FOLD 2025 Educator Guide

E DUC ATOR’S GUIDE

THE FESTIVAL OF LITERARY DIVERSITY APRIL 27— MAY 4, 2025 >> VIRTUAL + IN-PERSON

BOOK LIST 2025 Alicia Ellis

David A. Robertson

John Elizabeth Stintzi

GIRL OF FLESH AND METAL

ALL THE LITTLE MONSTERS

BAD HOUSES

978-1939452542 Figmented Ink

978-1443472401 HarperCollins

978-1551529615 Arsenal Pulp Press

it Must be Beautiful to be

Finished

Kate Gies

Ozoz Sokoh

Sheung-King

IT MUST BE BEAUTIFUL TO BE FINISHED

CHOP CHOP

BATSHIT SEVEN

978-0525612544 Appetite by Random House

978-0735245303 Penguin Canada

978-1668051054 Scribner Canada

A Memoir of My Body

Kate Gies

Amal Elsana Alh’jooj

David A. Robertson

Judy I. Lin

katherena vermette

R.F. Kuang

Suzan Palumbo

HOPE IS A WOMAN’S NAME

52 WAYS TO RECONCILE

THE DARK BECOMES HER

REAL ONES

YELLOWFACE

COUNTESS

978-0771019357 McClelland & Stewart

978-1368099097 Disney Publishing Group

978-0735247505 Penguin Canada

978-0063323179 HarperCollins

978-1770417571 ECW Press

Amanda Leduc

David Chariandy

Jumata Emill

Katia Rose

Ruby Barrett

Tanya Boteju

WILD LIFE

BROTHER

WANDER IN THE DARK

PASSING THROUGH

THE MATCH FAKER

MESSY PERFECT

978-0735272873 Random House of Canada

978-0771023330 McClelland & Stewart

978-0593651889 Random House Children’s Books

979-8399451206

978-1069016102 Weird Lil’ Guy Books

978-0063358492 HarperCollins

Andrea Currie

Denise Da Costa

K.D. Richards

Kyo Lee

Saleema Nawaz

Tanya Talaga

FINDING OTIPEMISIWAK

AND THE WALLS CAME DOWN

THE PERFECT MURDER

I CUT MY TONGUE ON A BROKEN COUNTRY

SONGS FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

THE KNOWING

978-1551529776 Arsenal Pulp Press

978-0771072598 McClelland & Stewart

978-1990823770 Sutherland House Books

978-1551529554 Arsenal Pulp Press

978-1459750364 Dundurn Press

978-1335457059 Harlequin

978-1443467506 HarperCollins

Anna Sortino

Derek Mascarenhas

K. J. Aiello

Lisa Shen

Samantha Jones

Tao Wong

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

THE MANGO MONSTER 978-1771475693 Owlkids Books

A STORY ENDING IN REDWOODS

ATTIC RAIN

978-0593697863 Penguin Young Readers Group

THE MONSTER AND THE MIRROR

A THOUSAND LI: THE FIRST STEP

978-1770417083 ECW Press

978-1998774388 Anstruther Press

Coltrane Seesequasis

Ian Williams

Kagiso Lesego Molope

Mackenzie Angeconeb

Shade Lapite

Uzma Jalaluddin

SECRETS OF STONE

WHAT I MEAN TO SAY

DETECTIVE AUNTY

978-1487013424 House of Anansi Press

THE FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN

GODDESS CROWN

978-1928120421 Kegedonce Press

THIS BOOK BETRAYS MY BROTHER 978-1988449296 Mawenzi House Publishers

978-1770867796 Cormorant Books

978-1536226522 Candlewick Press

978-1443472845 HarperCollins

Daniel Maluka

Iryn Tushabe

Kamal Al-Solaylee

Morgan Campbell

Shashi Bhat

Wali Shah

UNWASHED

EVERYTHING IS FINE HERE

INTOLERABLE

MY FIGHTING FAMILY

978-1487013134 House of Anansi Press

978-1554688876 HarperCollins

978-0771050213 McClelland & Stewart

DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS

CALL ME AL

978-1774151686 Mawenzi House Publishers

978-1774390986 NeWest Press

978-0771095115 McClelland & Stewart

978-1989458020 StarLit Publishing

978-1459837942 Orca Book Publishers

This icon brings you back to the contents page g

CONTENTS Linked page numbers to navigate the document i

BOOK LIST 2025 GETTING STARTED CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS (NEW!)

