The Q&Q team reached out to booksellers, librarians, and reviewers across the country to find out which titles from 2024 they’re still thinking about as the year draws to a close. This week, highlights from the year’s books for kids ranging from picture books to YA novels. 

 

Nujhat Tabassum, reviewer in Toronto

Fledgling: The Keeper’s Records of Revolution
S.K. Ali
Kokila/Penguin Random House 

S. K. Ali’s first foray into science fiction, presents an enthralling dystopia not far removed from our current reality, a terrifying future where even the contents of one’s mind and the truths of one’s life no longer belong to individuals. With memorable, nuanced characters fighting back against an oppressive world order, heartbreaking romances and betrayals, and stunning world-building and mythos inspired by Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures, this highly original, gripping first part of a duology has this reader eagerly waiting for more.

 

Sal Sawler, author and reviewer in Nova Scotia

It Bears Repeating
Tanya Tagaq and Cee Pootoogook, ill.
Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada 

This beautifully illustrated – and cleverly titled – picture book uses a counting book format to tell the story of 10 hungry polar bears and their quest for food. With Inuktitut words sprinkled throughout, it’s also a great tool for language revitalization. 

Club Microbe
Elise Gravel
Drawn & Quarterly 

A new Elise Gravel book is always cause for celebration, and Club Microbe is no exception. In this latest work, Gravel dives into the complex world of microbes – and examines the very big impact these tiny organisms have on our lives. Once again, Gravel proves that she knows how to find the fun in just about any topic.  

 

Colette Poitras, Indigenous Public Library Outreach, Edmonton 

The Animal People Choose a Leader
Richard Wagamese and Bridget George, ill.
Douglas & McIntyre  

From one of Canada’s preeminent storytellers, the late Richard Wagamese, The Animal People Choose a Leader is not just a traditional legend about a race to determine a leader among the animals; it is also a lesson in kindness, wisdom, patience, respect for one another, and the power of the collective. The rich and luminous illustrations add depth to the story and are works of art in their own right. Together in one package, this book is an amazing treasure. 

 

Erin Dalton, Huckleberry Books, Cranbrook, B.C. 

Walking Trees 
Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood Books 

A sweet, whimsical story of a little girl whose simple wish for a tree creates change in her community. A reminder for readers of all ages that small actions add up and make a difference. The fold-outs at the end may have made me a little misty-eyed.  

Indiginerds: Tales from Modern Indigenous Life
Alina Pete
Iron Circus Comics 

“Eleven stories of creative Indigenous people balancing traditional ways of knowing with modern pop culture.” I can’t think of a better way to encapsulate all the awesome that is in this book.

 

Jaclyn Qua-Hiansen, reviewer in Toronto 

Age 16
Rosena Fung
Annick Press 

This story of three generations of young women all dealing with their experiences at age 16 is a must-read for girls and women of all ages, especially for those of us who know the struggles of being big girls in a society that equates beauty with thinness. Fung’s artwork and storytelling are both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, yet ultimately healing; as often as we may think we struggle alone, our mothers and grandmothers may understand us more than we realize.

 

Lisa Doucet, Woozles Children’s Bookstore, Halifax

Wild Trails to the Sea
Penelope Jackson and Elena Skoreyko Wagner, ill.
Nimbus Publishing 

This debut picture book is an exquisitely illustrated celebration of all the wonders of the natural world – particularly for those of us who live by the sea. A poetic exploration of nature’s bounty, the story follows a family through the seasons and is also filled with the warmth and tenderness of a parent’s love for their children. Beautiful, introspective, and heartwarming, it reminded me of all the reasons I am so grateful for my Maritime home. 

The ANNEthology: A Collection of Kindred Spirits Inspired by the Canadian Icon
Judith Graves
Acorn Press 

This collection of short stories from a range of Canadian children’s and YA authors is delightfully thought-provoking, with each one providing a unique interpretation of L.M. Montgomery’s beloved heroine. It is fascinating to look at how different writers responded to the question “who is YOUR Anne?” and to then be inspired to think about that question oneself. The stories are vastly different, but with many common and familiar themes. It was so much fun to try to imagine how Anne inspired each of them, to reflect on the themes and elements of the original that resonated with these writers, and to be reminded in this unique and original way how much Anne (and Montgomery) have influenced, and continue to influence, so many people of all ages and backgrounds.

