From Classroom to Storytime: Carleton Students Publish Children’s Books

Keisha Cuffie (Bachelor of Arts, Political Science & Critical Race Studies)

D is for Dazzling & The Time Keepers

Carleton University student Keisha Cuffie has turned her passion for social justice and education into two inspiring children’s books.

Cuffie, a political science student minoring in critical race studies, is the author of D for Dazzling and The Time Keepers. Both books aim to empower young readers and fill gaps in representation within children’s literature.

“I think that we shouldn’t shy away from speaking about racism with children,” Cuffie says. “Research shows that children understand racism as early as one-year old. It’s sad, but it’s true.”

Cuffie’s journey into activism all started after the murder of George Floyd.

“Once that happened, I realized I could no longer be apathetic and leave the work to others,” she says.

This turning point led her to organize Black Lives Matter protests and become deeply involved in advocacy work, eventually culminating in her decision to write books that value and reflect experiences of Black individuals.

Her first book, D for Dazzling, was published in 2022 and emerged directly from her activism.

“I wanted to write a book that was filled with affirmations, empowerment, self-love, and confidence for children,” Cuffie explains.

“And to show Black kids camping, playing hockey, doing things they don’t usually see themselves doing in mainstream media.”

Shortly after publishing D is for Dazzling, Cuffie was invited to be part of a roundtable with Upper Canada Village to discuss the lack of Black History representation. This led to her to being hired as the Village’s Black History Program Coordinator and first Black employee. Since then, she has played an integral role in the inaugural Black History exhibit. One of her roles involves working as an interpreter in 1800s-themed clothing, engaging with guests and sharing history.

As a direct result of her representation at the Village, another individual applied to a similar role. They said they had never considered applying before seeing Cuffie there.

“This is why representation matters,” Cuffie reiterates.

Becoming ingrained in Canada’s Black History, Cuffie wrote her second book, The Time Keepers. Set to be published on July 26 as the first in a planned three-book series, it delves into the history of Emancipation in Canada.

The story follows Tyra, who is transported back to the first Emancipation Day celebration in Canada on August 1, 1834, in Montreal. From there, she travels forward in time, learning about the history and significance of Emancipation in Canada.

The book has already garnered significant attention. Both Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard and the Canadian Museum of History are is set to feature it for this year’s Emancipation Day celebrations.

“I want children to question why someone thought they could own someone else and understand the importance of fighting for everybody so we can all work together,” says Cuffie.

Furthering her advocacy work, Cuffie launched the Black Legacy Collective earlier this year. The non-profit organization focuses on community empowerment through wellness, representation and education in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Throughout her time at Carleton, she has managed to balance her studies, advocacy work, writing, three part-time jobs, and being a mother of two. In the fall, she  will return to Carleton for a master’s degree and graduate diploma in curatorial studies. She will also be a teaching assistant, where she hopes to pass on lessons to other students.

“I really want to help students understand it’s okay to take things slower and find what you love,” Cuffie says.

“You have time, and it’s important to enjoy the process.”

Looking ahead, Cuffie is exploring a book about Victoria Lewis, an unsegregated school teacher in Cornwall in the 1800s, whose untold story she discovered at Upper Canada Village. This predates the first known Black teacher at a non-segregated school in Toronto by almost 100 years.

Valerie Kaiyang Wood (Master of Public History ’21)

Vee in Between

Valerie Kaiyang Wood’s journey to publishing her children’s book, Vee in Between, is a story of personal discovery and identity.

Born in China and adopted by Canadian parents at nine months old, Vee in Between, reflects her identity as a transracial adoptee.

“I had always treated being adopted as a fun fact about me — that’s how I shared it with others — even though it is deeply integral to who I am and how I operate in the world,” Wood says.

Wood grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo before pursuing her undergraduate degree in gender studies and history at McGill University. Following her graduation in 2019, she joined Carleton University for her master’s in public history and a diploma in curatorial studies.

“When I got to Carleton, I realized I could mesh my love for history, my passion for making history accessible to the public, and my love for children’s literature. It hit me: I could write about my experiences as a transracial adoptee,” she says.

Vee in Between took shape as Wood’s final project for her master’s program under the guidance of Professors Laura Madokoro and David Dean.

The book follows Vee, a semi-autobiographical character who navigates her identity as a transracial adoptee. Vee’s journey includes taking Chinese dance classes to connect with her heritage and talking to the moon to feel closer to her birth mother. The story addresses the challenges of feeling caught between different parts of oneself and finding strength in that in-betweenness.

