The Secret Path by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire.
The Secret Path tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a young aboriginal boy who died in 1966 while trying to escape from his residential school and travel home. As is often the case with a good graphic novel, few words are needed to tell this shocking and heartbreaking story of abuse. Lyrics from the ten songs from the album of the same name, written by Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip, are interspersed with Lemire’s simple yet effective illustrations. The combination is as unique as it is powerful.
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon
Margaret Creasy is missing. Why? What has she learned that no one wants her to know? Told through the voices of two young girls, the disappearance has the whole street in an uproar. There are many secrets about one dark night in 1967 when Walter Bishop’s home was set alight by his neighbours determined to drive him away. But there is more to the story than any individual knows; the truth only existing in its many fractured parts. A wonderful book with many unexpected twists and turns, as well as an innocent search for God, who is rumoured to exist everywhere.
North Surrey Secondary School Library Learning Commons 