2 4 5

VIRTUAL EVENT EXCERCISES Writing a Book…How? With Kyo Lee

7

The Writer’s Life with Judy I. Lin

8

Crafting Genre for Teens

9

Mental Health and Well-Being in Young Adult Fiction

10

AUTHOR PROFILES Mackenzie Angeconeb

12

Tanya Boteju

13

Jumata Emill

14

Kyo Lee

15

Judy I. Lin

16

David A. Robertson

17

Coltrane Seesequasis

18

Wali Shah

19

Lisa Shen

20

Anna Sortino

21

Tanya Talaga

22

Joshua “Scribe” Watkis

23

4

GETTING STARTED This guide was created to help educators engage with their students while attending the virtual festival events. The pre- and post-activities below can be used for all our events. The exercises that explore specific events, and the author profiles are meant to provide you with more information about the authors participating in this year’s festival. Included with the event descriptions are specific course connections to Secondary School themes and some Ontario Secondary School Courses.

PRE-EVENT ACTIVITY Before experiencing a virtual session, look up the authors. Make note of the books they’ve written and discover a little bit about them.

1. What made you choose this writer?

2. What was the most interesting thing you learned about them?

3. Share why you chose the author and what you learned about them with your classmates and teacher. Prepare one question that you would ask them if you got the chance.

POST-EVENT ACTIVITY After experiencing the virtual session, identify: 1. three things you learned, 2. two things you found interesting, and 3. one question you still have about writing or about one of the authors

5

*NEW*

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

The 2025 FOLD Educator Guide now includes Ontario Curriculum connections. When possible, we have highlighted the Grade, Subject and Strand that connects to each event.

There are Language expectations that connect to many of our featured texts.

The expectations are listed here and linked below in individual events.

ONTARIO LANGUAGE CURRICULUM LINKS GR. 1–8 LANGUAGE CURRICULUM (2023) A Literacy Connections and Applications A2 Digital Media Literacy - Media, Audience and Production (A2.5) A3 Applications, Connections and Contributions - Identity and Community (A3.2), First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Perspectives and Ways of Knowing (A3.3)

C Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts C1 Knowledge About Texts - Text Forms and Genres (C1.2), Visual Elements of Texts (C1.4) C2 Comprehension Strategies - Pre Reading: Activating Prior Knowledge (C2.1), Monitoring of Understanding: Making and Confirming Predictions (C2.3) C3 Critical Thinking in Literacy - Analyzing Cultural Elements of Texts (C3.4), Analysis and Response (C3.6)

GR. 9 (2023) AND GR. 10–12 ENGLISH COURSES (2007) Reading and Literature Studies 2. Understanding Form and Style - Texts Forms (2.1), Text Features (2.2), Elements of Style (2.3) Writing 1. Developing and Organizing Content - Identifying Topic, Purpose and Audience (1.1)

VIRTUAL EVENT EXERCISES

7

In this workshop with poet Kyo Lee, emerging teen writers will kick-start their journey into a long-term writing project by learning to build sustainable writing routines and exploring different strategies to garner creative momentum. From selecting an idea to finishing the last page, Lee will cover practical tips for starting to write, writing, and continuing to write.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

1.

Brainstorm a list of personal experiences or anecdotes.

From this list, add other experiences that connect or expand on the themes that emerge.

2.

Consider how your culture/identity has shaped who you are and the questions you have about yourself and society.

3.

What are some ways you can include writing into your daily routine? Where do you record your writing? A notebook?

Your phone? A journal? How can you collect your thoughts over time in order to find the themes and thoughts you are most interested in?

> ONTARIO LANGUAGE CURRICULUM LINKS

8

In this edition of The Writer’s Life series, young adult author Judy I. Lin discusses her career as an occupational therapist, her path to becoming an author, and her writing process for her latest horror novel, The Dark Becomes Her. Moderated by the FOLD’s Kids Program Coordinator Ardo Omer, this interview will showcase Lin’s publishing journey, writing tips, and more.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

1.

How long do you think it takes an author to publish a book, from first draft to a published book available in the store? Note the steps that are taken from draft to published book as Judy and Ardo discuss the writing process.

2.

In what ways do you think non-writing jobs like Judy’s could influence someone’s writing?

3.

Record any interesting comments or quotes from the session. What question would you ask Judy?

> ONTARIO LANGUAGE CURRICULUM LINKS

9

In this panel conversation for high school students, three young adult authors—Jumata Emill, Coltrane Seesequasis, and Anna Sortino—along with moderator Ameema Saeed, discuss the strengths and challenges of working within different genres and why they chose their particular genre.

1.

What is your favourite genre* to read? What are some of the expectations you have from that genre? Why do you enjoy it so much?

2.

These authors have chosen different genres (romance, fantasy, murder mystery/thriller) to present their stories. How does the genre of a story help you understand the type of story you are about to read?

*Masterclass Aug 23 2021 “What Are the Different Genres of Literature? A Guide to 14 Literary Genres”

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

> ONTARIO LANGUAGE CURRICULUM LINKS

10

In this panel conversation for high school students, three young adult authors—Mackenzie Angeconeb, Tanya Boteju, and Judy I. Lin—along with moderator Alyssa Gray-Tyghter, discuss mental health and well-being, the pursuit of perfection and grief experienced by the teen characters in their novels.

