Achieve your goals

Making Change: Tips from an Underage Overachiever
by Bilaal Rajan

Fundraiser Rajan has been hard at work since the age of four. Published when he was eleven, Making Change motivates kids to take charge in support of their passions.

The book is divided into two parts. Part I - Fundraising Tips for Activist Kids - encourages them with creative ideas and stories about Bilaal’s own experiences. His accomplishments are so vast, that some kids may be a bit overwhelmed. Yet he is remarkably humble. No wonder he was named a UNICEF Canada Child Representative.


Part II - Eight Principles to Maximize Your True Potential - is both helpful and inspiring. From teaching kids how to craft a personal mission statement to constructing a short or long-term vision board, his exercises will not only ensure success in school, but in life as well. 

Not your typical teen magazine

Shameless is a feminist magazine for teenage girls and trans youth. They write interesting articles pertaining to world politics, social movements, and world culture as it pertains to teens and young adults.


The Labour Issue includes columns about activism (Occupy Wall Street), job descriptions (digging into tree planting), advice (know your rights on the job), sports, arts, and reviews (books, music, zines). 


Feature articles discuss unions (the future of the unionized workforce), internships (working for free), and sex work (smashing the stigma).


The magazine is a refreshing alternative to fashion and celebrity publications.

Happiness

Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World
by Craig & Marc Kielburger



What is happiness? People are always searching for this seemingly elusive state of being. Society conditions us to believe that making money, having a prestigious career, and owning lots of possessions are what we need in order to be happy and successful. Yet people still wonder why they're not completely happy.


According to the Kielburgers, many people get trapped into following the Me mentality: a way of thinking that focuses on self-interest above all else and leads us to act accordingly. This constant striving to get ahead, to look out for number one, results in materialism and competitiveness. Instead, they suggest that we should follow the We mentality: to be aware of the world outside of ourselves. 


Their Me to We philosophy is a different approach to life. It encourages people to think not of themselves, but of the greater community and decide on one action, however small, that will change a part of someone's life. That small change can start a chain reaction that in turn can change the world. 


Following the We philosophy may sound daunting, but by the end of this book one begins to realize that any action is better than none at all. The brothers' experiences show that by living with gratitude, having empathy for others, and redefining the notions of happiness and community, we can achieve a more useful, meaningful, and inclusive life.


Each chapter concludes with inspiring stories and ways to get started on the Me to We journey. Thought-provoking and believable, this is a book everyone can read, from children to adults.

Women inventors

Canadian Women Invent!


Throughout history, there have been female inventors. Due to preconceived notions about women's role in society and property laws that either prevented women from owning patents or required the transfer of patents upon marriage, there is very little information about women inventors. This book aims to address this oversight by profiling Canadian women inventors from across the country.


These women work in a myriad of industries, from high-tech manufacturing firms to remote northern communities. They are nurses, scientists, artists, mothers, students, and business owners. And they have invented many products, such as:

• carpet sweeper
• ski & skate harness
• emergency evacuation stretcher
• silicone membrane for heart-lung machines
• smart bicycle helmet

While somewhat interesting, the book is a little dry. It's just a collection of facts and bare biographical information, with tiny photos and lifeless sketches. Another quibble is that not all the women are really inventors. Surveying seaweed (Constance MacFarlane), naming Magnetic Hill (Muriel Sikorski), or forming a dance group (Clara Schinkel), aren't exactly what one would call inventing. This is the kind of book that languishes in school libraries, to be read only for assignments.

Black inventor

All Aboard! Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine

by Monica Kulling

illustrated by Bill Slavin

Elijah McCoy wanted to be a mechanical engineer. But the only job he could get was shovelling coal on a train. It was tough work, especially for the grease monkeys who oiled the engines. So Elijah invented an oil cup to keep the engine greased and the train running smoothly.

A well-told story perfectly complemented by Slavin’s expressive pictures. A poem called Get on Board, which begins the book, movingly shows McCoy’s connection to the railroad.

Big (and small) inventions

What's the Big Idea? Inventions That Changed Life on Earth Forever
by Helaine Becker


An in-depth and amusing look at over 30 key inventions created long, long ago (the wheel, the plow, the compass), long ago (the printing press, the photograph, fertilizer), and not so long ago (the telephone, the airplane, the internet). Five big thinkers - Archimedes, da Vinci, Michael Faraday, Alexander Graham Bell, and Steve Jobs & Bill Gates - are profiled, along with their key inventions. As well, double-page close-up looks at five different environments - school, battlefield, doctor's office, kitchen, and bathroom - showcase all the tools and gadgets that we use everyday.


