SCHOOL STATUE SHOWDOWN

This novel about a conflict between Indigenous activists and those opposing their request to change the name of a local school offers a model for navigating tough conversations around reconciliation and heritage.

Harold Sullivan Secondary School was named after AJ Sullivan’s great-grandfather. The white teen is upset by an article in the local paper saying that Great-Grandpa Harold “profited from stolen reservation land and was actively involved in sending Big River First Nation children” to a residential school. When the statue of Harold in front of AJ’s school is defaced, tensions escalate between those in the Canadian logging town who venerate him and the Big River First Nation community. The pressure feels personal for AJ and longtime First Nations friend Jackson Thomas, whose father wrote the article. Following a fight with Jackson, AJ is suspended and sent to his paternal grandmother’s house, where Grandma sets him on a mission to truly understand Harold’s past. AJ’s research, including hearing a firsthand account, leaves him questioning Harold’s legacy, facing hard truths, and making a decision that drives a rift between him and his father. A school board meeting offers an opportunity for long-buried stories to be shared, leading to a resolution that is positive and hopeful without being unrealistically tidy. This accessible, fast-paced, and informative work follows AJ as he moves realistically from defensiveness to courageous action.

A thought-provoking title that explores integrity in the era of truth and reconciliation.