Tig by Heather Smith: A Journey Through Grief and Growth for Middle Grade Readers

Books can be powerful tools for helping students make sense of life’s most difficult experiences, including grief and loss. Tig by Heather Smith is a powerful and moving novel that has been nominated for the 2025 Red Maple Award in the Forest of Reading program. This compelling story, which explores themes of loss, resilience, and personal growth, is a nominee in the 2025 Red Maple category for grades 7 - 8 readers. Tig follows the emotional journey of a 14-year-old girl named Tig, who must navigate life after her father's sudden death. As she confronts grief, complicated family relationships, and her own sense of identity, Tig learns that healing is a process, and that sometimes, growth comes from the most difficult experiences. The novel offers rich opportunities for discussion both in the classroom and at home, touching on important lessons about mental health, the impact of loss, and the power of connection. Keep reading for our interview with Waterloo, Ontario’s Heather Smith, as she shares more about her motivation for creating Tig.

At Teachers on Call, our in-person and online tutoring team deeply believes in the importance of children's literature in navigating difficult conversations and understanding complex feelings. Tig, published by Penguin Random House, encourages readers to reflect on their own lives, consider the complexities of family and friendship, and explore the importance of finding strength in the face of adversity. Books like Tig provide an accessible way for young readers to engage with their emotions, develop empathy, and build emotional resilience. Consider this tale of resilience, cultural celebration, and childhood dreams, that will help foster meaningful conversations in any setting, empowering readers to explore and understand their experiences with greater depth and compassion.

Fostering a Lifelong Love of Reading in Young Canadians

The Forest of Reading program is an inspiring initiative that encourages a love of reading in young people across Canada. A favourite among English tutors and teachers from coast to coast, the Forest of Reading program is often celebrated for sparking meaningful conversations and deeper engagement with literature in the classroom and home. By offering a wide range of engaging books across multiple categories, it introduces children and teens to new stories, genres, and authors, helping to foster a lifelong passion for literature. Whether your passion is math, science, French, or the arts, Forest of Reading has a category for you! The program nurtures young readers' curiosity and critical thinking skills, while deepening their connection to the stories that shape their world. The Forest of Reading helps cultivate the next generation of book lovers, empowering young readers to explore, discover, and grow through the magic of books.

About the Author: Heather Smith

Heather Smith is a Canadian author whose work has garnered numerous prestigious awards, including the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award. Her stories, often inspired by her Newfoundland roots, explore themes of identity, resilience, and connection. Heather’s books, including Ebb & Flow and The Agony of Bun O'Keefe, have captivated young readers and critics alike. Now living in Waterloo, Ontario, Heather reflects on her early struggles with language—once a reluctant reader and a child who wrestled with words—and how these challenges led her to a deep love of storytelling. Today, she continues to create heartfelt narratives that resonate with readers across Canada and beyond.

Check out our Exclusive Interview with Heather Smith

Could you tell us a little about Tig and what inspired you to write this story?

After watching a documentary about the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling race, I was inspired to write a book about a girl who wants to be a cheese rolling champion. I wondered who my character could be and what would motivate her to have this goal. Did she have something to prove?

Around the same time, a friend of my daughter’s was having trouble at home. I thought a lot about how she must have felt and created a storyline that would capture those same feelings.  Once I made the connection between these two ideas, the premise of the book began to evolve. Now all I had to do was write it!

We’ve heard that your Newfoundland roots inspire a lot of your writing - is there any one spot in Newfoundland that inspires you most? Have you found a favourite spot in Waterloo?

There is a place not far from my family home in St. John’s called Middle Cove beach. It is an alcove surrounded by cliffs and is extremely picturesque. I have visited Middle Cove beach (Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove, NL A1K 4C2) on the most beautiful day in July as well as the coldest day in February and I enjoyed both visits equally – because whether it is windy, sunny, snowy, or warm, one thing remains the same: the sound of the waves. It is a relaxing sound that I can bring to mind whenever I need to feel calm.

While nothing quite measures up to Middle Cove beach, there are plenty of runners-up here in Waterloo! I live very close to a walking trail near the Grand River and on my daily walks I have seen wild turkey, deer, beavers, and a variety of birds. Nature is very inspiring!

The book explores themes of family, loss, and self-discovery. How do you think these themes resonate with readers, especially in the context of the challenges faced by young people today?

Young people face many stressors in their lives: school, finance, body image issues, pressure from their peers, and social media. Underlying all these challenges is uncertainty. My hope is that readers will not only recognize this uncertainty in Tig’s story, but they will also feel it – which will ultimately make them feel seen.

Tig’s journey is one of transformation and growth. How do you see her evolving throughout the novel, and what do you hope readers learn from her experience?

Throughout the book Tig comes to learn that living with Uncle Scott and Manny is her forever home. At the beginning of the book, Tig would not have been able to foresee the ending. I think this shows the reader that things can change – to never give up because life can lead you down roads you could never have imagined.

Cheese plays a surprisingly important role for Tig in her early days in Wensleydale, especially as she starts to adjust to life there. How did you come up with the idea to incorporate cheese in such a meaningful way?

After watching the documentary about cheese rolling, I thought it would be a neat side plot. That was the starting point. Now all I had to do was figure out why an eleven-year-old would want to be a cheese roller! That’s when the idea of a child dealing with abandonment issues came to be. Cheese rolling could be an outlet, a way for her to express her emotions. It would also serve as a way to incorporate fun and lightheartedness into the book. Cheese rolling is a unique – and dangerous—sport. It is my hope that this would pique a young reader’s interest!

Tig explores important themes like grief, healing, and the complexity of family relationships. How can parents and teachers use these themes to spark larger conversations with students about emotional resilience, empathy, and navigating difficult life experiences? Are there specific lessons from the book that could help guide these discussions?

In order for Tig to navigate her situation she had no choice but to ride the roller-coaster of emotions. Difficult life experiences are just that: difficult. There is no getting around the fact that it’s going to hurt. But I hope readers can see the big picture in Tig’s journey. She did get through it and nothing she faced was insurmountable. Time truly is a healer. Tig took the space she needed and slowly opened herself up to possibilities. It was then that she found support and stability.

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Tig is a powerful story of resilience and emotional growth that provides an excellent opportunity for meaningful conversations about grief and healing. Heather Smith’s portrayal of Tig’s journey helps young readers navigate complex emotions, fostering empathy and understanding. As part of the Forest of Reading program, Tig will surely inspire many young readers to explore how literature can help them face life’s challenges.The Teachers on Call tutoring service is excited to continue exploring this year’s Forest of Reading nominees and showcasing the talented Canadian authors and illustrators behind these books. Have you missed our previous interviews with other Forest of Reading nominees? Check out Hooked on Books: Celebrating More Than Words and the Power of Expression or Hooked on Books: Call Me Al – A Red Maple Nominee You Won't Want to Miss!