26 best Canadian books for big kids
There's nothing like curling up with a good novel. Check out the top Canadian books for big kids.
The Sky is Falling
Kit Pearson, Puffin
During World War II, 10-year-old Norah and her brother are sent away from their parents in England to navigate a new life in Canada, in this touching historical account.
Anne of Green Gables
L.M. Montgomery, Penguin Canada
Melodramatic and relatable Anne-with-an-E is an 11-year-old orphan who finds love, loss and belonging in picturesque Prince Edward Island.
The Cremation of Sam McGee
Robert W. Service, Ted Harrison, Kids Can Press
Famed Canadian painter Ted Harrison illustrates the haunting classic gold rush–themed poem.
Silverwing
Kenneth Oppel, David Franklin, HarperTrophy Canada
In this exciting fantasy novel, a young Silverwing bat named Shade is separated from his family and must embark on a dangerous journey to find them.
Lost in the Barrens
Farley Mowat, Emblem Editions
A Cree boy and a Caucasian orphan living with his uncle set out on an exciting—and, at times, nail-biting—Arctic adventure.
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
Mordecai Richler, Dušan Petriu010diu0107, Tundra Books
Misunderstood Jacob Two-Two finds himself at the mercy of the mean Hooded Fang after insulting a grown-up.
Angel Square
Brian Doyle, Groundwood Books
In 1945, a Jewish night watchman is assaulted at Christmastime in Ottawa, where the spectre of anti-Semitism is still looming large post-World War II.
A Child in Prison Camp
Shizuye Takashima, Tundra Books
The author reflects on how her family and thousands of other Japanese Canadians were forced to live in internment camps during the Second World War.
Elijah of Buxton
Christopher Paul Curtis, Scholastic Canada
In 1860, 11-year-old Elijah, a black boy born into freedom in Ontario, embarks on a journey to America, where he sees the horrors of slavery.
The Breadwinner
Deborah Ellis, Groundwood Books
In the first book of a trilogy, 11-year-old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy so she can earn money for her poverty-stricken family in Afghanistan.
Owls in the Family
Farley Mowat, Emblem Editions
Most kids want a pet, but what happens when your menagerie includes a pesky owl who terrorizes the neighbourhood?
Naomi’s Road
Joy Kogawa, Ruth Ohi, Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Told through a child’s eyes, this is the story of a Japanese-Canadian family torn apart after being separated and forced to live in internment camps during WWII.
Awake and Dreaming
Kit Pearson, Puffin
Living with a poor and irresponsible mother leaves Theo dreaming of life with a different family.
From Anna
Jean Little, Scholastic Canada
Nine-year-old Anna is awkward and clumsy—how will she ever learn English and adjust to life in Canada after her family escapes Nazi Germany?
The Crazy Man
Pamela Porter, Groundwood Books
After a farming accident, Emaline’s family is in shambles. To everyone’s initial dismay, her mother hires a man with mental health issues to tend the fields.
Shadow in Hawthorn Bay
Janet Lunn, Seal Books
Mary, a telepathic pioneer girl from Upper Canada, embarks on a quest to save her cousin from the battlefield.
Underground to Canada
Barbara Smucker, Puffin
In the 1800s, two enslaved girls are offered an escape from the States to Canada via the Underground Railway, but slave catchers are hot on their trail.
Charlie Wilcox
Sharon E. McKay, Puffin
No one expects that weak, club-footed Charlie will amount to much. He aims to prove them wrong by becoming an ace fisherman, but the boat he stows away on is actually headed to a World War I battlefield in France.
Emily of New Moon
L.M. Montgomery, Tundra Books
Emily Starr’s world is shattered with the death of her father. Now she’ll have to start fresh in a new place with her stern aunt and cruel classmates.
This Can’t be Happening at Macdonald Hall
Gordon Korman, Scholastic Canada
Boots and Bruno attend a prestigious school for boys. The headmaster splits the two boys up, but they’re determined to room together again.
The Wreckers
Iain Lawrence, Yearling Books
An evil village prays for shipwrecks so they can loot the remains. Fourteen-year-old John survives a wreck—but can he survive the villagers?
Run
Eric Walters, Puffin
Troubled Winston accompanies his journalist father to the East Coast to cover a story about a man who plans to run across Canada. When the article sparks interest across the country, Terry Fox becomes a household name.
Screech Owls: The Night They Stole the Stanley Cup
Roy MacGregor, Tundra Books
Hockey’s greatest trophy is in danger. Will the Screech Owls hockey team be able to save it?
The Nose from Jupiter
Richard Scrimger, Tundra Books
Alan is bullied at school, until an alien from Jupiter lands in his nose and teaches him how to stick up for himself.
The Night Gardener
Jonathan Auxier, Puffin
Orphaned siblings are sent to a creepy English manor to be servants. It doesn’t take long for them to discover this eerie house has some dark secrets.
The Whole Truth
Kit Pearson, HarperTrophy
In 1932, two sisters are sent from Manitoba to British Columbia to live with their grandmother. But the girls have a big secret—will they be able to hold it in and adjust to their new lives?
Read more:
8 best Canadian books for babies and toddlers
36 best Canadian books for preschoolers
30 best Canadian books for little kids
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Amy is a freelance writer and editor based in Toronto, Ontario. Her work can also be found in publications like Chatelaine, Toronto Life and The Globe and Mail.