Students at R. Tait McKenzie Public School are helping shape a future national library collection after curating a list of Canadian books for a new public space led by Library and Archives Canada.
A Grade 6 class at the school selected nearly 30 English and French titles for the “Community Garden” section of the Heritage Lounge at a new joint facility being developed by Library and Archives Canada and the Ottawa Public Library.
The Community Garden allows contributors to curate a “plot,” or shelf, of Canadian books reflecting their interests and perspectives. The students selected a broad range of titles, including Canadian classics, Indigenous stories, historical works and contemporary books.
Among the approved titles are Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier and Secret Path by Gord Downie. Works by Kathy Kacer, Shauntay Grant, David A. Robertson and Chris Hadfield were also included.
Lexi Clemence, lead librarian with Library and Archives Canada, said the class was invited after demonstrating meaningful historical research while using archival records to help commemorate Private George Monterville on the Almonte cenotaph.
She said the project reflects the importance of ensuring youth voices are represented in Canada’s national library.
Grade 6 student Charlie Sheffield selected Camp X by Eric Walters for the collection.
“It’s a great story, and I wanted other people to discover it as well,” Sheffield said.
Student Mackenna Hargreaves chose The Magician of Auschwitz, saying the story stood out because of its message of hope and resilience.
The Heritage Lounge will feature about 2,000 Canadian titles covering topics such as art, music, sports, food and Indigenous cultures, with a strong emphasis on children’s and youth literature.
The students’ curated shelf will include a class photo, a short biography and a description of why they selected each title. Their collection will remain featured for up to two years and will also be shared online, allowing readers across Canada to explore the selections and find them through local libraries.
“We are the only school in all of Canada that got to do this,” student Madeleine Kennedy said. “Other people will be able to read the books we chose.”
