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August 20, 2025RJ Races Against the Ticking Clock to Make the Perfect Father's Day Cards in Ian Duncan's New Picture Book
RJ is on a mission: he’s got just 30 minutes to make Father’s Day cards for his two amazing dads. As the seconds tick by, RJ’s determination turns into panic. With glue, glitter, and construction ...
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June 09, 2020
What Makes a Good Children’s Book?
You’re buying a book for a new baby, or for your own restless 12-year-old. You know what books delighted you when you were a kid. But are those books actually good? And are they likely to please and ...
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July 22, 2021Alma Fullerton Uses Literal Plastic Trash to Advocate for a Plastic-Free Future in Her Inspiring New Picture Book
Alma Fullerton's No More Plastic (Pajama Press) goes beyond simply communicating its titular message in words. Instead, Fullerton got down to the nitty gritty and created her illustrations out of literal ...
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November 10, 2023Excerpt: Joe Pete, the Final Book from Ian McCulloch, a Staple of the Northern Writing Community
The star of Ian McCulloch's final novel, Joe Pete (Latitude 46 Publishing) is Alison, an eleven-year-old girl better known as the titular Joe Pete. Devastated by the death of her father Sandy, a descendant ...
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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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December 13, 2016CanLit's Next Generation: The 2016 Winners of IFOA's Write Across Ontario Student Writing Competition!
Every year, IFOA Ontario's Write Across Ontario student writing competition invites young authors across the province to submit their best work and show us what CanLit has to look forward to. We at Open ...
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September 26, 2022“I Choose My Country Over My Personal Needs" Feature Interview with Acclaimed Ukrainian Novelist Ivan Baidak
In just his early thirties, Ivan Baidak has already established himself as a literary superstar in Ukraine, with his novels and short stories winning critical acclaim while at the same time topping bestseller ...
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October 06, 2023Sara Truuvert Explores a Child's View of Japanese Internment in Her Moving First Picture Book
In Japanese folklore, a baku is a chimeric creature that children can call on to protect them from bad dreams – an eater of nightmares. In fiction writer and poet Sara Truuvert's first picture book Mira ...
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June 20, 2024Premee Mohamed Returns With Another Spellbinding Novel
After winning a raft of awards for her previous novel, The Annual Migration of Clouds, author Premee Mohamed returns with an exploration of humanity and survival set against the backdrop of Alberta's ...
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October 11, 2016The Proust Questionnaire, with Karen Dubinsky
For Canadians, the idea of Cuba mainly conjures up all-inclusive vacations, buffets, and boozy tropical cocktails. But Karen Dubinsky's Cuba beyond the Beach: Stories of Life in Havana (Between the ...