between narrators is shown with chapter headings and a change of font. It is also clear that Holly can read the chapters written by Leif and when we hear her voice she is able to refute or clarify or elaborate on the Leif version of events.

Publisher blurb: Leif is named after a valiant Viking. But being a two-foot nothing, fraidy-cat kid with a thousand and one phobias is about as far from valiant as you can get. ... He's not one of the cool kids at school. Or the geeks. He's not even one of the misfits. (Have you ever heard of a misfit who didn't fit in with other misfits?) Leif's different in every way, but especially because he was the first kid to be born with CIA (Climate Induced Anomalies). He didn't have a single friend at West Hershey College, before Albie came along. And that's when all the trouble really began.

One really splendid part of this book comes from the way Maryam Master very slowly and almost secretly lets us know that this is the world of the future albeit the very near future. There are dystopian themes in this book such as climate change, but they are not at the forefront of the story. And I didn't really start to think about the time setting until about three quarters of the way through the book.

As an adult reader though, fairly early it in the story, I worked out the 'truth' rather like solving a murder mystery before the detectives have gathered all the clues. Of course, I cannot talk about how I worked this out because that would be a massive spoiler but I will be very interested to hear Maryam Master talking about this book on Sunday (tomorrow) because I expect she will talk about when and why and how she thinks readers will work out 'what is going on here' and her expectations around that discovery for her audience of readers aged 10+.  I will update this post with her comments.

Comment by Rachel Robson Gleebooks: My Tiny Universe is Maryam’s most sophisticated novel yet, she has that wonderful ability to take you into those dark places whilst still showcasing the sunshine and the wonder. Her characters are flawed yet beautiful and they take you on a journey that will have you questioning how we all fit in this crazy universe of ours. I’m so excited to finally see this gorgeous book out in the world and I can’t wait to see the conversations that kids and grown-ups will have about their future and about our connection with each other. ... Hands down, this is book of the year in an ocean of extraordinary book releases.

Here are a few questions I could ask Maryam:

• The opening fire event is very dramatic - was this the first story thread you thought of ?
• When Leif puts on a helmet at the science fair I thought of the famous book Wonder by RJ Palacio. Would you be happy if people compare your story with Auggie's?
• I really like that the setting for your story feels very general and not specifically Australian - was this a deliberate decision?
• I've found some links between your books (see below). As an author do you see overlapping themes and character traits between your stories?
• Do you have a favourite scene in your book? Mine is when Leif runs away - I felt every moment of that train journey and his shock on arriving in his former town and later I gasped when you introduced a 'bot cop' - I think that was the moment I realised we were in a near future/dystopian world.
• How conscious were you of the social commentary in your story about climate change, addiction to technology and AI and the use of and power of Chatbots?

My Tiny Universe is sure to be a CBCA 2027 Notable title and I expect it will also reach the shortlist. The cover of this book by Astrid Hicks is fantastic - it is sure to grab the attention of kids in libraries and bookshops. Here is a video review. The publisher does have a set of teaching notes/questions but really once again my plea is to just let the readers in your life, classroom or library enjoy the story without doing a micro analysis.

I read it in one sitting, marvelling at the book that looked like a simple tale of school friendships and sibling troubles all mixed in with first person geeky humour, but had become so much more. What book Next

My Tiny Universe by Maryam Master, is a close up exposé of a universal problem; the art of being big when you feel so stupendously small. ... Leify is a beautiful, brilliant and very bruised soul who, like many of us experiencing unwanted change, is grieving in ways no amount of higher thinking can resolve.  Dim's Write Stuff

Companion books:

Wonder

Our sister again

Lenny's Book of everything

The Experiment

The Probability of Everything

Now let's talk about some repeated ideas or themes in other books from Maryam Master that apply to My Tiny Universe. In each previous book we meet an outsider or a kid who is struggling and we are able to experience their life journey and watch and hope they will find true friendship:

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Ana has cancer (non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma) Leif has CIA. Exit through the Gift shop has a reference to Persian tea and in My Tiny Universe Samira (you need to read the book to discover her importance) is Persian. Maryam Master was born in Iran (Persia). 

