Malaika's Winter Carnival

Malaika, a young girl from the Caribbean, moves to Canada when her mother marries a French-Canadian man. Although she likes her new family, Malaika struggles because she misses her grandmother and must navigate a new, very different world—something that is particularly apparent when she partakes in the Carnival, which is nothing like the festivals at home. Suitable for primary-level students, this story may spark classroom conversations about special winter celebrations that students have experienced. Malaika’s new family may inspire discussions about how families can change and how family members sometimes adapt.