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“This lovely novel in verse delivers a beautifully structured narrative that highlights the often unintentional but nevertheless cruel assumptions people of all ages make about a person based on their skin color. The author addresses racism with poignant, thought-provoking placement of text in unique styles. This gem is highly recommended for libraries looking to expand their verse novel collections or collections dealing with racism and its violence”

—School Library Journal, Starred Review

The Color of My Difference

Written by Mc Knoell Alexis and Ann Marie Boulanger (Translator)
Published by Orca Book Publishers

The boy has just started a new school. He stands in the school yard, feeling like he’s floating in space, not knowing if he belongs.

When class starts, the teacher makes a big deal of pronouncing his name, syllable by syllable, and everyone laughs. His parents are from Haiti, though he was born in Montreal, so everyone in his mostly white class expects him to have an accent or to be from somewhere else. Even outside of school, he’s seen as different. The police stop him because he looks like a suspect. The only similarity? His skin color.

The boy wonders if being Black is just about bearing the weight of all this difference. But when a kid hurls a racist taunt at him and he gets into a fight, the boy finally confides in his mom what he’s been going through. She understands and offers advice: She wants him to stand up for himself—just in the right way. Her words help him realize that Blackness is nothing to be ashamed of…it’s his greatest strength.

Primary ISBN:
Publication Date: August 2026
Available As: Paperback, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 09 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Canada (Montreal)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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