“My goal for this book is that children who feel in-between or out of place will see themselves in these pages and know they are not alone,” says Wood.

For Wood, writing Vee in Between was cathartic. She initially hoped the process would answer her questions about identity, but in fact opened more inquiries. Still, it prompted a lot of self-reflection.

“When I look at young photos of myself, I want to be gentle and kind to that younger version of me,” she says.

Vee in Between‘s path to publication was serendipitous. During an internship at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Wood met a Carleton public history alumna who connected her with her sister, a publisher at Second Story Press. Wood’s manuscript was accepted, and before she graduated, she had a publication offer from Second Story Press in Toronto. Vee in Between was officially published in May 2023, illustrated by Angela Poon.

After graduating from Carleton, Wood secured a position as the Assistant Curator of Aviation and Space at Ingenium’s Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Her role involves researching the museum’s collection, developing exhibitions, and engaging with the public. She attributes her work on Vee in Between as instrumental in landing the job, as it showcased her ability to simplify complex themes for a broader audience.

“Curating, for me, is a way of being a conduit for other people’s stories, especially in fields like aviation and space that have been dominated by men for so long,” Wood explains.

“It’s about making these topics interesting and accessible, and showing there’s space to reexamine things.”

Amanda Bernardo (Bachelor of Arts ’11; Current Student, Master of Business Administration)

Little Voice & The Lighthouse

Amanda’s journey into children’s literature began with a deep love for reading that started from a young age, followed her into high school, and eventually led her to pursue an English Literature degree at Carleton University. While her career eventually took a different direction, her passion for writing never waned.

“I always loved books and writing. Even though my career path wasn’t directly related, I knew I could still apply this passion in different ways,” Amanda recalls.

After university, she began to explore what her career could be and how it could leverage the skills she gained from her program. Despite some uncertainty, she continued writing poetry and exploring her creative side.

Her epiphany came while volunteering with the Ottawa Network for Education reading books to children. Bernardo found many children’s books lacked engaging content and meaningful messages.

“A lot of children’s books fell flat, with random storylines and little takeaways,” she says.

This realization inspired her to write Little Voice – a book to instill confidence and a growth mindset in children. Originating from a poem she had written, the book encourages children to listen to their inner voice and pursue their dreams. Determined to bring her vision to life, Bernardo embarked on the challenging journey of self-publishing.

“The children’s book market is incredibly tough to break into,” she says.

With her entrepreneurial spirit, Bernardo connected with illustrator Samantha Clusiau-Lawlor. Together, they launched Little Voice Books (LVB) to publish Little Voice. Bernardo learned every aspect of the publishing process from copyrighting to printing, managing marketing and distribution.

“I definitely have a lot more pride in ownership because I did everything myself from the ground up,” she says. “It’s pretty special.”

Following the publishing of Little Voice, Bernardo wrote and published her second book, The Lighthouse. This book emerged from a difficult time in her life when she was diagnosed with endometriosis and faced a lot of uncertainty on becoming a mother.

“Writing has always been a form of therapy for me. It’s my escape and my way of processing emotions. Sometimes just putting what I’m feeling down on paper helps me navigate life’s challenges with a new perspective,” she says.

The Lighthouse, published through LVB in 2017, touches on themes of mental health. The book emphasizes the importance of small acts of kindness and how they can make a significant difference in someone’s life. To help promote her message, Bernardo worked with the Ottawa Catholic School Board to ensure her books reached as many children as possible.

“When someone’s asking for the book, they’re often a teacher or a parent trying to have a conversation. And that was really the goal with both books, to enable important conversations at home and in the classroom,” says Bernardo.

Bernardo’s books have been recognized by Scholastic and gained significant traction, but their success is measured by much more than sales. Since Little Voice was first published in 2014, Bernardo has donated $11,000 in proceeds to programs and charities across Canada, including the Alzheimer Society of Canada and the National Canadian Mental Health Association.

Today, Bernardo is the Director of Change Management and Service Design for Shared Services Canada, and against the odds, has just become a new mother. She is also working towards a Master of Business and Administration degree at Carleton.

While her publishing company has since closed, she continues to share her books and their messages, along with personal blogs through her website. Looking ahead, she plans to write a third book around themes of motherhood.

“People often talk about motherhood in terms of the birds and the bees, but realistically, that’s not everyone’s journey,” she says. “I think it’s important to share that not all roads are linear but that doesn’t make them any less special — though different, the love of a mother is unique in all the roads it comes in.”

Lead image by Anastasia Shuraeva / Pexels

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Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Alumni, Arts and Social Sciences, Books
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