EDUCATOR’S GUIDE
BOOK LIST 2025
Alicia Ellis
GIRL OF FLESH AND METAL
978-1939452542
Figmented Ink
Amal Elsana Alh’jooj HOPE IS A WOMAN’S NAME
978-1990823770
Sutherland House Books
Amanda Leduc WILD LIFE
978-0735272873
Random House of Canada
Andrea Currie
FINDING OTIPEMISIWAK
978-1551529554
Arsenal Pulp Press
Anna Sortino
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
978-0593697863
Penguin Young Readers Group
Coltrane Seesequasis SECRETS OF STONE
978-1928120421
Kegedonce Press
Daniel Maluka
UNWASHED
978-1774151686
Mawenzi House Publishers
David A. Robertson ALL THE LITTLE MONSTERS
978-1443472401
HarperCollins
John Elizabeth Stintzi BAD HOUSES
978-1551529615
Arsenal Pulp Press
David A. Robertson
52 WAYS TO RECONCILE
978-0771019357
McClelland & Stewart
Judy I. Lin
THE DARK BECOMES HER
978-1368099097
Disney Publishing Group
David Chariandy BROTHER
978-0771023330
McClelland & Stewart
Jumata Emill WANDER IN THE DARK
978-0593651889
Random House Children’s Books
Denise Da Costa AND THE WALLS CAME DOWN
978-1459750364
Dundurn Press
K.D. Richards THE PERFECT MURDER
978-1335457059
Harlequin
Derek Mascarenhas THE MANGO MONSTER
978-1771475693
Owlkids Books
K. J. Aiello
THE MONSTER AND THE MIRROR
978-1770417083
ECW Press
Ian Williams WHAT I MEAN TO SAY
978-1487013424
House of Anansi Press
Kagiso Lesego Molope THIS BOOK BETRAYS MY BROTHER
978-1988449296
Mawenzi House Publishers
Iryn Tushabe EVERYTHING IS FINE HERE
978-1487013134
House of Anansi Press
Kate Gies IT MUST BE BEAUTIFUL TO BE FINISHED
978-1668051054
Scribner Canada
Ozoz Sokoh CHOP CHOP
978-0525612544
Appetite by Random House
978-0735245303
katherena vermette REAL ONES
978-0735247505
Penguin Canada Katia Rose PASSING THROUGH 979-8399451206
Kyo Lee
I CUT MY TONGUE ON A BROKEN COUNTRY
978-1551529776
Arsenal Pulp Press
Lisa Shen
A STORY ENDING IN REDWOODS
978-1998774388
Anstruther Press
Mackenzie Angeconeb THE FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN
978-1770867796
Cormorant Books
Kamal Al-Solaylee INTOLERABLE
978-1554688876
HarperCollins
Morgan Campbell MY FIGHTING FAMILY
978-0771050213
McClelland & Stewart
R.F. Kuang
YELLOWFACE
978-0063323179
HarperCollins
978-1770417571
978-1069016102
978-0063358492
978-0771072598
978-1774390986
NeWest Press
978-1536226522
Candlewick Press
978-0771095115
McClelland & Stewart
GETTING STARTED
This guide was created to help educators engage with their students while attending the virtual festival events. The pre- and post-activities below can be used for all our events. The exercises that explore specific events, and the author profiles are meant to provide you with more information about the authors participating in this year’s festival. Included with the event descriptions are specific course connections to Secondary School themes and some Ontario Secondary School Courses.
PRE-EVENT ACTIVITY
Before experiencing a virtual session, look up the authors. Make note of the books they’ve written and discover a little bit about them.
1. What made you choose this writer?
2. What was the most interesting thing you learned about them?
3. Share why you chose the author and what you learned about them with your classmates and teacher. Prepare one question that you would ask them if you got the chance.
POST-EVENT ACTIVITY
After experiencing the virtual session, identify:
1. three things you learned,
2. two things you found interesting, and
3. one question you still have about writing or about one of the authors
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
The 2025 FOLD Educator Guide now includes Ontario Curriculum connections. When possible, we have highlighted the Grade, Subject and Strand that connects to each event. There are Language expectations that connect to many of our featured texts. The expectations are listed here and linked below in individual events.