No words

Aria is the new boy at school - he is mute so, like Leif, we watch him struggle to make friends. Leif tries using a check list of strategies to make friends. A big theme in No Words is the importance of making true friends and for reasons that you will discover when you read it so does My Tiny Universe. And both books have short chapters.

Laughter is the best ending

Zee has no friends and so she is sent to a holiday camp designed for kids with, well as you have guessed, no friends.  Laughter is the best ending also uses changes of font, lists and play scripts. Zee uses more sophisticated language than her peers and so does Leif. Zee talks about the poet Rumi like Leif! And both books also mention Maya Angelou and Shakespeare.

Fireworks by Matthew Burgess illustrated by Catia Chien

My dad loved the fireworks here in Sydney every New Year. He would either want to head into the city or locally there was a small hill where people gathered. When I was a young child we walked through a harborside suburb to a vantage point opposite our iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. I even remember walking in the dark with my cousins, and I remember the special clothes I was wearing!

In this story, Fireworks, it is a very hot summer day. The two kids cool off under a fire hydrant and then they head to the park where they enjoy huge watermelon slices. 

Grandma cooks their dinner and then the kids climb to the top of their city building. 

"On this summer night, we climb the ricket ladder to the silver tar rooftop still soft from the day's sun and we wait for the first pop!"

It's a fabulous fireworks display and one of the best pages comes at the end where we see the way the colourful images are still exploding in their minds and dreams.

Bookseller blurb: As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night—the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers of fire across the sky, making this a perfect read for firework enthusiasts in cities and suburbs everywhere.

Is this book about the 4th of July - probably - but that's okay. We have fabulous fireworks here in Australia on New Year's Eve and at other times so really this story does translate very easily across the world. I have put some of other picture books that include fireworks at the bottom of this post. Betsy Bird also talks about this book being a book about summer heat and my own favourite US book on that topic is Come on Rain by Karen Hesse. Fireworks is set in New York city but that's okay too - our kids know about that city and others like it with tall buildings and large parks.

Think about the wonderful words your library group or young reading companion will encounter in this book: greet; venture; steamy; bodega; sax (saxophone); onlookers; salsa; rickety; finale; charcoal sniff; extinguished; and lull.

Bodega - that's a word you may not know. It is a small Spanish speaking grocery store.

Fireworks contains a gatefold - Besty Bird explains this: Let’s say you’re a children’s book author or illustrator and you wanted to put a gatefold into your book. A gatefold is a spread of pages that physically open up outside of the confines of the book’s dimensions in some manner. Historically, librarians have not been huge fans of gatefolds because they have a tendency to rip over time. What makes the gatefold in “Fireworks” so extraordinary is that it’s vertical rather than horizontal. It also tucks so perfectly into the book that it might take an adult reader a couple seconds before they realize it’s even there. Only the thickness of the paper gives away its presence. Now here’s the kicker: Did you know that a gatefold can only appear in a book at just the right moment? Because of the physical nature of how books are made (the folding of the pages together) gatefolds can only come at certain moments. So part of what’s so amazing about this book is that its gatefold comes at precisely the right moment, both physically and from a literary perspective. It’s a marvel of simultaneous engineering and storytelling.

If you share this book with a group of older readers in grades 4-6 please take the time to talk about pace and word placement - the final page turn and final word of this book is sure to have been one of the many reasons Fireworks was selected for this enormously prestigious award.

When you read enough picture books you shouldn’t allow yourself to have favorites. Still, I state loud and clear for the record, that this is without a doubt my favorite firework-related summertime picture book ever. Beautiful, weirdly touching, and utterly original. “Swish Zing Tizzle-ting POOF!”

Take a look at the book trailer on the author web page.

Read some reviews:

Kirkus Star review

Horn Book

Waking Brain Cells

You can see more books illustrated by Catia Chien here and here is the web page for Matthew Burgess. I previously talked about The Bear and the Moon;

Betsy mentions that there should be more books about fireworks. My friend from Kinderbookswitheverything shared a few in her blog post. I remembered a book from my former library which was regularly requested by our art teacher but sadly I cannot find a cover image to share here. This book is from 1983 published by A and C Black - Firework Party by Peggy Blakeley. 

