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September 06, 2019
I Joined a Writing Group and I Liked It
When I moved to Kingston two years ago I was transitioning to the happy stage of life after raising kids that I’d been anticipating for a few years—tidy house! Lower grocery bills! The reality of ...
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August 04, 2017
Interview with Kyo Maclear
Kyo Maclear is one of my favourite children’s book authors and one of the loveliest people I know. She’s the author of many acclaimed picture books including Spork, Virginia Wolf and The Fog, and ...
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September 01, 2020
When Your Father is Your Biggest Fan
I don’t believe that any father was more proud of having a son for a writer than my own dad. Whenever I met somebody who knew him—it might be a waiter in a restaurant—the person would say, “Oh, ...
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June 23, 2020
The Male Default in Children's Literature - What It Is and Why It Matters
Perhaps you’ve heard of the Bechdel Test for movies. A film that passes the Bechdel Test must have at least one scene in which two female characters are talking to each other – and not about a man. ...
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February 11, 2022
Making a skating rink, and other tricks for stepping away from a work-in-progress
On a particularly cold Friday morning, I piled my kids in a car with snow pants and skates and a pile of books and we headed to a cottage rental. We all were desperate for a change of scenery, and I was ...
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July 19, 2022
Getting to Know Sara Flemington, Author of the Surprising and Brilliant Debut Novel Egg Island
Most kids had a daydream at some point about heading out on their own, finding a new and better home, preferably with a cool friend along for the adventure. But for Julia, the wary teenage lead in debut ...
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January 10, 2024
"We Crave Authentic Stories" Olivia Saunders on Sharing Her Experience Living with Autism with Young Readers
From avoiding sensory overloads to explaining her necessary strategies to friends and teachers, Olivia Saunders' experience of living with autism has impacted her life for more than 18 years. Now, as ...
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May 16, 2024
Naseem Hrab and Kelly Collier Share a Conversation About Otis and Peanut Forever and Ever
Collaborating on a series of picture books or graphic novels is quite the task, but some of the finest KidLit out there comes from these fruitful partnerships between talented authors and illustrators.This ...
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September 20, 2016
New Fall 2016 Children's and YA Books! Part 1
I’m delighted to be starting off my kid lit blog this season with a fun chat with five authors of exciting hot-off-the-press children’s books, including a picture book, a chapter book, a middle grade ...
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October 31, 2018
November writer-in-residence & Double Debut Author Brian Wilkinson on the Books That Shaped Him
Brian Wilkinson decided to start his publishing life with a bang -- this fall, he's got not one, but two books out with Blue Moon Publishers as a double debut: Paramnesia and Battledoors: The Golden ...