Larry Loyie

Larry Loyie’s Residential Schools: With the Words and Images of Survivors, co-written with Constance Brissenden and Wayne K. Spear, has been awarded the 2016 Forest of Reading Golden Oak Award. The non-fiction title reveals the hidden atrocities of Canada’s residential school system through the personal stories of more than 70 contributors. Loyie, a prolific Cree author and educator, passed away in April at 82.

The award falls under the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading, a recreational reading initiative that promotes literacy with programs for eight age groups. The OLA nominates titles, while Ontario readers select each award winner. The Golden Oak Award recognizes excellent recently published Canadian titles selected for beginner-level and ESL adult readers.