 

Nathan Whitlock, author and reviewer in Hamilton

Squire & Knight: Wayward Travelers 
Scott Chantler
First Second 

The sequel to Scott Chantler’s Squire & Knight continues the adventures of the brawny, overly confident, and kind of dim Sir Kelton and his brainy, bookish Squire as they get thoroughly lost in a forest, where the tale’s overall theme of book-learnin’ versus trusting your gut (and the limitations of both approaches) plays out amid dramatic storms and attacks from giant monsters, giant bugs, and fellow knights. Chantler, here, as in his previous books for young readers, is a master at balancing subtle explorations of ideas with all-out action.

 

Linda Ludke, librarian at London Public Library

So Loud!
Sahar Golshan and Shiva Delsooz, ill.
Annick Press 

Rudābeh, an exuberant Iranian-Canadian girl with a gregarious personality, is constantly being told by the adults in her life to tone it down. I want to shout from the rooftops how this picture book speaks volumes about the importance of embracing and using your voice with aplomb. Shiva Delsooz is an illustrator to watch – her joyfully animated artwork is full of whimsy, verve, and heart.  

A Witch’s Guide to Burning
Aminder Dhaliwal
Drawn & Quarterly 

Overworked witches give their magic to their community, but it is never enough. The witches are burned out – and then they get burned at the stake. Aminder Dhaliwal’s unique storytelling sizzles with kinetic energy, blending together illustrated prose, black-and-white comics, potions, and recipes. This perceptive and positively bewitching graphic novel is on point and on fire.

 

Fiona Raye Clarke, reviewer in London

What’s in Alanna’s Secret Sauce?
Sarah Jane Conklin and Venus Angelica, ill.
Monster House Publishing

In these times of uncertainty, this book magically addresses food insecurity, and shows us just how much we need and are capable of giving to each other.

 

 

 

Michelle Callaghan, librarian and reviewer in Calgary 

Bog Myrtle
Sid Sharp
Annick Press 

A graphic novel fairy tale of good versus evil that is deliciously bold and macabre. Bog Myrtle is as intensely thoughtful as it is funny and unsettling, while justice makes some deeply satisfying appearances.  

Spider in the Well
Jess Hannigan
Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins  

The fibbing townsfolk of Bad Göodsburg meet their match in an optimistic, smiling newsboy and in a wily, Machiavellian spider. Effervescent, witty storytelling, backed by blazingly cool artwork, Spider in the Well is gold.  

 

Rachel Rosenberg, librarian and reviewer in Toronto 

Taxi Ghost
Sophie Escabasse
Tundra Books/PRHC 

Escabasse combines ghostly fantasy with realistic topics such as gentrification and menstruation in this graphic novel set in Montreal. Adèle gets her first period over winter break, and with it comes the ability to see and hear ghosts. The message of sticking up for your beliefs is well told in a charming and non-preachy way.

 

 

Allison Mills, librarian and archivist in Philadelphia

Let’s Go
Julie Flett
Greystone Kids

Flett’s artistry with both illustration and language is on show in full-force in this picture book about community, support, and skateboarding. Skateboarding becomes a way to wax lyrical about streets that stretch out “like a little river,” and Flett manages to make even asphalt look warm and inviting – easily one of my favourite books of the year.

Righting Canada’s Wrongs: The Sixties Scoop and the Stolen Lives of Indigenous Children
Andrew Bomberry and Teresa Edwards
Lorimer

How do you tell a complex history of governmental discrimination at a level appropriate for young readers without oversimplifying or sugar-coating facts? It’s extraordinarily difficult, especially when tackling a subject like the Sixties Scoop, which needs the context of settler-colonialism, Canadian legal history, and the legacy of residential schools to be understood – while also recognizing the plurality of experiences of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities and individuals – but Bomberry and Edwards manage to do it in less than 100 pages. This is a phenomenal resource for an under-recognized aspect of Canadian and Indigenous history that is invaluable in the classroom, in libraries, and for any adult who wants an introduction to a subject they likely never encountered in school. 

