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June 28, 2017The Toronto Public Library Shares Tips on How to Raise a Reader
While some kids are natural bookworms, others are more reluctant readers. Wherever your little ones fall in the spectrum, reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give to the young people in our lives. ...
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November 29, 2019What Does Work/Life Balance Look Like for Writers?
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”This is a question children are often asked with a bemused smile by teachers, family, or friends. They expect that you’ll reply with some fantastical thing: ...
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March 26, 2013Kid Lit Can, with Susan Hughes: Classic Canadian Children's Books, Old and New (Part Two)
Welcome back to the kick-off of my monthly blog on Open Book: Toronto, which will be celebrating Canadian children's books, their creators and the kid lit biz in general!In Part One of this blog, I asked ...
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March 25, 2020Writes as Readers: Sherry J. Lee On Her Favourite Books
Sophie, the young protagonist of author Sherry J. Lee's debut picture book, Going Up! (Kids Can Press), lives in a tall apartment building in the city. On the day of her friend Olive's birthday party, ...
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October 18, 2019Act Now to Keep Seasonal Creativity Disorder at Bay!
It’s not winter yet, but as we head into fall it’s starting to get darker earlier. It’s also getting colder. Maybe some days you’ve even wished you’d worn a light scarf or gloves as you walked ...
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September 29, 2017Chatting With Editors Who Make It Happen - Part One
Welcome to autumn and the return of my Kid Can lit blog! Because to me, September is a time to look forward to new beginnings, especially new writing projects, I decided to chat with some of the amazing ...
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February 05, 2019Who I Think About When I Write … It’s Probably You: A List of Questions to Ask Yourself About Audience as You Write
I find it really challenging to write a picture book without imagining its audience. In whose hands will the finished book end up? What will make them pick it up? Will they find my story satisfying? To ...
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July 21, 2020My Story: Naseem Hrab on Divorce, Vulnerability, and Trading a Pencil for a Croissant
Divorce can be a big adjustment for a child, bringing up many different feelings that are tough to make sense of. Settling comfortably into a new weekly routine, with two places to call home, takes a ...
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August 27, 2018An Open Letter to the Stranger Who Asked Me, “How Did You Write That Book for Children If You Don't Have Children?”
Dear Stranger,I realize that writing a book is kind of a self-important undertaking. When I write, I sometimes imagine that there are people out there who might actually enjoy reading my words and letting ...
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January 15, 2020The Craft of Reading: How Reading 260 Books This Year Made Me a Better Writer
I was making a care package for a writer friend recently and wanted to include a book in it.“What have you been dying to read?” I asked her before heading out to the bookstore.“Fever Dream by Samanta ...
