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September 10, 2020"Great Books Will Find a Way In" Jon-Erik Lappano on His New Picture Book & the Magic of Writing for Kids
Remember the collection you had as a kid? Maybe it was seashells or marbles, Barbies or bandanas, but nearly every kid went through a phase of excitedly collecting something - and every new acquisition ...
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June 19, 2020
To Pre-read, or Not to Pre-read?
Should you be vetting your kids’ reading material? For many, the answer seems so obvious, you don’t even need to ask the question. To make sure kids are choosing books that meet their approval, ...
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January 14, 2021Excerpt: Travel to a Disastrous Wedding Tradition in 1802 Toronto with Adam Bunch's The Toronto Book of Love
Toronto may be a young city on the world stage, but it's got plenty of fascinating history. No one knows that better than Adam Bunch, whose Toronto Book of the Dead explored the city's stories through ...
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October 26, 2020"I Didn’t Realize How Damaged I Had Become" Firefighter Bryan Ratushniak's Memoir is Powerful, Honest, & Moving
The image of a firefighter is an emotionally charged one: a person who literally exists to save us from one of the most inherently terrifying forces in the world. It's a heavy mantle both figuratively ...
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November 26, 2020Laurie Ray Hill, Author of Paper Stones, on How to Combine Personal, Interior Storytelling with Page-Turning Tension
In Laurie Ray Hill's novel Paper Stones (Inanna Publications), Rose has one goal: to protect her baby niece, Jenny. In a family haunted by sexual abuse, Rose is determined the horrific pattern will ...
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October 08, 2020Kate Camp on Inspiration, the Beauty of the Ordinary, and Falling Asleep to Robert Frost
One of New Zealand's most treasured poets, Kate Camp's six decorated collections have won her every major domestic literary award and made her a household name in her home country.Now, her seventh collection, ...
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October 14, 2020Colleen Nelson on Bringing Playfulness to Picture Books, Her Favourite Canadian Kids' Books, & More
Whether you're a parent or just remembering your own school days, everyone can relate to the jangling nerves that come with starting a new school or new stage as a student. In Colleen Nelson's loveable ...
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October 30, 2020Erin Ruddy on Setting a Dark & Mysterious Thriller in the Bliss of Cottage Country
Cottage country — just the phrase conjures up enviably peaceful images of long sunny days and warm nights, a quaint retreat. But in Erin Ruddy's Tell Me My Name (Dundurn Press), a rustic cottage ...
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January 26, 2021Lorna Poplak on the Notorious History of The Don Jail & How It Failed Its Hopeful, Progressive Roots
An imposing but externally beautiful building on the east bank of the Don River, the Don Jail—invariably known simply as "The Don" to Torontonians—has a long and troubled history. From its opening ...
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October 29, 2020"It Is Okay to Go Inside of Yourself Even if it Scares You" Poet Joseph A. Dandurand on Opening Doors
Perhaps Richard van Camp said it best about prolific and powerful poet Joseph A. Dandurand's writing when he commented "Good Lord—what a voice!" Dandurand's 13 collections of poetry have consistently ...