Fireworks is the winner of the 2026 Caldecott Medal and yet here in Australia it is listed at over AUS$53 as the retail price - I have seen it also listed for AUS$38 but even that will be way beyond the budget of every school library her in Australia - why oh why? My friend and I have seen this issue with other Caldecott winners and honor titles - see the bottom of this post for some covers. It is true that some Caldecott titles are not really relevant for our Australian children, but Fireworks (and Watercress) most certainly are. I previously talked about past winners here.

Here two of the 2026 honor titles (there are four in total)

Every Monday Mabel

Watercress and Hot Dog

Awards for Fireworks:

     2026 Caldecott Medal

     Charlotte Zolotow Honor for Outstanding Writing in a Picture Book 

     SCBWI Golden Kite Honor for Picture Book Illustration and Text

     Society of Illustrators Gold Medal 

     A NYT/NYPL Best Illustrated Book

     Kirkus’ Best Books of 2025

     School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2025

     Publisher’s Weekly Best Picture Books of 2025

     Blue Ribbon Award 2025

You can also find fireworks in these:

See inside this book here

Noah's New Home

A Gift for Nana

Trees by Verlie Hutchens illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong

"Each tree offers a story a clue a dance that makes it its very own self."

We read about the maple; aspen; oak; palm; willow; apple tree; spruce; dogwod; sycamore; white pine; birch and sequoia.

Most of the trees in this book will be unfamiliar to Australian children but that is why you should read it. The tree names are beautiful and many are sure to be encountered in other books and perhaps in real life as young readers grow older. The other reasons to find and share this book are the beautiful art used in the illustrations and the poetic text. 

The artwork is full of sensitivity and whimsy and highlights the interconnectedness of all life; this is where the book truly shines. Some spreads invite readers to turn the book lengthwise, allowing the tall trees to pierce the sky. Others, like the panorama of the palm tree, playfully dance widthwise across the page, following the breeze. In many spreads, children are dwarfed by the trees’ magnificence, admiring them, playing beneath their leaves, or even being antagonized by a windy branch. School Library Journal

There is a feeling of exuberance. Throughout the well-laid-out book, the art, a skilled merging of printmaking and digital techniques, deftly complements the text, using facts about each tree to create divergent moods—including a surprisingly foreboding mood at the end. Language is elegant and accessible, with personification as the useful, key poetic device. Kirkus

It must have been hard for the library to decide where to place this book - poetry [811] or trees [582.16] - trees is where you find this book. The CIP (cataloging in publication) put it in poetry. It's a library dilemma but either way this is a special book.

Here are three text samples:

Birch, when other trees wear lifeless black, struts in royal etmine robes.

Willow dances in her narrow kimono with elegant sweeping sleeves wafting gentle wind.

Aspen, tall and graceful, dances on her tippy toes. Her golden leaves like castanets shimmer in the breeze.

Click here to see more pages

I am a little curious as to how this book came to be in the school library where I work as a volunteer. The inscription by the Teacher-Librarian says it was a donation - I wonder who or why?  This book was published in 2019. This book is now out of print but you may find it in a public or school library - even perhaps here in Australia!

Jing Jing Tsong is a mom, musician, and surfer whose grown-up job is drawing pictures. Her technique, which layers color and texture, is influenced by her experiences working in traditional stone lithography and monoprints. She is the illustrator of Seven Samosas and the New York Times bestselling A Bucket of Blessings, both written by Kabir and Surishtha Sehgal; First Morning Sun by Aimee Reed; and Feathers and Hair, What Animals Wear by Jennifer Ward; among others. Jing Jing and her husband live on an island in Washington state.

Story Rug by Sophie Blackall illustrated by Phoebe Wahl

This book is sure to create a craze in your library or classroom for braiding and for making braided rugs - even small ones. I really enjoyed the repeated refrain used in this story as Noah and his friends approach each problem:

"I want to braid. Noah knows Mrs Morena will have an idea. She always has an idea."

"But how to join the strips? Noah knows his Dad will have an idea. He always has an idea."

"It's too much braid to fit in Noah's backpack. But what to do with it? Everyone knows Noah will have an idea. He always has an idea."

There is one small plot jump in this story - I am sure your class will have ideas when you discuss this. The kids braid many different cloths. The braid is so long. Noah has a terrific idea and he tells everyone to meet him at the library which I assume is the local town or city public library. The kids coil the braiding and form a huge rug - a story rug. Turn the page and the next scene is back in the classroom. 

