Zalika Reid-Benta, author portrait
© Rogene Reid

Zalika Reid-Benta

ZALIKA REID-BENTA is a Canadian writer. Her debut novel River Mumma was shortlisted for the 2024 Trillium Book Award and her debut story collection Frying Plantain won the 2020 Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the 2020 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Literary Fiction. Her second novel The Seacliff Hotel will be published in Spring 2027 and her picture books, The Twelve Days of Jamaican Christmas and Esme’s Happy Place, will be published in 2026 and 2027 respectively.
The Twelve Days of Jamaican Christmas

Books

The Twelve Days of Jamaican Christmas

Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Each May, we honor the stories, histories, and cultures of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Below is a selection of acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books by AANHPI creators to share with your students this month and throughout the year. AANHPI Creators – Elementary School titles  

Read more

Mental Health Awareness Month Resources

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and addressing student wellness and mental health is critical to help children learn how to manage emotions, develop healthy identities, empathize with peers, and pursue individual goals. We created thematic guides and book lists to help foster important conversations to build an inclusive environment where emotions matter. Explore our social emotional

Read more