Letter to Bookstore Vendors

Our amazing librarian at Downsview G. Joseph suggested we write a letter to bookstores asking for donations. So we did last night and already we've gotten donations!

A big thanks to:

Another Story Bookshop

315 Roncesvalles Ave. 

Librairie Mosaique Bookstore

La librairie francophone de Toronto - Toronto's French Bookstore

24 Spadina Road

And 

EduCan Media who sent books out today! 

AND of course, Itah Sadu and A Different Booklist for their on-going support and the massive amount of donations by their patrons already! 

Here's the letter:

I am writing on behalf of the high school students of Mikisew School in Cross Lake First Nation, Manitoba. I am a high school teacher with the Toronto District School Board who over the last year has been working with several friends, colleagues and students to engage the youth of Mikisew School, in Cross Lake First Nation after they lost five students to suicide. After learning about the suicide epidemic and state of emergency in Cross Lake, we decided to offer our support and a variety of programs to engage youth including a 3D printer, video workshops, Positive Peer Culture and new books to refresh their library. 

We were able to fundraise and four of us delivered a 3D printer, video workshops and the PPC program in October to Mikisew School. This was only made possible through the generous donations we have received from members of our community and through student run fundraising events at Downsview Secondary School. Currently, we are specifically seeking donations of books to refresh a very small and dated library at their school. Ideally, we hope to generate a wonderful selection of books, with a focus on First Nation, Métis and Inuit authors. Access to good books is so important in education, as books can ignite a desire to learn. Books allow students to connect to others through literature and understand more about themselves and their culture. 

We hope that you will be able to donate books to Cross Lake, and help youth find their own voice through reading. We are specifically seeking donations by Indigenous authors, but any books aimed at teens would be appreciated. For more information about our journey please watch this movie created by students at both schools over a period of workshops done by Garth Jackson, an amazing video editor and friend who came with us to Cross Lake: https://vimeo.com/191823783/d79ee2229e

Any support will be highly appreciated by us and the teens of Cross Lake First Nation and Downsview Secondary School. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me via email. 

Thank you for your time, 

L. Prinn