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November 09, 2020Saumiya Balasubramaniam's Beautiful New Picture Book is a Pathway to "Appreciate the Magic in the New"
In a sea of endless Canadian snow, Ma misses the colours and warmth of home — so far away now it's hard to explain to her little girl as they walk home from school. But her daughter's joy in the cold ...
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December 17, 2019The Lucky Seven Interview: Lise Leblanc Talks Self-Care, Burnout, and the Challenges of Caregiving
Taking care of ailing loved ones is something many of us have experienced or will experience someday, whether it be an aging parent, or a partner suffering with health issues. The challenges involved ...
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March 13, 2017My final two columns: Part One
After nearly a decade, my time as a columnist for Open Book comes to a close. According to my email folder, it was May 2009 when Amy Logan Holmes first approached me with the idea of submitting pieces ...
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May 01, 2009
Have a Great Time, Michael Rubenfeld!
Enjoy New York, Michael Rubenfeld! It’s a city that I’ve known from my youth, and that I love mightily. And take good care of Blog, who appears to know you well and to be very supportive. How are ...
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July 07, 2023"Reality is Messier...It’s Vital that Books Reflect That" Kate Blair on Crafting Honest Young Adult Literature
It's often been said that every good story opens in the same way: when something changes. And one of the most enduring and universal story structures is that of "a stranger arrived".Kate Blair puts her ...
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November 28, 2016
Kid Lit Can: What’s So Funny about Kids’ Books? Part 1
A few weeks ago, while thinking about topics for this blog, I came to a startling realization: I’ve never hosted a funny Q and A blog. With funny authors. About funny children’s and YA books. Never.Why ...
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October 11, 2016The In Character Interview, with Monica Arnaldo
Worry worms its way in with all of us at times, but what if our worries become a little bit over the top? This is the problem Margo encounters in Monica Arnaldo's sweetly funny Margo Thinks Twice (Owl ...
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September 28, 2022Erin Robinsong Discusses Her New Collection, Wet Dream, a Clarion Call of Climate Poetry
As a species, we've been staring down the barrel of the climate crisis for some time, and yet it often feels like little action, or even attention, is being mustered up to address such a cataclysmic disaster. ...
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February 17, 2022"Sometimes People Think Children Just Bounce Back" Sarah Howden on Her Thoughtful New Picture Book Helping Kids Navigate Loss
Talking to kids about tough subjects, including grief and loss, is one of the most disorienting parts of being a parent or caregiver. Children need a way to navigate sadness, but the language and concepts ...
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July 25, 2024Abbie Saunders Defines an Era for Young Readers in the Nonfiction Book, Generation Z
If the goal of good non-fiction is to build a bridge between the author and the reader, and to shuttle important information over it, then it makes perfect sense that the best way to explain different ...