Do make time to linger over the end papers and notice the extra details in the classroom. This might seem obvious, but this book takes place over a few days and on each new day at school the kids are wearing different clothes. The way the kids also weave in their stories made me think about the stories people share over quilts. Here is a Pinterest of quilt books from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything.

Blurb from Illustrator webpage: The children of Class 203 are learning to braid. They started with hair and shoelaces, and now the children have brought rags from home. Their braid gets longer and longer until one idea transforms it into an extraordinary surprise for their teacher. Here is the story of a rag rug, woven through with the stories of the scraps used to create it and those told during its making. The result is a special handmade spot where the whole class can gather, ready for more stories.

Braids together the personal and the communal—and will hopefully inspire real classrooms to follow suit. Kirkus

You can hear Sophie Blackall talking about her book here to NPR with Phoebe Wahl.

You can see a video about braided rugs in this review by The Bottom Shelf (Barbara Braxton).

It is such a celebration of kids working together to create the most amazing thing, interweaving not just the fabrics but their own lives and their stories, sharing snippets of their diverse out-of-school time.

You will know Sophie Blackall from all her fabulous books - take a look at this post. The difference with Story Rug is that Sophie penned the text and did not do the illustrations - instead we have vibrant pictures by Phoebe Wahl. I previously talked about her book Sophie's Chickens.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

The night Ganwar lost his hand was the night I lost my father and brother, the night of men in the sky with guns, the night the earth opened up like a black pit and swallowed my old life whole.

Why am I here, when so many others are not? Why should I have a desk and a pair of fine jeans and a soft place for my head to rest? Why should I have the freedom to hope while my brother and father sleep in bloodied earth?

Kek arrives in America on a freezing cold winters day. He has come by airplane from Sudan. He has watched as his father and brother have been killed and he has had to leave his mother behind after their refugee camp was attacked. Kek is picked up by a social worker named Dave. Kek does have an aunt and cousin in America so he will be able to live with people from his family. On the way to their apartment Kek sees a lonely cow standing in the snow. He has asked Dave to stop the car so he can get close - Kek cared for his father's cattle back in Sudan. And so this story begins ...

You can have your dogs and cats, your gerbils and hamsters and sleek sparkling fish. But you will have lived just half a life if you never love a cow.

This is an early verse novel from Katherine Applegate - here are some text quotes that really show her skill with this form and her brilliant word choices and placement:

I am a tall boy, like all my people. My arms stick out of the coat like lonely trees.

I try some English, but my mouth just wants to chew the words and spit them on the ground.

Six long scars line his forehead, the marks of manhood I watched Ganwar and my brother receive in our village ceremony. How jealous I had been that day, too young for such an honor.

He had many cattle, my father, and the respect of our village, but it was his voice that made him a rich man among men. His voice was deep, like a storm coming, but gentle, like the rain ending.

It’s a strange pain to be with those you belong to and feel you don’t belong.

I have my father’s will, my brother’s eyes, and my mother’s light. She is like newborn sun, fresh with promise, the just-beginning moments before the day fills like a bucket with good and bad, sweat and longing. Even her laughter has sun in it. Always when I think of her I see a cloudless day blooming full, I feel warmth on my shoulders, I know hope’s embrace.

I don’t have the cattle for such a fine desk as this. Oh, she says, you don’t have to pay for this desk, Kek. School’s free here. You just bring your mind and your smile every day, OK?

Bookseller blurb: Kek comes from Africa. In America, he sees snow for the first time and feels its sting. He's never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter--cold and unkind. In Africa, Kek lived with his mother, father, and brother. But only he and his mother have survived, and now she's missing. Kek is on his own. Slowly, he makes friends: a girl who is in foster care, an old woman who owns a rundown farm, and a cow whose name means "family" in his native language. As Kek awaits word of his mother's fate, he weathers the tough Minnesota winter by finding warmth in his new friendships, strength in his memories, and belief in his new country.

Home of the Brave was published in 2008. I read an ebook version as, I expected this book would now be out of print, - but luckily it is not so can I suggest you add this book to your library shopping list or make a request to your local public library to add this book to their shelves. 

