Who Made the List? First Nation Communities READ Awards 2025–2026 Shortlist Revealed

The First Nation Communities READ (FNCR) program has announced the shortlists for its 2025–2026 Children’s and Young Adult/Adult categories. Once again, the selections highlight the brilliance and diversity of Indigenous storytelling across Turtle Island.

A jury of First Nation librarians from across Ontario carefully selected these books, showing how our own communities continue to carry, protect, and lift up our stories. The final selections and award presentation will be shared during First Nation Public Library Week, taking place October 6–10, 2025.

The authors of the two selected titles will each receive the Indigenous Literature Award, a $5,000 prize made possible through a long-standing partnership with the Periodical Marketers of Canada, who have supported FNCR for the past 12 years.

Children’s Category Shortlist

• The Animal People Choose a Leader by Richard Wagamese, illustrated by Bridget George (Douglas and McIntyre)
• Bannock in a Hammock by Masiana Kelly (Inhabit Media)
• Dad, I Miss You by Nadia Sammurtok (Inhabit Media)
• Boozhoo!/Hello! by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, translated by Mary Ann Corbiere (Groundwood Books)
• Hummingbird/Aamo-binashee by Jennifer Leason, translated by Norman Chartrand (Orca Book Publishers)

Young Adult/Adult Category Shortlist

• Who We Are: Four Questions for a Life and Nation by the Honourable Murray Sinclair (McClelland & Stewart)
• The Baby Train by Stella Shepard (Acorn Press)
• Little Moons by Jen Storm (Highwater Press)
• Lost at Windy River by Trina Rathgeber (Orca Book Publishers)
• Medicine Wheel for the Planet by Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Knopf Canada)

First Nation Communities READ was born in 2003 out of the commitment and vision of the First Nations Public Library community in Ontario, with the support of the Ontario Library Service. It began as a program, but over time it has grown into a living movement that feeds the love of reading within families, strengthens the ties of intergenerational storytelling, and carries our teachings forward through the written word. By honoring the work of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit writers and artists, FNCR ensures that Indigenous voices are celebrated and woven into the larger fabric of Canadian literature.

The Ontario Library Service continues to provide crucial support, helping First Nation public libraries thrive through consultation, training, and development programs. These collaborations keep the circle of Indigenous storytelling strong, ensuring that the next generations will not just inherit our stories but recognize themselves within them.

For more information on the program and this year’s shortlisted titles, visit www.fncr.ca.