Category: Curriculum Material (Page 3 of 14)

Christmas Time is Here! Check out our holiday themed book display in TWU’s Curriculum Resource Centre (CRC).

This specialized education resource library serves Trinity’s School of Education and local educators, and it provides a variety of resources for curriculum planning, research and teaching (including curriculum guides), teacher’s resources, and K-12 student resources.

Click on the link for more information. Learn how to place a Hold though our Holds Pickup. Or visit CRC located on the upper floor of the library and choose from these displayed titles and much more!

The Attic Christmas by B.G. Hennessy and illustrated by Dan Andreasen

Picture book that tells a story of a group of treasured Christmas ornaments who stage their own holiday celebration in the attic.

 A Firefly in a Fir Tree: A Carol for Mice by Hilary Knight

When the author discovered mice in his studio, he set about designing them a special outdoor home. The mice had unique talents of their own. Maude, an expert needle-mouse, complemented Max’s way with a hammer. Both shared a keen eye for found objects.

Baseball Bats for Christmas by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak (Inuk) and illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka

The year is 1955 and Arvaarluk and his friends watch as Rocky Parsons lands his plane on the ice in Repulse Bay, a tiny community “smack dab on the Arctic Circle.” Having never seen trees before, the children try to guess what the six green spindly things are that Rocky delivers. One of the boys has a brilliant idea: why not use them as baseball bats?

Chinook Christmas by Rudy Wiebe and illustrated by David More

Christmas in the Prairies means snow and blizzards and bitterly cold winds. But what happens when a warm Chinook wind blows like an unexpected gift down from the Rocky Mountains, turning December into April in the blink of a child’s eye? What happens when the Chinook promises a temporary magic? What happens is the people of a small prairie town abandon old habits and emerge momentarily from the grip of the harsh cold to embrace this wonder.

Dream Soul by Laurence Yep

Young adult fiction about the story of Joan Lee and her younger siblings, Bobby and Emily, want for Christmas in 1927 is to be allowed to celebrate it. Joan longs to be just like everyone else, even if she is Chinese, but this will be the Lees’ first Christmas in West Virginia! Miss Lucy, their landlady and friend, innocently invites the family to celebrate Christmas with her. Joan’s parents resist at first, but that changes when Papa realizes he can turn it to his advantage.

Last Chimney of Christmas Eve by Linda Oatman High and illustrated by Kestutis Kasparavicius

It is Christmas Eve and Nicholas, a young chimney sweeper, has one last chimney to clean. Shivering in his ragged coat, he climbs inside the narrow, sooty chimney, working his way to the top. From the roof, he sees the glow of fireplaces in the houses below and inhales the smell of warm mincemeat. “Someday,” he thinks, “Christmas Eve will be joyful for me, the way it’s meant to be.” After the chimney is cleaned, the owner of the house surprises the boy with two presents: a big, warm coat and a glass snow dome. “Thank you for your kindness,” says Nicholas. “Pass it on,” says the man.

Olive, The Other Reindeer by Bruce Kilby

Young adult fiction about the story of Santa and his famous team of reindeer fail to return to the North Pole after his Christmas Eve delivery of toys around the world, Mrs. Claus fears the worst. What could have happened to keep Santa from his favourite chair by the fire on Christmas day? Desperate, Mrs. Claus chooses Olive, an inexperienced prankster of a reindeer, to launch out into the howling winds and frozen wasteland of the Arctic in search of the lost team and their beloved Santa Claus.

Celebrate the stories and voices from around the world by checking out the display in the Curriculum Resource Centre (CRC) that features picture books, young adult novels and other curriculum resources.

This specialized education resource library serves Trinity’s School of Education and local educators, and it provides a variety of resources for curriculum planning, research and teaching (including curriculum guides), teacher’s resources, and K-12 student resources.

Click on the link for more information. Learn how to place a Hold though our Holds Pickup. Or visit CRC located on the upper floor of the library and choose from these displayed titles and much more!

Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraquay by Susan Hood and illustrated by Sally Wern Comport
(Grades: Kindergarten-3)

Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the essentials, it was never an option until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Ada and her town forever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.

The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland
(Grades: 9-12)

As a child in a small rural village in Sierra Leone, Mariatu Kamara lived peacefully surrounded by family and friends. But when 12-year-old Mariatu set out for a neighboring village, she never arrived. Heavily armed rebel soldiers attacked and tortured Mariatu by cutting off both of her hands. Stumbling through the countryside, Mariatu miraculously survived. The sweet taste of a mango, her first food after the attack, reaffirmed her desire to live. With no parents or living adult to support her and living in a refugee camp, she turned to begging in the streets of Freetown. As told to her by Mariatu, journalist Susan McClelland has written the heartbreaking true story of the brutal attack, its aftermath and Mariatu’s eventual arrival in Toronto where she began to pull together the pieces of her broken life with courage, astonishing resilience and hope.

The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird
(Grades: 8-10)

This young adult fiction Inspired by the true story of an Ethiopian childhood lived on the edge of destitution. When Mamo’s mother dies, he is abandoned in the shanties of Addis Ababa. Stolen by a child-trafficker and sold to a farmer, he is cruelly treated. Escaping back to the city, he meets another, very different runaway. Dani is rich, educated and fleeing his tyrannical father. Together they join a gang of homeless street boys who survive only by mutual bonds of trust and total dependence on each other.

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter
(Grades: Kindergarten-4)

In a war-stricken country where civilians have little power, this true story about a Alia Muhammad Baker a librarian in Barsa and the struggle to save her community’s priceless collection of books reminds us all how, throughout the world, the love of literature and the respect for knowledge know no boundaries.

Mikis and the Donkey by Bibi Dumon Tak and illustrated by Philip Hopman
(Grades: 3-6)

This is a story about Mikis and his pet donkey, Tsaki. Mikis is told by his grandfather that donkeys are working animals, not pets. However, Mikis and Tsaki become friends and the two have some grand adventures. Eventually, both Mikis and his grandfather learn a bit more about what exactly it means to care for another creature.

My Name is Number 4: A True Story by Ting-Xing Ye
(Grades: 10-12)

A powerful and passionate memoir for young readers, Ting-xing Ye tells, through the eyes of a child, the moving story of growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution. After the death of both her parents, Ting-xing and her four siblings endure the brutality of Red Guard attacks on their schools and even their house as they struggle against poverty and hunger. At sixteen, Ting-xing herself is exiled to a prison farm far from home.