If you are book talking Home of the Brave I would use the 'chapter' entitled "How not to wash dishes". I was reading this part, and I just had to stop because I knew a huge disaster was coming. 

The free verse writing makes it a quick read, although I found myself pausing to reflect on the story or just admire Applegate's word choice. YA Books Central

Each week I travel on a bus and train to volunteer in a hospital library. This gives me plenty of time for reading. Today I started and completed Home of the Brave. As I stepped off the bus the lady sitting beside me commented on the form of this book. She had never seen a verse novel before. I was so happy to talk about this format and how books told as verse novels usually contain very emotional stories and that this book - Home of the Brave was no exception. 

I only have one tiny quibble which is why I gave Home of the Brave (perfect for readers aged 10+) four and not five stars. When Kek meets the owner of the cow Lou, he tells her he comes from Africa - but Africa is not a country. I hoped he would say the name of his country - Sudan. 

There are four parts in this book and each begins with an African proverb:

When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

You only make a bridge where there is a river.

One doesn’t forego sleeping because of the possibility of nightmares.

When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.

Companion books:

Moo

The Colour of Home 

(This is a picture book which I often share with Grade 6 students)

The Pencil by Susan Avingaq illustrated by Charlene Chua

When Susan's mother leaves their iglu to help a neighbour with a birth, she and her sister Rebecca and brother Peter are left in the care of their father. Play for the children includes having a jumping contest, a game of hide-and-seek and the two older girls practicing their letters on the frost surface of the ice window. But when Ataata pulls out the pencil from the special box of Anaana's things, everything changes. The pencil is already very short from Anaana's writing of letters to people in other camps, using whatever paper she might save including from tea boxes and sugar bags, but it is still gold. Anaana always said that we needed to be very careful with the pencil and that it wasn't a toy. Ataata also gives Susan a piece of paper and suggests she draw pictures for her brother. Though nervous, she draws seals and caribou and her family. Then Rebecca practices her writing, and Peter draws some scribbles and their father draws different inuksuit. The pencil gets shorter and Ataata has to sharpen it with his knife. Source: CanLit for Little Canadians

Authors Avingaq and Vsetula understand life in Nunavut, Canada, and embed in the story the importance of being responsible for belongings and caring for them wisely. A helpful glossary of the Inuktitut words (italicized on first reference within the story) is included in the backmatter. Kirkus

Listen to an audio sample here. This book (2019) is available here in Australia but sadly it will be well beyond the budget of most school libraries. 

While we were in Canada my friend and I tried to read lots of Canadian indigenous titles. The Pencil is one we found in library and it is a story that has lingered with me. My friend had talked about this book previously in this blog post. 

At the IBBY Congress in Ottawa IBBY launched their newest list: IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages.

This list links with International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032).

The Collection is both a celebration and a call to action. It invites readers, educators, publishers and institutions worldwide to discover the richness of books created in Indigenous and endangered languages, while encouraging the production and dissemination of new works. By highlighting stories rooted in diverse linguistic and cultural contexts, it affirms that languages are not only to be preserved, but to be actively used, shared and continuously reimagined. The development of this Collection has been both an ambitious and deeply enriching process. The final Collection offers a journey across regions and traditions, showcasing how children, through more than 152 languages, engage with stories that reflect their realities, imaginations and identities.

Over 500 titles were submitted from around the world and 169 were eventually selected for this inaugural list representing 150 languages. You can see the full list with detailed annotations here. I previously talked about the book by David A Robertson from Cananda that is included on this list. He was a Keynote speaker at the IBBY Congress. 

Here are the criteria for the UNESCO IBBY List:

● Books for children and young people (picture books, novels, biographies, graphic novels and nonfiction) presenting high-quality standards in terms of text and/or illustration; 

● books published between January 2018 and December 2025; 

● books originally published in an Indigenous and/or an endangered language, and original bilingual books including at least one Indigenous and/or endangered language;  

● books expressing the intention of, or relation to, one or more of the 10 outputs of the Global Action Plan of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages; and 

● books and publications that adhere to UNESCO principles and respect 

political neutrality. 

Here are a few of the Australian titles:

These books are not included in the IBBY UNESCO catalogue but they were some I read in the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver:

You can read more about these and many others here.