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list price: $6.99
edition:Audiobook
also available: eBook Hardcover
category: Children's Fiction
published: Apr 2021
ISBN:9781459828100
publisher: Orca Book Publishers

Grandmother School

by Rina Singh, illustrated by Ellen Rooney, read by Kirstie Hudson

tagged: school & education, girls & women, non-classifiable
Description

Every morning, a young girl walks her grandmother to the Aajibaichi Shala, the school that was built for the grandmothers in her village to have a place to learn to read and write.

The narrator beams with pride as she drops her grandmother off with the other aajis to practice the alphabet and learn simple arithmetic. A moving story about family, women and the power of education—when Aaji learns to spell her name you’ll want to dance along with her.

Women in countless countries continue to endure the limitations of illiteracy. Unjust laws have suppressed the rights of girls and women and kept many from getting an education and equal standing in society. Based on a true story from the village of Phangane, India, this brilliantly illustrated book tells the story of the grandmothers who got to go to school for the first time in their lives.

Orca Book Publishers is pleased to offer Grandmother School in two accessible editions. The audiobook features alternate text descriptions of images, including the cover. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

About the Authors
Rina Singh was born in India and immigrated to Canada, where she received her MFA in creative writing from Concordia University and a teaching degree from McGill University. She is an internationally published author and has written many critically acclaimed books for children. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband.

Ellen Rooney is an award-winning designer, artist and children’s book illustrator. Her textural mixed media artwork combines many traditional art techniques, like pencil drawing, painting, printmaking and collage, often combined with digital techniques. She was the winner of the 2021 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize for Grandmother School. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in the southern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.


Kirstie Hudson is an editor and writer in Victoria, British Columbia. She was a reporter and producer with the CBC in Toronto, Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Victoria. In her award-winning career as a journalist, Kirstie's work was recognized with a Jack Webster Award, Radio Television Digital News Association Awards and a Gabriel Award. As an instructor at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University, Kirstie shared her love of storytelling with students in writing, communications and journalism. She co-authored Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories and the Making of the Witness Blanket with Carey Newman. In 2020, the book was a finalist for the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Nonfiction.

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
Age:
3 to 5
Grade:
p to k
Reading age:
3 to 5
Awards
  • , Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Shining Willow
  • Short-listed, Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award
  • Winner, BC and Yukon Book Prizes - Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize
  • Short-listed, The Egghead - The Doug Wright Award for best kids’ book
  • Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets
  • Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
Editorial Reviews

"The connection between the little girl and the grandmother is the touching heart of this story."

— Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Canadian Children’s Book News

“Joy is evident on the page—and infectious...A spirited book about gender, age, rights, and the importance of education.”

— Kirkus Reviews

“Gorgeous…Colors are crisp and contemporary…Provides a surprising angle to the growing body of children’s books about gender inequality and the continued work of pioneers like Aaji.”

— Booklist

“A wonderful and poignant story about the need for literacy and how vital learning to read is.”

— The Globe and Mail

“A moving story about family, women and the power of education―when Aaji learns to spell her name you’ll want to dance along with her.”

— Here Wee Read

“Offers its readers a poignantly lively picture book that expressly reveals the power and freedom found in words for women across the world. How great a treat it will be to read this book in a grandmother’s lap. Highly Recommended.”

— CM: Canadian Review of Materials

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