**Wolfelt PH. D., Alan D. Healing a Teen’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas For Families, Friends and Caregivers Companion Press: 2001. ISBN: 978-1-879651-34-1 ***American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence June 18 2024 “Perfectionism: How to Help Your Child Avoid the Pitfalls” ****Canadian Institute for Health Information May 5 2022 “Mental health of children and youth in Canada”

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

“Grief is the constellation of internal thoughts and feelings we have when someone loved dies. Mourning is the outward expression of our grief.” —Wolfelt** 1.

Mackenzie Angeconeb explores both grief and mourning in The Fragments That Remain. The death of a sibling can result in guilt, fear and confusion. How does the author explore these themes through letter writing?

2.

The fear of failure can be limiting to a perfectionist***.

How do the characters in Messy Perfect and The Dark Becomes Her demonstrate perfectionism rather than just being high achievers?

3.

The need to support teen mental health is on the rise (CIHI****). These authors explore teen mental health in a variety of ways. How does the use of a novel for young adults add to the conversation about teen mental health?

> MENTAL HEALTH AND STUDENT WELL-BEING

AUTHOR PROFILES

12

MACKENZIE ANGECONEB

SIOUX LOOKOUT, ONTARIO Mackenzie Angeconeb (Aan-ji-quin-ni-ai’ib) (she/her) is an Anishinaabe artist coming from a family of artists. She writes poetry and young adult fiction, fringe beads earrings of her own designs, and paints in her own woodland style.

Her first novel, The Fragments that Remain, will be released on March 8th, 2025. Mackenzie lives in Treaty #3.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

instagram: @oba.creations

The Fragments that Remain (2025) • Ages 13+ • ISBN-13: 9781770867796 • Available as: paperback

13

TANYA BOTEJU

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA Tanya Boteju (she/her) lives on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and TsleilWaututh First Nations (Vancouver, BC). Part-time, she teaches English to clever and sassy young people. The rest of her time, she uses writing as an excuse to eat pastries. Her debut novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens, was named a Top Ten Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association. Her second novel, Bruised, was selected as a Gold Standard book by the Junior Library Guild. Look for another YA novel, Messy Perfect, and a middle grade nonfiction book about allyship in 2025. Visit her at tanyaboteju.com.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: tanyaboteju.com instagram: @tboteju

Messy Perfect (2025) • Ages 14+ • ISBN-13: 9780063358492 • Available as: hardcover, ebook, audiobook OTHER BOOKS • Bruised (2021) • Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens (2019)

14

JUMATA EMILL

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA Jumata Emill (he/him) is a journalist who has covered crime and local politics in Mississippi and parts of Louisiana. He earned his BA in mass communications from Southern University and A&M College. He’s a Pitch Wars alum and a member of the Crime Writers of Color. When he’s not writing about murderous teens, he’s watching and obsessively tweeting about every franchise of the Real Housewives. Jumata lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is the author of The Black Queen and Wander in the Dark.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: jumataemill.com x: @brownboywriting instagram: @brownboywriting

Wander in the Dark (2025) • Ages 12+ • ISBN-13: 978-0593651865 • Available as: paperback, ebook, audiobook OTHER BOOKS • The Black Queen (2023)

15

KYO LEE

WATERLOO, ONTARIO Kyo Lee (she/her) is a Korean Canadian student and the author of the poetry collection i cut my tongue on a broken country (Arsenal Pulp Press).

She is the youngest winner of the CBC Poetry Prize and youngest finalist for the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award. Her literature also appears in Narrative, Nimrod, Prism, The Forge, and This Magazine, among others. She loves colourful skies, summer peaches, and oceans. You can visit her online @kyolee.me.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: kyolee.me instagram: @kyoleewrites

i cut my tongue on a broken country (2025) • Ages 14+ • ISBN-13: 978-1551529776 • Available as: paperback, ebook,

16

JUDY I. LIN PRAIRIES, CANADA Judy I. Lin (she/her), #1 New York Timesbestselling author of the Book of Tea duology (A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet), was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape to imaginary worlds. She now works as an occupational therapist and still spends her nights dreaming up imaginary worlds of her own. She lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband and daughters.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: judyilin.com instagram: @judyilinauthor

The Dark Becomes Her (2024) • Ages 12+ • ISBN-13: 978-1368099097 • Available as: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook OTHER BOOKS • • • •

Avatar Legends: City of Echoes (2025) Song of the Six Realms (2024) A Venom Dark and Sweet (2022) A Magic Steeped in Poison (2022)

17

DAVID A. ROBERTSON

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA David A. Robertson (he/him) is a two-time Governor General’s Literary Award winner and has won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Writer’s Union of Canada Freedom to Read award. He has received several other accolades for his work as a writer for children and adults, podcaster, public speaker, and social advocate.