 

Shazia Hafiz Ramji, author and reviewer in Vancouver

The Lightning Circle
Vikki VanSickle and Laura K. Watson. ill.
Tundra Books/PRHC 

Vikki VanSickle’s The Lightning Circle is a novel-in-verse that chronicles 17-year-old Nora Nichols’s first heartbreak. Through the reinventions and adventures of Nichols’s experiences at summer camp, VanSickle’s powerful storytelling, gorgeously illustrated by Laura K. Watson, brings the worlds of “glamping” and vulnerability together to celebrate the joys of friendship.

 

Hilary Atleo, Iron Dog Books, Vancouver

Boozhoo! Hello!
Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley and Mary Ann Corbiere, trans.
Groundwood Books 

We love this playful dual-language Anishinaabe picture book that reads with the call-and-response rhythm of such children’s classics as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Into the Goblin Market
Vikki VanSickle and Jensine Eckwall, ill.
Tundra Books/PRHC 

This revival of a classic makes a great read aloud with its firm rhythm and gothic aesthetic. 

 

Sarah Raughley, author and reviewer in Hamilton

Getting Us to Grandma’s
Nadia L. Hohn and TeMika Grooms, ill.
Groundwood Books 

Nadia Hohn once again provides Black children with a wonderful story that celebrates diversity through adventure. Little Nikki’s road trip from Toronto to the Bronx not only celebrates cultural traditions and family, but also reaffirms diasporic Black connections. 

 

Roo Forstall, Tidewater Books, Sackville, N.B. 

What If Bedtime Didn’t Exist?
Francine Cunningham and Mathias Ball, ill.
Annick Press 

Every page turn asks, “What if …?” and answers with beautiful illustrations taking the reader on a daydreaming adventure with Indigenous siblings.

Tig
Heather Smith
Tundra Books/PRHC 

It’s a beautiful coming-of-age story about moving on from the trauma of neglect and accepting the love that one deserves. Tig is a delightfully complex character sure to charm readers.  

 

 

Nikki Luscombe, reviewer in Toronto 

This Is a Tiny Fragile Snake
Nicholas Ruddock and Ashley Barron, ill.
Groundwood Books 

Nicholas Ruddock turns chance encounters with wildlife and backyard creatures into enchanting poetry in this gorgeous picture book illustrated by Ashley Barron’s rich and textured cut-paper collage scenes. Perfect material for rocking chair reading, the rhythmic language inspires awe and curiosity as we meet a nervy red squirrel, uninvited ants at a picnic, and a tiny fragile snake. It’s a superb way to spark curiosity and nurture respect for all living things. 

 

Heather Camlot, author and reviewer in Toronto

Gifts from the Garbage Truck: A True Story About the Things We (Don’t) Throw Away
Andrew Larsen and Oriol Vidal, ill.
Sourcebooks Explore 

As someone with a (big) tendency to salvage cast-off items from the curb, I really appreciate this picture book biography about former New York City sanitation worker Nelson Molina and his Treasures in the Trash museum of 45,000 rescued objects. An inspiring story about value and possibilities, about upcycling and consumerism, with a heart-rending line about the gift-giving season.

When Nature Calls: The Unusual Bathroom Habits of the World’s Creatures
Maria Birmingham and David Whamond, ill.
Red Deer Press 

The comical cover of animals waiting in line at a washroom in the woods led me to believe I was in for some laughs, and laugh I did. But with every spread, I also found myself more and more fascinated by Birmingham’s research on animal feces, from how animals poo, to how it is used once the poo is, well, out in the world – I’m looking at you, sperm whale ambergris.

 

Charis Cotter, author and reviewer in Newfoundland 

My Bunny Lies Over the Ocean
Bill Richardson and Bill Pechet, ill.
Running the Goat Books & Broadsides 

The third in a wacky trio by the always hilarious Bills, My Bunny Lies Over the Ocean takes a new twist on the old song as a lost Bunny travels the world after being left behind on a beach. Bunny encounters various helpful creatures on sea and on land, while avian musicians belt out the chorus. An extra treat at the end is the QR code that brings readers to the Barbershop Bunnies singing the book on YouTube. I laugh out loud every time I read this book! It’s a tonic that should be prescribed for children and grown-ups alike in these hard times.