It's the second annual I Read Canadian Day, when children across the country are asked to spend 15 minutes reading from a Canadian book. We have so many great books to offer, but here are ten recent titles that reflect the diverse population, landscape- not to mention the breadth of kidlit talent- in Canada. Watch … Continue reading As Seen on CTV: 10 Books to Read for I Read Canadian Day
In honour of the first I Read Canadian day, my most recent CTV Your Morning segment features Canadian read-alikes, equivalents to big US or UK classics. Watch the segment here, or read on for my selections. Recently, the New York Public Library shared their most frequently checked out books and Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy … Continue reading As seen on CTV Your Morning: I Read Canadian Day
At this time of year, kids are settling into new routines, battling back to school anxiety, and juggling homework, activities, and so much more. Reading can provide a much-needed moment of zen, a time to wind down and escape. Check out the video here, or read on to find out more: Picture Books, Ages 3-7 … Continue reading CTV Your Morning Kids’ Book Picks: Sept 13, 2019
I was very excited to learn that THE WINNOWING is the 2019 MYRCA Northern Lights Honour Book! I had the pleasure of visiting Manitoba during last year's Canadian Children's Book Week and I had the opportunity to meet with many dedicated readers and aspiring writers. I learned firsthand how passionate young Manitobans are about reading, … Continue reading MYRCA News!
I'm hitting the road in October to talk about The Winnowing (with a few If I Had a Gryphon story times in there for good measure). I'd love to see your smiling faces! Check the Events Page for the most recent updates. Oct 14, 2-3pm Make it an Indigo Weekend Teen Takeover: Indigo Burlington 1250 … Continue reading October 2017 Events
Middle grade horror is difficult to pull off. Some authors go for camp, with lots of gore and over-the-top scenarios that are almost humorous, therefore defusing any terror the reader might experience. Governor-General award-winning author Arthur Slade is the other kind of author-genuine thrills created by uncanny situations, eerie coincidences, and a slow-burning sense of … Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Flickers
Middle grade fiction isn't always gentle or fantastical. Sometimes it can be downright moody, icky, and gross. Thank goodness. Puberty is rarely gentle or magical, so why should fiction tackling the subject be?In Something Wiki, we get a peek inside the mind and body of tween Jo Waller. Each chapter opens with a wikipedia entry that … Continue reading Middle Grade Monday: Something Wiki
I was flattered when Fierce Ink Press approached me to write a piece for their Fierce Shorts program. Featuring powerful work by Jo Treggiari, Susin Nielsen and Alice Kuipers, the Fierce Shorts program is a response to the It Gets Better movement in which YA authors write a short, digital piece about an experience they … Continue reading New Digital Short: AMY ABBOT IS HAVING A PARTY
It's my favourite time of year! Pumpkins, black cats everywhere, clever costumes, and amazing ghost stories. What's not to love about Halloween? Here is a round-up of some spooky, atmospheric and down-right terrifying books perfect for those of us who wait all year for October: The Swallow by Charis Cotter If you've read Summer Days, … Continue reading Feeling Halloweenish: 4 Spooky Books