ONTARIO LANGUAGE CURRICULUM LINKS
GR. 1–8 LANGUAGE CURRICULUM (2023)
A Literacy Connections and Applications
A2 Digital Media Literacy - Media, Audience and Production (A2.5)
A3 Applications, Connections and Contributions - Identity and Community (A3.2), First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Perspectives and Ways of Knowing (A3.3)
C Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts
C1 Knowledge About Texts - Text Forms and Genres (C1.2), Visual Elements of Texts (C1.4)
C2 Comprehension Strategies - Pre Reading: Activating Prior Knowledge (C2.1), Monitoring of Understanding: Making and Confirming Predictions (C2.3)
C3 Critical Thinking in Literacy - Analyzing Cultural Elements of Texts (C3.4), Analysis and Response (C3.6)
GR. 9 (2023) AND GR. 10–12 ENGLISH COURSES (2007)
Reading and Literature Studies
2. Understanding Form and Style - Texts Forms (2.1), Text Features (2.2), Elements of Style (2.3)
Writing
1. Developing and Organizing Content - Identifying Topic, Purpose and Audience (1.1)
VIRTUAL EVENT EXERCISES
In this workshop with poet Kyo Lee, emerging teen writers will kick-start their journey into a long-term writing project by learning to build sustainable writing routines and exploring different strategies to garner creative momentum. From selecting an idea to finishing the last page, Lee will cover practical tips for starting to write, writing, and continuing to write.
1. Brainstorm a list of personal experiences or anecdotes. From this list, add other experiences that connect or expand on the themes that emerge.
2. Consider how your culture/identity has shaped who you are and the questions you have about yourself and society.
3. What are some ways you can include writing into your daily routine? Where do you record your writing? A notebook? Your phone? A journal? How can you collect your thoughts over time in order to find the themes and thoughts you are most interested in?
In this edition of The Writer’s Life series, young adult author Judy I. Lin discusses her career as an occupational therapist, her path to becoming an author, and her writing process for her latest horror novel, The Dark Becomes Her. Moderated by the FOLD’s Kids Program Coordinator Ardo Omer, this interview will showcase Lin’s publishing journey, writing tips, and more.
1. How long do you think it takes an author to publish a book, from first draft to a published book available in the store? Note the steps that are taken from draft to published book as Judy and Ardo discuss the writing process.
2. In what ways do you think non-writing jobs like Judy’s could influence someone’s writing?
3. Record any interesting comments or quotes from the session. What question would you ask Judy?
In this panel conversation for high school students, three young adult authors—Jumata Emill, Coltrane Seesequasis, and Anna Sortino—along with moderator Ameema Saeed, discuss the strengths and challenges of working within different genres and why they chose their particular genre.
*Masterclass Aug 23 2021 “ What Are the Different Genres of Literature? A Guide to 14 Literary Genres”
1. What is your favourite genre* to read? What are some of the expectations you have from that genre? Why do you enjoy it so much?
2. These authors have chosen different genres (romance, fantasy, murder mystery/thriller) to present their stories. How does the genre of a story help you understand the type of story you are about to read?
In this panel conversation for high school students, three young adult authors—Mackenzie Angeconeb, Tanya Boteju, and Judy I. Lin—along with moderator Alyssa Gray-Tyghter, discuss mental health and well-being, the pursuit of perfection and grief experienced by the teen characters in their novels.
**Wolfelt PH. D., Alan D. Healing a Teen’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas For Families, Friends and Caregivers Companion Press: 2001. ISBN: 978-1-879651-34-1
***American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence June 18 2024 “Perfectionism: How to Help Your Child Avoid the Pitfalls”
****Canadian Institute for Health Information May 5 2022 “Mental health of children and youth in Canada”
“Grief is the constellation of internal thoughts and feelings we have when someone loved dies. Mourning is the outward expression of our grief.” Wolfelt **
1. Mackenzie Angeconeb explores both grief and mourning in The Fragments That Remain. The death of a sibling can result in guilt, fear and confusion. How does the author explore these themes through letter writing?
2. The fear of failure can be limiting to a perfectionist *** . How do the characters in Messy Perfect and The Dark Becomes Her demonstrate perfectionism rather than just being high achievers?
3. The need to support teen mental health is on the rise (CIHI ****). These authors explore teen mental health in a variety of ways. How does the use of a novel for young adults add to the conversation about teen mental health?
