Favourite Canadian books
Tomorrow is Canada Day, so let's talk about Canadian books! They don't have to be young adult (I'm assuming since most of the people talking about them will be teens or youth services librarians that they'll end up being of teen interest even if they're not technically "young adult").
So, some of my favourite Canadian books:
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler: funny, heartbreaking novel of a young man's rise from poverty to fortune in 1950s Montreal, by not-always-ethical means. Maybe it's a bit of reach to say this shares affinity with more modern urban fiction about young hustlers–but I don't think it's much of one.
Rooms for Rent in the Outher Planets by Al Purdy: the best selected poetry collection by my favourite Canadian poet. Here's Trees at the Arctic Circle, in my opinion one of the best poems about the natural world in existence.
The Wizzle War by Gordon Korman: I will always think of this as "The War With Mr. Wizzle", the title under which I read it roughly 3000 times when I was thirteen. I feel less old to know a lot of teens are still reading Gordon Korman today.
What are some of your favourite Canadian books?
P.S. Indigo is running a Teen Read Awards vote right now that includes a Best Canadian Read category.
50 thoughts on “Favourite Canadian books”
~ my favorite Canadian book HAS to be “Spin” by Catherine McKenzie. The way the story is written is amazing. Its about a woman named Katie who wants to find her dream job as a writer for a music magazine. She sets out on one of her interviews with a celebrity, but is drunk for her first interview. I don’t want to spoil anymore of the story , so i’ll just leave you guys with this : THIS IS A MUST READ. (and why not support a Canadian writer while you’re at it) 😀 Happy Reading.
My favourite Canadian author is Barbara Reid. She is also a fabulous illustrator. Her books are really adorable!!!
My all time favourite Canadian book is ‘Fall on Your Knees’ by Ann-Marie Macdonald. Macdonald is an amazing author who definitely knows how to keep the momentum going. This book is a coming of age book, from the point of view of many different characters in the story. It is a story of love and compassion, hatred and betrayal. I highly recommend all you people out there to read it. it is definitely a page-turner, one you will not want to put down once you’ve started!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Tecumseh’s Bones” by Guy St-Denis. The author compiles several historical accounts, weaves the ‘puzzle pieces’ together, and concludes with a masterful conclusion that was unpredictable based on the early trail. St-Denis describes the continual revival of interest in Tecumseh, the level of secrecy among those who thought they knew him, and the ultimate legacy he left on this homeland we call Canada.
I really enjoyed reading “We All Fall Down” by Eric Walters. The book talks about the phenomenal that happened on September 11,2001. Will, the main character, spends the day with his father at his workplace, the World Trade Center. Another book i enjoyed by him was ‘Sketches’. It talks about run-away teenagers, how they got on the streets and the many other adventures. I think this book really shows us how life on the streets are.
My favouite Canadian books are Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis.
I am now reading Bifocal by Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters in different perspectives from different characters in the book but the same actions are going on. How different characters react differntly even in the same situations.
i never knew deborah ellis was canadian! that is interesting.
I think mine would have to be Mister Sandman by Barbara Gowdy!
I think my favourite book would be Egghead by Caroline Pignat
My favourite book or books rather by a Canadian author would have to be the Robyn Hunter series by Norah McClintock
In my opinion it would have to be the Anne of Green Gables books by L.M. Montgomery
I think the best Canadian book I’ve read is Frost by Nicole Luiken
My favourite Canadian book so far would be A Darker Magic by Michael Bedard.
I think my favourite book would have to be one I recently read in the White Pine program called Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summer
I really like the book The Perfect Cut by Julia Burtinshaw!
I found the book I Want to Go Home by Gordon Korman a really good read 🙂
I think Airborne by Kenneth Oppel is an awesome book !
There’s a very well written book called ‘What I was’ by Meg Rosof, and it is distributed in Canada, so as far as I know it’s a Canadian book. I reccomend it to you if you’re looking for something short and meaningful.
The Golden Book of Faerie by O. R. Meling is basically a compilation of a bunch of books that he wrote related to faeries. Some of the setting in these stories is Toronto! I read this collection one summer, and it really hit the spot. I can still recall the longing I felt when I read it. xD
My favorite books are also the Robyn Hunter series by Norah McClintock. I actually love all her books. One of her books called Taken is getting featured in word out.
I am currently reading that book right now.
