Homophobia in the Hallways: Heterosexism and Transphobia in Canadian Catholic Schools by Tonya D. Callaghan
Catholic schools, despite the religious affiliation, receive public funding in Canada. Because of this, Catholic schools are beholden to civil, not church law. Despite this, according to the author, Catholic schools are hostile to the acceptance of their LGBTQ+ students. Tonya Callaghan examines homophobia and transphobia in the context of Catholic schools, specifically those in Alberta and Ontario, given their larger populations. This book is primarily a study conducted through interviews with 20 participants and through media accounts, in order to gain a better understanding of religiously-backed oppression against vulnerable gender and sexual minority groups. Throughout this work, Callaghan explores topics such as media and the law, critical theory for emancipation, and Catholic documents.
The Sockeye Mother written by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Hudson) and illustrated by Natasha Donovan
This richly illustrated and simply written book tells the Gitxsan (of the Pacific Northwest Interior) story of the sockeye mother and how she comes to be. Starting out as a small fry, the sockeye mother does not know that as she grows, she will help to nourish the people along the watersheds. After journeying from the nursing lake to Xsan (the Skeena river) to the ocean, the sockeye mother fights the currents of Xsan to return to where she was spawned. Upon her return, she finds a male partner who has dug a suitable nest, she lays her eggs, and then she dies. The body of the sockeye mother then becomes fertilizer for the flora that shapes the land. Without her, “the Gitxsan, as they are, simply would not exist.” This book is an excellent choice for teachers looking to infuse Indigenous perspectives into the subject of science/biology in their classrooms. The author has included definitions of more complicated words as well as a brief history of the Gitxsan Nation at the end of the book.
Mission Méditation écrit par Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise et Éric Lacourse et illustré par Sébastien Leblanc
Ce livre est naît des observations des enseignants que leurs élèves sont de plus en plus anxieux, stressés, et inquiets dès qu’ils commencent leur journée. Comment les aider? Avec la méditation basée sur la présence attentive. Ce livre est donc un guide aux techniques de méditation qui ont été crée avec le but exprès de gérer l’anxiété, la stresse, l’hyperactivité et les difficultés de comportement exprimés par les élèves de primaire. Toutes les techniques expliqués sont faisables dans une salle de classe avec très peu de matériel et durent entre cinq et quinze minutes. Mission Méditation est une ressource géniale pour des professeurs qui veulent incorporer la méditation basée sur la présence attentive dans leurs salles de classe.
Black Chuck by Regan McDonell
Réal Dufresne’s best friend Shaun has been murdered. Shaun’s body was found by Réal, in a field just east of town. Réal blames himself for Shaun’s death, because all he can remember of his last night with his best friend is that they got into a nasty fight. Also left behind are Shaun’s pregnant girlfriend, Evie Hawley, his buddy Alex Janes, and Alex’s girlfriend Sunny Seong. In the wake of Shaun’s death, the friends try to navigate a world where he is no longer there to be the glue that holds them together. Secrets, gangs, and new love are just some of the things that threaten Réal, Evie, Alex, and Sunny and their future as friends. This book is set in a gritty, rough town and centres on rough, gritty teenagers. The mature themes in this novel make Black Chuck best suited to older high school students.
A Practical Education: Why Liberal Arts Majors Make Great Employees by Randall Stross
The title of this book is rather self-explanatory but does require some elaboration. Randall Stross focuses specifically on Stanford University to make his case, largely due to its proximity to Silicon Valley and the opportunities that being geographically close to such a place presents to graduating students. The first chapter is mostly an introduction, wherein Stross profiles Stanford liberal arts majors and the things they have achieved in life with their degrees, such as programming and management positions. Other topics discussed in this book are the importance of being bilingual (whether it is a dead language, a computer language or a “regular” language) and getting one’s foot in the door.
