Going to Canada: Li-Ming's Diary Level 21-22

Going to Canada is a personal and heartfelt diary account of Li-Ming, a young girl preparing to move from China to Toronto. Through her daily entries, students follow Li-Ming's emotional journey-her curiosity, excitement, worries, and comparisons between her life in China and her new home in Canada. The diary format brings an intimate lens to the topic of migration, using figurative language such as similes and questions to invite readers into Li-Ming's thoughts and experiences. Students are introduced to cultural differences and similarities while reflecting on the reasons why families move. The book promotes empathy and global awareness, making it ideal for discussions on personal change and cross-cultural experiences. With authentic voice and literary devices, this book supports comprehension, inference, and creative writing.

Educational Benefits:

• Develops understanding of emotional and social changes linked to migration.
• Introduces figurative language and encourages use of similes in writing.
• Supports critical thinking through analysis of character feelings and motivations.
• Enhances text interpretation through diary structure and questioning techniques.

Classroom Ideas:

• Encourage students to write their own diary entry from the perspective of someone moving to a new place.
• Compare life in two countries using a T-chart or Venn diagram.
• Use the book to start a conversation about what it's like to begin at a new school.
• Identify and discuss similes in the text, then create original ones in writing.

Safety & Information:

• Ages: 7-9
• Size: 210mm x 297mm
• Safety: Paper-based content only; suitable for classroom use without supervision.