Canadian Literature

The Canadian Literature Collection highlights the diversity and talent of Canadian authors. Representing the broad range of genres and traditions reflected in Candian Literature, this Collection includes fiction by Margaret Atwood, John Irving, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and other Canadian writers who have shaped the nation's literary canon.

Parvana's Journey

by Deborah Ellis

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Military & War, World History, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis follows 13-year-old Parvana as she makes her way across war-torn Afghanistan in search of her mother and siblings. Published in 2002, this novel is a sequel to the international bestseller The Breadwinner, which was adapted as a 2017 animated film, and is the second in a series of four called The Breadwinner series. Although Parvana’s Journey is a work of fiction, Ellis bases the setting of the novel on the... Read Parvana's Journey Summary

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

by Jonathan Auxier

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Disability, Childhood & Youth, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Disability, Trauma & Abuse, Animals, American Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is a middle grade novel by Jonathan Auxier originally published in 2011. The novel encompasses a variety of genres: fantasy, the heroic quest, and even some Dickensian orphan flourishes, for good measure. It was a BookPage Magazine Best Book of the year, an ABA New Voices selection (2011), and a finalist for the Monica Hughes Award for science fiction and fantasy.This study guide references the edition published by Amulet... Read Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes Summary

Plagues and Peoples

by William H. Mcneill

Publication year 1976

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Health, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science & Nature, World History

In Plagues and Peoples, William H. McNeill argues that patterns of disease have integrally influenced human history from prehistory to the modern day. Until 1976, the year of this book’s publication, the historical study of disease was treated as a footnote of minor importance compared to war, agriculture, and politics. By contrast, McNeill takes a broader view and breaks human history into two categories. The forces of ecology and humanity are equally weighed in McNeill’s... Read Plagues and Peoples Summary

Pop

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Memory, Nostalgia, Disability, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports

... Read Pop Summary

Prisoner of Tehran

by Marina Nemat

Publication year 2007

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Globalization, Nation, Safety & Danger

Tags Middle Eastern History, Incarceration, Trauma & Abuse, World History, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government, Biography

Prisoner of Tehran is a memoir by Marina Nemat that recounts her harrowing experiences in an Iranian prison post-1979 revolution, highlighting The Impact of Political and Ideological Repression. Through her narrative, Nemat explores The Challenges Faced by Women Under Authoritarian Regimes, illustrating the severe constraints and injustices they endured. Despite these adversities, her story is a testament to The Resilience of the Human Spirit, which showcases her journey of survival and defiance against oppressive forces.This... Read Prisoner of Tehran Summary

Ragged Company

by Richard Wagamese

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Fate, Family, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Memory, Forgiveness, Guilt, Indigenous Identity, Justice, Community

Tags Poverty, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Grief & Death, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature

... Read Ragged Company Summary

Rape Fantasies

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 1977

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, Humor

Margaret Atwood’s “Rape Fantasies” (1977) is a short story written from the first-person point of view of the protagonist Estelle. The short story revolves around Estelle’s attempts to understand why recent magazine articles feature frequent discussions of rape. After she and her office coworkers share their rape fantasies, Estelle delves into her own sexual imaginings. Rooted in the cultural context of the 1970s Women’s Movement, “Rape Fantasies” explores themes including the Conflation of Fantasy and... Read Rape Fantasies Summary

Rebel Witch

by Kristen Ciccarelli

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Romance

... Read Rebel Witch Summary

Restart

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Coming of Age, Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

... Read Restart Summary

Rites of Spring

by Modris Eksteins

Publication year 1989

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags European History, Military & War, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, World War I, Arts & Culture, Politics & Government

Modris Eksteins’s 1989 nonfiction book, Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age, takes its title from a scandalous 1913 Russian ballet. Critics believed that the ballet’s complex, atonal score, stomping choreography, and the feature of a virginal sacrifice mocked classical ballet conventions. Eksteins—a Canadian historian and author—argues that the juxtaposition of violence and creativity in the ballet echoed in both World War I—“The Great War”—and its aftermath.Eksteins focuses on... Read Rites of Spring Summary

Road to Chlifa

by Michele Marineau

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Realistic Fiction

The Road to Chlifa is a 1992 novel by Michèle Marineau, originally published in French. The short novel unfolds in three sections, telling the story of protagonist Karim Nakad’s journey from Beirut to Chlifa, Lebanon,and, finally, to Montreal. The novel is set during the height of the Lebanese Civil War. Through this progression, it confronts issues of violence and warfare, immigration and racism, and the power of storytelling.Section One, narrated from the perspective of an... Read Road to Chlifa Summary

Room

by Emma Donoghue

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Grandparents, Childhood & Youth, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Conflict, Nostalgia, Memory, Love, Loneliness, Joy, Literature, Good & Evil, Fame, Justice, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Appearance & Reality, Animals, Environment, Plants, Food, Place

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Crime & Law, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

IntroductionEmma Donoghue’s Room is a 2010 novel about a boy named Jack who lives in a single room with his mother, Ma. Room is a crime thriller novel that explores themes of trauma, innocence, and adaptability through the eyes of five-year-old narrator, Jack. Room has received many awards, including the ALA Alex Award, the Indies Choice Book Award for Fiction, and The New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year award. Room was... Read Room Summary