Search
-
March 03, 2022Jen Lynn Bailey's New Picture Book Celebrates Both Northern Nature & The Cumulative Story Form
A cumulative tale is a story, song, or folktale that uses repetition, rhythm, and often humour to build to a story's conclusion. You may not have heard the term, but you know the form–think "There Was ...
-
June 27, 2017Jennifer Lanthier on the Magic of Reading for the First Time
Breaking up with a friend is never easy. But it's especially tough when there is an entire world on the line. Such is the dilemma young Oscar finds himself in as he pens a fiery goodbye to his best friend ...
-
August 21, 2024Jennifer Maruno and Vivian Rosas Illustrate the Power of Peaceful Action in Momma's Going to March
Peaceful activism has long been a tool for meaningful change, and many young people are now seeing these actions with great frequency, especially as they grow up in a world where social media carries ...
-
August 31, 2024Jennifer Maruno Sends a Young Witch and Her Rodent Sidekick on an Adventure in Broom for Two
Prolific children's author Jennifer Maruno may be familiar to readers of Open Book. In fact, as recently as last week, another title written by Maruno was featured on the site.This time we're sharing ...
-
May 09, 2024Jess Taylor Confronts and Then Says Goodbye to the Past in her Compelling Debut Novel
Memories of childhood, and the realities of what remains in the here and now, are twin prospects that everyone must face and contend with in their lives. Flights of imagination and acts of play often ...
-
February 06, 2018Jessica Scott Kerrin Tells Us About the Little Boy on a Bus Who Inspired Her First Picture Book
When Russell's family moves to a new house, he has a great idea: The big tree in the backyard is just crying out for an amazing tree fort. Russell's dad gamely gives it his best, and soon Russell has ...
-
September 18, 2023Jessica Westhead on Balancing Absurdity, Sensitivity, & Insight in Her Exploration of White Privilege
Just last week saw the launch of Avalanche (Invisible Publishing), a new story collection from Jessica Westhead. One of Canada's most innovative short fiction writers, Westhead has long crafted memorable ...
-
February 09, 2026Joanne Robertson and Shirley (Fletcher) Horn Tell the Crucial Story of a Young Girl's Resilience and Survival
At five years old, Shirley is taken from her family and sent to a residential school, a strange place that she does not understand. The long walk up the school’s stone steps marks the beginning of a ...
-
April 01, 2024Jody Chan's New Poetry Collection Challenges Systemic Failings in Community Care
Writer and therapist Jody Chan has had plenty of experience with systems of mental health treatment in Canada, and the ongoing shortcomings in care for citizens who are ill and look to these entities ...
-
March 19, 2019Joel Adam Struthers' Memoir Offers a Fascinating, Myth-Busting Account of the French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion, a branch of the French army, is one of the most famous military organizations in the world. Joel Adam Struthers tells his story of six years as a legionnaire (and more specifically ...