AUTHOR PROFILES
MACKENZIE ANGECONEB SIOUX LOOKOUT, ONTARIO
Mackenzie Angeconeb (Aan-ji-quin-ni-ai’ib) (she/her) is an Anishinaabe artist coming from a family of artists. She writes poetry and young adult fiction, fringe beads earrings of her own designs, and paints in her own woodland style. Her first novel, The Fragments that Remain , will be released on March 8th, 2025. Mackenzie lives in Treaty #3.
instagram: @oba.creations
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
The Fragments that Remain (2025)
• Ages 13+
• ISBN-13: 9781770867796
• Available as: paperback
TANYA BOTEJU VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Tanya Boteju (she/her) lives on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and TsleilWaututh First Nations (Vancouver, BC). Part-time, she teaches English to clever and sassy young people. The rest of her time, she uses writing as an excuse to eat pastries. Her debut novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens , was named a Top Ten Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association. Her second novel, Bruised , was selected as a Gold Standard book by the Junior Library Guild. Look for another YA novel, Messy Perfect , and a middle grade nonfiction book about allyship in 2025. Visit her at tanyaboteju.com.
website: tanyaboteju.com instagram: @tboteju
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
Messy Perfect (2025)
• Ages 14+
• ISBN-13: 9780063358492
• Available as: hardcover, ebook, audiobook
OTHER BOOKS
• Bruised (2021)
• Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens (2019)
JUMATA EMILL BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
Jumata Emill (he/him) is a journalist who has covered crime and local politics in Mississippi and parts of Louisiana. He earned his BA in mass communications from Southern University and A&M College. He’s a Pitch Wars alum and a member of the Crime Writers of Color. When he’s not writing about murderous teens, he’s watching and obsessively tweeting about every franchise of the Real Housewives. Jumata lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is the author of The Black Queen and Wander in the Dark .
website: jumataemill.com
x : @brownboywriting instagram: @brownboywriting
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
Wander in the Dark (2025)
• Ages 12+
• ISBN-13: 978-0593651865
• Available as: paperback, ebook, audiobook
OTHER BOOKS
• The Black Queen (2023)
KYO LEE WATERLOO, ONTARIO
Kyo Lee (she/her) is a Korean Canadian student and the author of the poetry collection i cut my tongue on a broken country (Arsenal Pulp Press). She is the youngest winner of the CBC Poetry Prize and youngest finalist for the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award. Her literature also appears in Narrative , Nimrod , Prism , The Forge , and This Magazine , among others. She loves colourful skies, summer peaches, and oceans. You can visit her online @kyolee.me.
website: kyolee.me
instagram: @kyoleewrites
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
i cut my tongue on a broken country (2025)
• Ages 14+
• ISBN-13: 978-1551529776
• Available as: paperback, ebook,
JUDY I. LIN PRAIRIES, CANADA
Judy I. Lin (she/her), #1 New York Times-
bestselling author of the Book of Tea duology (A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet ), was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. She now works as an occupational therapist and still spends her nights dreaming up imaginary worlds of her own. She lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband and daughters.
website: judyilin.com instagram: @judyilinauthor
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
The Dark Becomes Her (2024)
• Ages 12+
• ISBN-13: 978-1368099097
• Available as: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook
OTHER BOOKS
• Avatar Legends: City of Echoes (2025)
• Song of the Six Realms (2024)
• A Venom Dark and Sweet (2022)
• A Magic Steeped in Poison (2022)
DAVID A. ROBERTSON WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
David A. Robertson (he/him) is a two-time Governor General’s Literary Award winner and has won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Writer’s Union of Canada Freedom to Read award. He has received several other accolades for his work as a writer for children and adults, podcaster, public speaker, and social advocate. He was honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba in 2023 for outstanding contributions to the arts and distinguished achievements. He is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg.
