Everything I need to know in life, I learned from children's literature
January is Mental Health Awareness month in Canada. The conversation, especially around Bell Let's Talk Day on January 29th, is getting louder, more nuanced, and larger in scope, yet it can be hard to address these issues with children. I'm so grateful to the team at CTV Your Morning who continue to support children's books… Continue reading As Seen on CTV: Kids’ Books That Address Mental Health & Wellness
With the season of gift giving just around the corner, this segment's list is based on popular activities or hobbies kids might have that might not at first glance have anything to do with books. Whether the kids in your life like lego, hockey, drawing, or video games, here are some books that will be… Continue reading CTV Your Morning Holiday Picks
I am very excited to announce that my next picture book, TEDDY BEAR OF THE YEAR, illustrated with warmth and humour and a lot of fuzziness by Sydney Hanson, will be published by Tundra Books on January 21, 2020. This book is a love letter to teddy bears and stuffies of all shapes and sizes. As… Continue reading TEDDY BEAR OF THE YEAR- Coming Soon!
The only thing better than reading books is talking about books! That's why I'm a big fan of lit circles, book clubs, and reading groups. I'm putting together a Winnowing themed book club kit including: One copy of The Winnowing The Winnowing stickers The Winnowing bookmarks Official The Winnowing Discussion Guide Discussion Fuel (aka candy)… Continue reading Giveaway: The Winnowing Book Club Kit
Fall is just around the corner which means sweater weather, pumpkin pie, and The Winnowing! I've been busy working on some guest posts for The Winnowing blog tour and booking events for the fall. Full details coming soon, but for now here is everything you need to know about the Toronto book launch! When: Tuesday,… Continue reading The Winnowing Book Launch
I value my picture book collection the way that Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler values her files: deeply, though you wouldn't know it by my lack of an ordered cataloging or shelving system. Here are some of the books published in 2016 that made it onto my shelves this year. Panda Pants is a dialogue between… Continue reading What I Read in 2016: Picture Books
Last week I got to talk to one of my favourite people, Ann Foster, about middle grade fiction. When not working at the Saskatoon Public Library recco-ing kids and teen books, she is writing about fashion in TV over at You Know You Love Fashion (currently chronicling the enviable wardrobe of Phryne Fisher) and spearheading a… Continue reading Middle Grade Gift Suggestions 2016
This has already been a staggeringly good year for middle grade (don't call it a comeback), with personal favourites such as Raymie Nightingale, The Wild Robot, Look Out for the Fitzgerald Trouts, and Pax garnering all sorts of buzz and attention. Here is a sampling of the new kids on the block this fall: Ghosts … Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Fall 2016 Preview
Whether you're lakeside, poolside, or inside, summer is the best time to read. Silly, spooky, thought-provoking and engrossing; here are some new(ish) books guaranteed to keep you or the middle grade reader in your life occupied this summer. Wolf Hollow We all have those keystone books in our lives, the ones so deeply affecting that… Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Summer Reading Picks 2016
Sophie Quire lives with her father, a bookmender, in Bustleburgh. Her mother died mysteriously years before. Bustleburgh is becoming a dangerous place for Sophie and her father. All nonsense, particularly that found in books, is outlawed. So when a blindfolded boy and a cat with hooves show up with one of four magical books promising… Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard
Vikki VanSickle 