February 17, 2026
Volume 60, Number 9
Oh, the books you will read! Freedom to Read Week is an annual event held during the last week of February that invites Canadians to reflect on—and reaffirm—their commitment to intellectual freedom, a right protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. professional reading recommendations with colleagues. How can you mark this week? • Find your next read in the ATA Library— check out library. teachers.ab.ca. • Access a range of • Share your
resources on literacy, censorship and other topics connected to Freedom to Read Week by using the ATA Library’s web guide at teachers-ab.libguides. com/freedomtoread.
A few faves Members shared some of their favorite books to teach.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is one of my favourite books to read aloud to the class. It keeps the kids engaged and has important lessons about what it means to be resilient and about learning to be part of something bigger than yourself. I’ve had kids tell me they went on to read books two and three on their own, which is always a great feeling! —Andi Lee
Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell and Corinna Luyken is one of my favourite picture books for teaching tolerance, empathy, compassion and understanding. Adrian Simcox lives with his grandpa in a small house and insists he has a horse when talking to his school peers. He is alone and alienated until an understanding mom and her child walk by Adrian’s house one day. On every page, there is a hidden horse in the foliage. The illustrations are brilliant watercolours and the story is poignant and meaningful, especially for February. —Patricia Gagnon
My absolute favourite novel to teach is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Despite being written over 70 years ago, its themes are incredibly relevant today. I love the beautiful use of figurative language and the character development. —Jennifer Johnson
Did you know? Freedom to Read Week was founded in 1984 and is now led by Library and Archives Canada, the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, and the Ontario Library Association in partnership with the Book and Periodical Council.
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