I read alot of books by Gordon Korman. The series i read was Dive, Everest, Island, and MacDonald Hall. Other individual books I read is
Schooled, Radio Fifth Grade, The Juvie Three, Jake Reinvented, and The Chicken Doesn’t Skate.
My favourite Canadian Author is Kim Pearson, author of ‘The Perfect Gentle Knight’
🙂
Most Red Pine books are raelly good, white pine are good, however this year they were EXTREMELY mature :$
The Apprencticeship of Duddy Kravitz as well. The part in the book where Duddy twists from almost single-mindedly ruthless- but artful- businessman to a young man who is bewildered at the morality to which ambition is leading him makes the book great, or something. But then he switches back to his artful ruthless mode in the end, which brings the lulz back to business (yes pun). I heard/sensed there was a sequel… 🙂 hmmm
My favourite Canadian Author is Kim Pearson, author of ‘The Perfect Gentle Knight’
🙂
Most Red Pine books are raelly good, white pine are good, however this year they were EXTREMELY mature :$
If Yann Martel is considered a Canadian author, then Life of Pi as well. I’ve been recommending his tale of a spiritual Indian boy shipwrecked with a tiger to all and anon 🙂
I commented on this in the best books section.
Kenneth Opal has written a couple of really good books.He lives in Toronto!
My old cousin’s boyfriend is writing a book that sounds interesting.Also one of my sisters might publish an interesting book she and one of my other sisters wrote.
Her name is Kit not Kim. I love her early time travel books like ‘A Handful of Time’. Before Kit became a published author she was a librarian and worked at the Fairview branch.
I think my favourite Canadian book is “Mud City” by Deborah Ellis. It was such a wonderful and touching book, that left me wanting to read more. 🙂 It’s a book you HAVE to read!! 😀
I agree with one of the readers who thought “We All Fall Down” by Eric Walters is a great Canadian read. I read this book a few years ago in a book club and I found it really memorable. Walters uses the infamous incident at the Twin Towers nine years ago to tell a story of a touching story of a father-son relationship. The ending will surely leave the reader in awe!
“We All Fall Down” by Eric Walters is awesome!
My favourite books by Canadian authors are…
1. The Uninvited
2. Sister Wife
Both of these books were on the 2010 WhitePine Reading Society list. Have any of you guys read them?
I totally agree with you, Barbara Reid is an excellent illustrator.
Frost is a great book. It was on the Red Maple 2009 list right?
its interesting to see that the favourite piece of Canadian literature is “We all Fall Down’ by Eric Walters. I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet but am eagerly waiting for its arrival, Doesn’t that have a sequel also? I must say I love Gordan Korman’s, even though it’s targeted for a younger age,m its holds some memorable lessons. My favourite be him is “Son of Interflux”. That was epic. I also like the writing of Deborah Ellis too. I hope to see more Canadian literature on the big screen, they get too overshadowed by American literature.
THAT WAS LIKE THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!! great choice!!!
I really adore Kenneth Oppel’s Silverwing Trilogy and the Airborn Trilogy!
that book was hilarious!! Gordon Korman’s books are always a choice of book to read..i highly recommand them!!
My favourite canadian author is Gordon Korman, his books are quite intreting
I adore the way that Anne speaks–she makes everything sounds so wonderfully dramatic.
I love Eric Walters’ books, they are sooooooooooo good to read. the books that I read by Eric Walters were: “Camp X”, “Fools Gold”, “Shattered”, and “Camp 30”. These book I enjoy the most
little house on the prairie books.they really make you feel like you are actually in older canada. the series is freat? i totally recomend it.
“Life on the Refrigerator Door” was a great book. the book was written as like sticky notes between a daughter and mother. although the book seemed really simple the plot was able to develop through the whole book. and the ending of book was just breath-taking and shocking!
Norah McClintock is Canadian?? Thats awesome! i had no idea, glad to know though!
You should also read ‘Son of the Mob’ by Gordon Korman i really enjoyed reading this book, there is actually a second part to it called ‘Son of the Mob 2’ but its not that great or at least its not as great as the first book.
cool
The last really good Canadian books I read were the books by Kit Pearson.My favourite was A Handful of time.It’s a story of a girl who goes on summer vacation with her mom and finds an old pocket watch at the cottage.Suddenly she finds herself travelling back in time to when her mother was just a girl.She enjoys watching her mother as a child but then she faces a problem.
Pearson’s other books are equally good,like “The Daring Game”,”Awake and Dreaming” and “The Sky is Falling”.
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