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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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August 01, 2023For the Love of Dog – Hadley Dyer Creates a Smart, Moving Picture Book to Help Kids Grieve Animal Friends
Veteran children's book editor and writer Hadley Dyer has teamed up with beloved kids book creator Paul Covello (known for his Toronto ABC and Canada ABC, amongst other titles) to create a book ...
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August 17, 2023Maggie Knaus Shares 2 Strange & Happy Moments from the Long Journey to Creating Her Stunning Debut Picture Book
Eleanor was born under a spectacular harvest moon. As it hung low in the sky, her grandfather made a promise: that wherever they both were, and however far apart that may be, they would look up at the ...
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August 30, 2023Michael Melgaard Delves into the Dark Side of True Crime in His Debut Novel
In many true crime tales, the focus shifts to the intrepid reporter, detective, or armchair expert who is intent on solving a mystery. Or, even more problematically, the story centres—sometimes with ...
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September 19, 2023TIFA's Roland Gulliver on Genre Evolution, Programming Pair-Ups, & Some Really Big Swings
The Toronto International Festival of Authors kicks off this year on September 21, with a packed calendar of author talks, readings, workshops, and more at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. Featuring acclaimed ...
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November 20, 2023Things I Learned from Working in Publishing (That I Wish I Knew Earlier)
I spent 12 years in children’s publishing and here is a selection of things I learned on the job that I wish I had known beforehand. You don’t need an illustrator to submit your picture book manuscriptIn ...
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November 24, 2023Arts in Evolution: The Word on the Street's New Leadership Team on Their Innovative Lateral Model
The Word on the Street is one of Toronto's biggest, oldest, and most beloved literary festivals, and it has recently undergone big changes on the staff side. Festival Director David Alexander announced ...
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November 30, 2023Zain Bandali Uses Mehndi to Talk About Gender, Creativity, and Being Your True Self in His Delightful Debut
In Zain Bandali's Mehndi Boy (Annick Press), Tehzeeb loves to draw. He practices his clouds, patterns, stars, and more, as whole galaxies of beautiful and intricate designs swirl across his notebooks. ...
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November 30, 20237 Ways to Develop Secondary Characters
Many authors do a good job at developing their protagonist or POV characters. After all, readers will be in these characters’ heads throughout an entire book. But as many readers can attest to, sometimes ...
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February 20, 2024Make-believe and Melodrama Create Comedy in the New Picture Book, The Only Lonely Fairy
Make-believe and melodrama collide to create a heartfelt comedy in The Only Lonely Fairy (Pajama Press), the new picture book by Lana Button, illustrated by Peggy Collins. A story about emotional ...
