First Nations Communities READ (FNCR) celebrates Turtle Island’s best Indigenous literature. The FNCR award is presented to selected children’s and YA/adult titles during First Nation Public Library Week in October.
Enjoy these selections from the 2024-25 longlist, and explore the full list on FNCR’s website.
We Love You As Much As a Fox Loves Its Tail by Masiana Kelly
This sweet, simple narrative celebrates the beauty of creating a family and the unbounded love waiting to be shared with a new little soul. Ages 3-5.
Walking Together by Albert Marshall, Emily Kewageshig and Louise Zimanyi
This innovative picture book introduces readers to Etuaptmumk, or Two-Eyed Seeing in the Mi'kmaq language, as we follow a group of young children as they connect to nature as their teacher. For ages 4-7.
The Song That Called Them Home by David Robertson and Maya McKibbin
While on a fishing trip with their Moshom, Lauren and her brother James are pulled into a perilous adventure when James is taken by the Memekwesewak—mischievous water spirits. Lauren must follow them through a mysterious portal to save him, all while resisting the enchantment of their song. Ages 5-8.
Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold by Jessica Outram
In the summer of 1914, eight-year-old Bernice, living in a lighthouse on Georgian Bay, discovers a treasure map left by a stranger named Tom Thomson. Inspired by her Métis family's stories, she sets out with her two dogs in a rowboat, determined to find the gold and change her family's fortunes. Ages 9-12.
Dreams Volume 1, Visions of the Crow by Wanda John-Kehewin and Nicole Marie Burton
Damon Quinn wants to get through senior year, but between his mom's alcohol struggles, school bullies, and a mysterious crow, life is anything but normal. After a vivid dream, he confronts his mom with tough questions about his father and his identity. Ages 12+.
A Beautiful Rebellion by Rita Bouvier
These poems explore the poet's life with a fierce tenderness, reflecting on childhood by the Churchill River, the loss of a loved one, the struggle for forgiveness, and the exhaustion of seeking justice for her people.
A Season In Chezgh'un by Darrel J. McLeod
James, a successful Cree man, feels alienated from his roots despite his comfortable life in Vancouver. Seeking reconnection, he takes a job in a remote Dakelh community, but the harsh realities there awaken dark memories, threatening his stability even as he finds solace in the local culture.
Arctic/Amazon: Networks Of Global Indigeneity, edited by Gerald McMaster and Nina Vincent
Arctic/Amazon includes essays by 12 Indigenous artists, curators, and knowledge-keepers about integrating spirituality, ancestral respect, traditional knowledge and political critique in artistic practice and over 100 image reproductions and installation shots.
