Introduction

Read Up On It is available in PDF format [PDF 1266 KB].

Aboriginal Stories

	Read Up On It 2006—2007 Source

Many Canadian books for young readers are written, illustrated or recounted by people of Aboriginal background. In addition, a number of non-Aboriginal authors and illustrators collaborate with Aboriginal artists and Elders, drawing inspiration for their own work in children's books. This year, Read Up On It showcases Aboriginal stories, making a rich part of Canadian literature better known to children and teenagers.

The books selected for this edition represent a variety of literary genres: novels, historical accounts, legends, biographies, documentaries, comic books and picture books. The historical accounts cover a range of time periods, from early encounters between European explorers and Aboriginal people to the present day. They place traditional and contemporary ways of life of various Aboriginal nations in context and examine the relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Some of the books provide bilingual texts, pairing French or English with a Native language such as Inuktitut, Gitxsanimax or Cree.

It is my hope that every reader will take the opportunity to discover an Aboriginal tradition or tale, to use these books for school and community projects, or to get in touch with a local Aboriginal centre to share stories with the Elders.

Josiane Polidori
Head, Children's Literature Service