Tasha Spillett-Sumner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tasha Spillett
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Tasha Spillett
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| Education | University of Saskatchewan |
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Notable work
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Surviving the City |
Tasha Spillett is a Canadian author and teacher. She is famous for her young adult graphic novel series, Surviving the City. The first book in this series won a special award in 2019.
Contents
About Tasha Spillett
Tasha Spillett is a talented writer and educator. She is known for creating stories that are important and meaningful, especially for young people. Her books often share Indigenous experiences and culture.
Her Early Life and Education
Tasha Spillett is of Cree and Trinidadian heritage. She has studied a lot about Indigenous education. She earned a master's degree and a PhD from the University of Saskatchewan. Her studies focused on land-based Indigenous education. This means learning about the land and its connection to Indigenous ways of life.
Helping Her Community
Tasha Spillett has always been involved in her community. She used to be on the board of an organization called Manito Ahbee. She also led a special gathering for young Indigenous women. This event honored missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Spillett also helped young Indigenous people in Winnipeg. She mentored them through a program called Sister Circle. She has taught high school subjects like social studies and English. She also led workshops about land-based knowledge.
Tasha Spillett's Books
Tasha Spillett writes different kinds of books. She has written graphic novels and picture books. Her stories are often about important topics and have beautiful illustrations.
The Surviving the City Series
In 2018, Tasha Spillett released her first graphic novel, Surviving the City, Volume 1. A graphic novel is like a comic book but tells a longer story. Natasha Donovan drew the pictures for this book. The story is about two young Indigenous women named Miikwan and Dez. Miikwan is Anishinaabe, and Dez is Inninew.
The second book in the series, "From the Roots Up," came out in October 2020. These books help readers understand the lives and experiences of young Indigenous people.
Picture Books for Younger Readers
Tasha Spillett also writes books for younger children. In April 2021, she released a picture book called I Sang You Down from the Stars. Michaela Goade illustrated this book. It became very popular and was even on The New York Times Best Seller list for a week! Tasha started writing this book when she was expecting her daughter, Isabella.
Her second picture book, Beautiful You, Beautiful Me, was published in 2022. This book was featured on "CBC Kids Reads" in 2023. Salini Perera created the illustrations for this book.
Awards and Recognition
Tasha Spillett's books have won several important awards. These awards show how much her stories are loved and respected.
- In 2019, Surviving the City won the Best Work in an Alternative Format award. This was at the Indigenous Voices Awards.
- In 2020, Surviving the City also received a Young Adult Book Honor. This award came from the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards.
- I Sang You Down from the Stars won the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award in 2022. This was part of the Manitoba Book Awards.
List of Works
- Surviving the City
- Volume 1: "Surviving the City" – illustrated by Natasha Donovan (2018)
- Volume 2: "From the Roots Up" – illustrated by Natasha Donovan (2020)
- I Sang You Down from the Stars – illustrated by Michaela Goade (2021)
- Beautiful You, Beautiful Me – illustrated by Salini Perera (2022)
