Teachers

This international reading program is for students in Grade 4 - 12. Students nominate titles and choose the winners.  

Here are YRCA 2013 materials that can help you run the program:

Booktalks - use these as your own notes when presenting to students

Presentation - project this PDF to show to your students.

Trading Cards - click here for a PDF copy

Class visits

You can come to us or we can come to you!  We invite you to bring your class to your school's local branch to learn more about the library.  These tours are available for all grade levels and can range from a general introduction to the library, to an in-depth exploration of a topic of your choice.

Book a tour online

If you would like a library staff member to visit your class, please contact staff at your local library. Library staff would be happy to come to your school to promote reading or to make research presentations.   

Reading Buddies

Do you know a student who needs extra help with reading?  Do you know a student who would make a good reading mentor?  This program partners students aged 13 – 17 with "buddies" in grades 1 – 4 for one-on-one reading and interactive games.  Click here for details of when these two programs are offered.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Resource Guide

Click here for the PDF with recommended fiction and non-fiction titles for K - 12 students compiled by the Edmonton Public School Board and EPL.

Even More

Sign up for an EPL newsletter written especially for teachers.

Check out our databases for incredible content.

Solaro is now available in all our branches (in library access only)

Or search for book lists, reviews and more in our catalogue.

Did you know that your students can get EPL cards right in the classroom? That's right – we'll deliver it to them through your school. 

This project is in partnership with the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord, Edmonton Catholic Schools and Edmonton Public Schools.

For further information about this project, please contact Masha Ribich via email or by phoning 780-495-9875.

Library Card Order Form - English PDF - Colour

Library Card Order Form - English PDF - Black and White

Library Card Order Form - French PDF - Colour

Library Card Order Form - French PDF - Black and White

The University of Alberta's Philosophy Department, in collaboration with EPL,  proudly presents 100 Great Books to Discuss Together, both a celebration of great books as well as a collection of tools that you can use to discuss books with the child in your life.

This program is based on the Philosophy for Children (P4C) curriculum developed in the 1970's by Matthew Lipman (Montclair State College), and is very similar to the program that Tom Wartenberg (Mount Holyoke College) supports with his website teachingchildrenphilosophy.com. Lipman's version of P4C is used in over 60 languages, in schools all across the world; the 'picture book' approach is used in schools in the U.S. as well as some schools right here in Edmonton.

Since it's inception, the P4C program has helped children with
1. Evaluating reasons and arguments
2. Reading comprehension
3. Finding examples and counter examples
4. Seeing broader perspectives
5. Treating others' views with respect
6. Confident self expression¹

The materials you find in these pages are meant to help you capitalize on a very simple fact about children: they can be incredibly inquisitive and creative if you give them the chance. Using picture books to spark these capacities is a great way for you to engage with your child about issues that both you and your child can find interesting. Here we provide you with simple outlines and corresponding sets of questions that might help you see a way to explore the questions about which your child can't help but ask 'Why?'.

Perhaps one of the most important shifts with the Philosophy for Children approach is your role in the discussion. While you can use these books to help explain to your child the important beliefs you want him or her to come to hold, the program is initially intended to help your child develop his or her own beliefs through critically and creatively engaging with the issues within the story. Thus, as the program was initially conceived, you do not need to know much (or anything) about the philosophical issues surrounding the topics in question in order to discuss these issues with your child. Instead, you need only ask your child to provide the reasons for what he or she believes.

Planning on having a discussion? Click here for some general guidelines for having a successful discussion.

More resources

Guide for using Good Job, Little Bear! in a philosophical discussion.

Find by Good Job, Little Bear! Martin Waddell in EPL's catalogue now.

Guide for using Lucy and the Bully in a philosophical discussion.

Find Lucy and the Bully by Claire Alexander in EPL's catalogue now.

Guidelines for using Mr. Grumpy's Outing in a philosophical discussion.

Find Mr. Grumpy's Outing by John Burningham in the EPL's catalogue now.

Guide for using Amos and Boris in a philosophical discussion.

Find Amos and Boris by William Steig in EPL's catalogue now.

*Did you know? Amos and Boris is one of the featured titles in EPL's 100 Great Books to Read Together reading list.

Guide for using The Gypsy Princess in a philosophical discussion.

Find The Gypsy Princess by Phoebe Gilman in EPL's catalogue now. 

Guide for using I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean in a philosophical discussion.

Find I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean in EPL's Catalogue now.

Guide for using An Extraordinary Egg in a philosophical discussion.

Find An Extraordinary Egg in EPL's Catalogue now.

Guide for using Millions of Cats in a philosophical discussion.

 Find Millions of Cats in EPL's Catalogue Now

Guide for using The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! in a philosophical discussion.

Find The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! in EPL's Catalogue Now

¹ See http://www.ualberta.ca/~phil4c/ for further advantages.

All content is produced by Philosophy for Children Alberta (P4CA). If you have any questions or concerns about the materials please contact the team at P4CA by email: phil4c@ualberta.ca.

For more information about P4C, please see their website: www.ualberta.ca/~phil4c/