website: darobertson.ca x : @DaveAlexRoberts instagram: @davidrobertsonwriter
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety (2025)
• Ages 14+
• ISBN-13: 9781443472401
• Available as: paperback, ebook
OTHER BOOKS
• The Theory of Crows (2022)
• The Barren Grounds Series (2021-2024)
• Black Water (2020) and more…
COLTRANE SEESEQUA SIS GATINEAU, QUEBEC
Coltrane Seesequasis (he/him) is a young fantasy writer of Willow Cree heritage who grew up in Gatineau, Quebec. His debut novel, Secrets of Stone , is the first book of a planned series that follows the gripping tale of a young wolf called Silversong, in a fantasy world similar to our own. Inspired by a love of nature as well as myths and folklore that challenge the limits of creativity, Coltrane joins a new generation of writers, adding his voice to the immersive genre of fantasy.
website: coltranebooks.com
instagram: @coltrane_seesequasis
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
Secrets of Stone (2024)
• Ages 8+
• ISBN-13: 978-1928120421
• Available as: paperback
WALI SHAH MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO
Wali Shah (he/him) is the voice of a generation of youth. From hundreds of schools and colleges across North America, to performing at WeDay, Wali uses his poetry for a purpose. Thousands of youth follow him on social media, as he sparks honest and authentic conversations and raises awareness on social issues using his art and his platform. He is the co-author of Call Me Al .
website: lifeaswali.com
x : @LifeAsWali
instagram: @lifeaswali
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
Call Me Al (2024)
• Ages 9+
• ISBN-13: 978-1459837942
• Available as: paperback, ebook, audiobook
LISA SHEN MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO
Lisa Shen (she/her) is a writer and spoken word artist, and the 2023–2025 Youth Poet Laureate of the City of Mississauga. She is the winner of the 2024 Lillian Allen Emerging Artist Prize and the 2022 Buddies Queer Emerging Artists Award, and was shortlisted for the 2023 League of Canadian Poets Spoken Word Award. Lisa has toured across North America, from California to New York. Her work has appeared on CBC Radio, TEDx, and Write About Now. Her first chapbook, A Story Ending in Redwoods , was recently published with Anstruther Press.
website: lisashen.ca instagram: @itslisashen
A Story Ending in Redwoods (2025)
• Ages 14+
• ISBN-13: 978-1-998774-38-8
• Available as: chapbook
ANNA SORTINO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Anna Sortino (she/her) is the award-winning author of On the Bright Side and Give Me a Sign . She writes stories about disabled characters living their lives and falling in love. She has a master’s degree in Writing & Publishing from DePaul University and lives in Chicago with her dog.
website: annasortino.com
instagram: @annaksortino
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
On the Bright Side (2024)
• Ages 14+
• ISBN-13: 9780593697887
• Available as: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook
OTHER BOOKS
• Give Me a Sign (2024)
TANYA TALAGA TORONTO, ONTARIO
Tanya Talaga (she/her) is of Anishinaabe and Polish descent and a proud member of Fort William First Nation. As a journalist, Talaga spent more than twenty years at the Toronto Star and is now a columnist at the Globe and Mail . Acclaimed author of national bestseller Seven Fallen Feathers , she recently released The Knowing , based on her family’s experience in residential schools, and the focus of a four-part documentary series for the CBC. Talaga is the founder of Makwa Creative, a production company elevating Indigenous voices and storiesthrough documentary films, including the Canadian Screen Award nominated War For The Woods .
instagram: @tanyatalaga_author
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
The Knowing: How the Oppression of Indigenous Peoples Continues to Echo Today (2025)
• Ages 14+
• ISBN-13: 978-1443467506
• Available as: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook
OTHER BOOKS
• The Knowing (2024)
• All Our Relations (2020) and more...
JOSHUA“SCRIBE” WATKIS TORONTO, ONTARIO
Scarborough born poet and arts educator, Joshua “Scribe” Watkis (he/him), has devoted himself to extracting the essence of his experiences; turning them into words worth their weight in feeling. The Canadian Poetry Slam Champion has authored two chapbooks ( Tethered and Black Blossom/ Harsh North); and collaborated with The FOLD on Audible’s first Spoken Word Audiobook: Power in Poetry: Moods That Move . Beyond the contribution of his own poetry, Scribe co-curated and hosted The Old Black Maple , for the NAC’s debut Hip-Hop Theatre Festival. Recently, he collaborated with The Goldfarb Gallery for Charles Campbell’s exhibit: An Ocean to Livity.
x : @thisisscribe instagram: @thisisscribe
FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL
Tethered
AVAILABLE CHAPBOOKS
• Tethered
• Black Blossom/Harsh North