Lactose-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, GMO-free… a decade ago, you never heard about all these different eating restrictions. But that’s when my mother was diagnosed with celiac disease—in 2010—and suddenly she couldn’t eat anything! Go to a restaurant? No chance! Nobody knew what gluten was, let alone what meals had none of it. Now, menus often have […]

You’ve probably had a really bad cold a few times in your life. But have you sneezed and accidentally burned a village to the ground? Such is the case for a poor baby dragon. Without any dragon parents around, he falls sick—his symptoms affect not only him, but also the townspeople who are furious at […]

“There is no one right way to blend a family,” writes author Sarah Aronson in the afterword of her beautiful (and delicious) book, Brand-New Bubbe. But main character Jillian has a hard time letting her stepfather’s mother find a place in her heart. What about her Noni and Gram? She already has grandmas—awesome ones with […]

We often hear parents remark “I could write a book” about all the hilarious things their kids say. But what if the kids were the ones writing? This is what we had in mind for our first ever One Story a Day Writing Contest (2018-2019) for Canadian kids from grades one to eight – and […]

With so much of our lives spent on a screen, we are faced with a constant influx of information – Twitter wars, celebrities’ lunches, natural disasters, real wars, and most of all, people’s opinions on… everything. (Yes, we’re aware that this blog post is also an opinion!) Everyone has something to say, especially when it […]

Ever heard the expression “marching to the beat of your own drum”? For Ladie B. Marie, ladybug rockstar in the making, nothing could be closer to the truth. But the insects in the forest aren’t quite on board with all her singing, dancing, and guitar-playing—in fact, even her dad wishes she would just be quiet […]

While some children are interested in books from a young age, others need more convincing to sit down and read. What can you do to help your kids find their love of literature? The Right Mindset First, it’s important to frame reading as a hobby rather than a chore. Telling your child to read for […]

Have you ever told a lie that got out of hand? Has it cost you a friendship with someone important? Is it difficult for you to tell the difference between lying and exaggerating? In Roo Parkin’s July 2022 picture book Sid’s Big Fib, two friends compete to outdo each other with news of their weekend […]

In summer 2022, we did an interview with the brilliant team behind the Ottawa Book Expo! Get to know us better and find out what we do in our field by watching the video below…

What got you into teaching as a career? I enjoyed the energy and creativity of children. What’s the best part about teaching kids to read? It is wonderful to see children’s pride in their achievement and confidence in themselves grow before your eyes. Their head is a bit higher and their shoulders are a bit […]