He was honoured with a Doctor of Letters by the University of Manitoba in 2023 for outstanding contributions to the arts and distinguished achievements. He is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: darobertson.ca x: @DaveAlexRoberts instagram: @davidrobertsonwriter

All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety (2025) • Ages 14+ • ISBN-13: 9781443472401 • Available as: paperback, ebook OTHER BOOKS • The Theory of Crows (2022) • The Barren Grounds Series (2021-2024) • Black Water (2020) and more…

18

COLTRANE SEESEQUASIS GATINEAU, QUEBEC Coltrane Seesequasis (he/him) is a young fantasy writer of Willow Cree heritage who grew up in Gatineau, Quebec. His debut novel, Secrets of Stone, is the first book of a planned series that follows the gripping tale of a young wolf called Silversong, in a fantasy world similar to our own.

Inspired by a love of nature as well as myths and folklore that challenge the limits of creativity, Coltrane joins a new generation of writers, adding his voice to the immersive genre of fantasy.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: coltranebooks.com instagram: @coltrane_seesequasis

Secrets of Stone (2024) • Ages 8+ • ISBN-13: 978-1928120421 • Available as: paperback

19

WALI SHAH

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO Wali Shah (he/him) is the voice of a generation of youth. From hundreds of schools and colleges across North America, to performing at WeDay, Wali uses his poetry for a purpose. Thousands of youth follow him on social media, as he sparks honest and authentic conversations and raises awareness on social issues using his art and his platform. He is the co-author of Call Me Al.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: lifeaswali.com x: @LifeAsWali instagram: @lifeaswali

Call Me Al (2024) • Ages 9+ • ISBN-13: 978-1459837942 • Available as: paperback, ebook, audiobook

20

LISA SHEN

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO Lisa Shen (she/her) is a writer and spoken word artist, and the 2023–2025 Youth Poet Laureate of the City of Mississauga. She is the winner of the 2024 Lillian Allen Emerging Artist Prize and the 2022 Buddies Queer Emerging Artists Award, and was shortlisted for the 2023 League of Canadian Poets Spoken Word Award. Lisa has toured across North America, from California to New York. Her work has appeared on CBC Radio, TEDx, and Write About Now. Her first chapbook, A Story Ending in Redwoods, was recently published with Anstruther Press.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: lisashen.ca instagram: @itslisashen

A Story Ending in Redwoods (2025) • Ages 14+ • ISBN-13: 978-1-998774-38-8 • Available as: chapbook

21

ANNA SORTINO

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Anna Sortino (she/her) is the award-winning author of On the Bright Side and Give Me a Sign.

She writes stories about disabled characters living their lives and falling in love. She has a master’s degree in Writing & Publishing from DePaul University and lives in Chicago with her dog.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

website: annasortino.com instagram: @annaksortino

On the Bright Side (2024) • Ages 14+ • ISBN-13: 9780593697887 • Available as: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook OTHER BOOKS • Give Me a Sign (2024)

22

TANYA TALAGA

TORONTO, ONTARIO Tanya Talaga (she/her) is of Anishinaabe and Polish descent and a proud member of Fort William First Nation. As a journalist, Talaga spent more than twenty years at the Toronto Star and is now a columnist at the Globe and Mail. Acclaimed author of national bestseller Seven Fallen Feathers, she recently released The Knowing, based on her family’s experience in residential schools, and the focus of a four-part documentary series for the CBC. Talaga is the founder of Makwa Creative, a production company elevating Indigenous voices and storiesthrough documentary films, including the Canadian Screen Award nominated War For The Woods.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

instagram: @tanyatalaga_author

The Knowing: How the Oppression of Indigenous Peoples Continues to Echo Today (2025) • Ages 14+ • ISBN-13: 978-1443467506 • Available as: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook OTHER BOOKS • The Knowing (2024) • All Our Relations (2020) and more...

23

JOSHUA“SCRIBE” WATKIS TORONTO, ONTARIO Scarborough born poet and arts educator, Joshua “Scribe” Watkis (he/him), has devoted himself to extracting the essence of his experiences; turning them into words worth their weight in feeling. The Canadian Poetry Slam Champion has authored two chapbooks (Tethered and Black Blossom/ Harsh North); and collaborated with The FOLD on Audible’s first Spoken Word Audiobook: Power in Poetry: Moods That Move. Beyond the contribution of his own poetry, Scribe co-curated and hosted The Old Black Maple, for the NAC’s debut Hip-Hop Theatre Festival. Recently, he collaborated with The Goldfarb Gallery for Charles Campbell’s exhibit: An Ocean to Livity.

FEATURED AT THE FESTIVAL

x: @thisisscribe instagram: @thisisscribe

Tethered AVAILABLE CHAPBOOKS • Tethered • Black Blossom/Harsh North