This big book (9.5 x 11 inches), with humorous illustrations and witty puns, is an entertaining and informative read.

Food trivia

Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Weird Stuff You Didn't Know about Food

by Frieda Wishinsky and Elizabeth MacLeod

In this book, find out what people used to eat through the ages and the types of food eaten around the world. Learn about the origins of food superstitions, food expressions, and food inventions. There are also science experiments, recipes, and interesting food trivia, both yummy and gross.

A few little-known food facts: radishes used to be a breakfast food, pepper was known as the king of spices, and Parisians survived a siege by eating exotic zoo animals.

In the kitchen

Eat it Up! Lip-Smacking Recipes for Kids

The creators of chickaDee have put together a cookbook to celebrate the magazine’s 30th anniversary. The book contains over 55 kid-friendly recipes that are nutritious, easy to prepare, and fun to eat. Young chefs can treat their family to buttermilk pancakes, mini meat pies, or ooey-gooey pasta. They can also try party foods like mashed potato soup, brown sugar shortbread and fruit kebabs, and desserts like baked apples and peach crisp.

Comic characters Chick and Dee liven things up and guarantee fun in the kitchen. 

A good book for ages 6-12.

Time for lunch

Who Wants Pizza? The Kids' Guide to the History, Science & Culture of Food

by Jan Thornhill

Thornhill uses a slice of pizza as a reference point to take a look at why we eat, where our food comes from, whether there’s enough food for everyone, and which food choices are better.

Fascinating and fact-packed chapters provide information about the evolution of farming, the development of table manners, and the modern-day crises of large-scale food production. She tackles such chilling topics as the threat to crops from monocultural (single crop) farming, the unknown effects of genetically modified organisms, the spread of diseases like H1N1, the mistreatment of animals on factory farms, and how the raising of livestock affects global warming.

It's very serious stuff; however, Thornhill closes the book on a positive note with an excellent discussion of options - like reducing meat consumption, buying from farmers’ markets, and learning to cook - that can help solve world food problems. 

A guide to positive action

Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship

by Marc & Craig Kielburger

A very useful how-to guide to become a social activist. The Kielburgers show young teens how to research an issue, hold a meeting, raise awareness, and raise funds. Templates and examples demonstrate how to write effective letters to government and public officials, and how to create press releases, surveys, proposals and petitions. They then provide doable action plans for seven common social issues to get involved with, among them the environment, hunger, and poverty. The step-by-step instructions may get repetitive after a while, but the book does a good job of stressing the importance of good preparation in any endeavor. Having good knowledge of an issue allows people to take you seriously.

Making a difference

Lacey and the African Grandmothers
by Sue Farrell Holler

Lacey Little Bird is a twelve-year-old Blackfoot girl who lives on the Siksika First Nation Reserve in Alberta. Lacey has her share of troubles. Her mother is sick, her father away a lot, and her sister is in an abusive relationship. She finds patience and comfort with her grandmother, Kahasi, who teaches her how to do traditional beading.

When Lacey learns about an organization called Grandmothers Helping Grandmothers in Africa, she wants to help. The organization sells handmade purses to raise money for grandmothers in Africa, who are struggling to raise their orphaned grandchildren. Lacey decides that she could make purses too. But first she has to learn how to use a sewing machine.

Based on a true story, this is a realistic, moving account of how one girl made a difference. In doing so, Lacey united two communities, showing that we are all connected, even when we are oceans apart.

Be a social activist

Yes You Can! Your Guide to Becoming an Activist

by Jane Drake & Ann Love

This is a useful, sensible, and practicable guide to effective social change. Divided into step-by-step advice, it helps you focus on the issues to tackle, find supporters, and use visual, audio and theatrical methods to capture attention.

Stories about successful activists like Peter Benenson, founder of Amnesty International; Monte Hummel, president of the World Wildlife Fund; Eglantyne & Dorothy Jebb, founders of Save the Children; and Paco Barnett of Right to Play, help in describing their setbacks and milestones. They show that if you are passionate about a cause, your perseverance will be rewarded.

Things every kid should know

Like a Pro: 101 Simple Ways To Do Really Important Stuff
by Helaine Becker


A handy manual to all manner of useful skills to practice at home, at school, or whenever you're out and about.


Find out how to:

• do an A+ project
• make an awesome speech
• win a staring contest
• fly a kite
• replace a bike chain
• build a sandcastle
• choose a pet
• throw a party
• speak in code
• start your own business
• remove a splinter
• make a square bubble

Add just-in-case scenarios like accepting an Oscar, surviving on a desert island, greeting royalty, and preparing for a space mission, and you've got a fun-filled book perfect for a rainy day!