Interviews & Articles
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A Book Is A Door
Read more: A Book Is A Door“A book is a series of pages held together at one edge, and these pages can be moved on their hinges like a swinging door. They could also be half-doors, doors with windows, double doors, like fold-outs, doors with attachments, pop-ups, textures or moving parts, and shaped doors.”- Remy Charlip Kyo Maclear, Canadian children’s book…
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Shiny New Books We’re Anticipating in 2026
Read more: Shiny New Books We’re Anticipating in 2026“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.”― Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go It’s a new year, and it’s still the same me. Like many, I have adapted to the mindset that January is still wintering. Some things are new, drinking from my Amelia Butcher…
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A Paper Chain Moment
Read more: A Paper Chain Moment“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” — Joshua Becker Paper chains are having a moment for this holiday season. These nostalgic beauties have been a simple craft you can make with young kids for ages. I’ve read opinions that it’s an act of slowing…
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8 Books To Cozy Up With For Fall
Read more: 8 Books To Cozy Up With For Fall“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” ~ Lauren DeStefano The cold weather crept in slowly this year in our little patch of the world. The leaves are falling in gold, red, brown,…
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Meet Artist Dawn Lo: Big-Hearted Magic
Read more: Meet Artist Dawn Lo: Big-Hearted Magic“Dawn aims to create works that are high-spirited and whimsical while retaining a certain degree of simplicity and humor. Most of her work is inspired by little, everyday moments and personal multicultural experiences.” I first encountered Dawn Lo’s artwork in the windows of the Marpole Library. I didn’t know her name yet, but the displays…
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The Enchanting Emily Hughes
Read more: The Enchanting Emily HughesThe Bookmobile is an invitation—tender and mischievous all at once. When the Bookmobile transformed from vision to reality, its purpose was clear: it would be more than just a traveling bookshop. It would be an experience, a space that children would delight in visiting, a place they’d want to linger, explore, and, most of all,…
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Get Out and Read 2025
Read more: Get Out and Read 2025The most exciting summer reading program is back! Starts on July 7th and will run until September 1st, you can adventure and read at your own pace. Part reading program, part scavenger hunt– the most fun reading you’ll have all year. Locations to unlock:Granville IslandBoundary BayCentral ParkDeep CoveLighthouse ParkTerra Nova Adventure Park All parks can…
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Dragon Books and Quotes
Read more: Dragon Books and Quotes“No, I would not want to live in a world without dragons, as I would not want to live in a world without magic, for that is a world without mystery, and that is a world without faith.”― R.A. Salvatore What would a world be like without dragons? When my son was a toddler, he…
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Secret Society of Books – A Traveling Bookshop
Read more: Secret Society of Books – A Traveling Bookshop“you will begin to collect words yourself, and you will be grateful, as I am, to all the people who collect odd words and edit odd dictionaries, out of sheer astonishment and affection.”Alastair Reid I’m a children’s bookshop owner!It may have felt like I disappeared from the book world, but I was out creating my…
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Vancouver Comic Arts Festival
Read more: Vancouver Comic Arts FestivalVancouver has a vibrant literary scene, and one of our favorite events is starting this weekend on Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th at The Roundhouse Community Centre. The Vancouver Comic Arts Festival is a great place to meet some of your favorite children’s literature authors in person. Last year, the highlight for us…
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A Story Is to Share: How Ruth Krauss Found Another Way to Tell a Tale
Read more: A Story Is to Share: How Ruth Krauss Found Another Way to Tell a TaleA story is to share, Hands are to hold, A hole is to dig, and Ruth Krauss books are for collecting.My heart skipped a beat when I saw the cover release to “A Story Is to Share: How Ruth Krauss Found Another Way to Tell a Tale. The story leads us through the life of…
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Begin Again in 2024 with a message of hope
Read more: Begin Again in 2024 with a message of hopeTell me, what is it you plan to do With your one wild and precious life? —Mary Oliver From the wonderful mind of Oliver Jeffers, Begin Again is a thought provoking story about where our story began as humans and what may lie ahead of us in the future. “A story has yet to be…
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How Does Santa Go Down The Chimney?- A Modern Classic
Read more: How Does Santa Go Down The Chimney?- A Modern ClassicMac Barnett and Jon Klassen attempt to answer the age-old question – how does the jolly man in red deliver presents? “Does he go head first?Or feet first?Or neither? Does Santa ever get stuck partway down and need one of his reindeer to give him a kick?Maybe Santa can turn into fire!” And if you…
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The Skull by Jon Klassen- Introducing Kids to the Dark Side Since 2011
Read more: The Skull by Jon Klassen- Introducing Kids to the Dark Side Since 2011Perhaps we have lost why kids need to read in a push for what our kids should read.The why – is magic.A reader who doesn’t find magic in reading will never love to read. Enter Jon Klassen and The Skull, a beautifully illustrated adaptation of a Tyrolean folktale that takes readers through the adventure of…
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Ruth Krauss: Exceptional Storyteller for Children
Read more: Ruth Krauss: Exceptional Storyteller for ChildrenAny vintage children’s book collector will have undoubtedly been on a hunt for books by the exceptional storyteller Ruth Krauss. “Everything Under a Mushroom” showcases Krauss’ wordplay and ability to capture children’s imaginative play.It’s the first of her books to adorn my collection, and I now have two copies. Both vintage copies, both treasures. Margot…
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Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone – Sister Illustrators
Read more: Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone – Sister IllustratorsHunting for vintage books is a thrill because you never know what books you will unearth, like the delicate images and whimsical style of Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone. Each book has enchanting woodland animals and dreamy landscapes.Immediately drawn to the vibrant colors, I knew I had stumbled upon something special. As I looked for…
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Crimson Twill: Witch in the City by Kallie George
Read more: Crimson Twill: Witch in the City by Kallie GeorgeTitle Crimson Twill: Witch in the CityAuthor Kallie GeorgeAge Recommendation 7-9Published by Penguin Random House Find it on: A bewitching chapter book perfect for the season. Crimson Twill is a unique young witch. She prefers polka dots and colour to black and a bow to adorn her pointy hat. Crimson is headed from her home…
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Skunk and Badger series by Amy Timberlake
Read more: Skunk and Badger series by Amy TimberlakeTitle Skunk and Badger seriesAuthor Amy TimberlakeIllustrations Jon Klassen Age Recommendation 8-12Published by Algonquin “fastest way to win a kingdom is by being kind and gentle instead of using violence and cruelty.” Find it on: Skunk and Badger seriesIn the first book, Badger is happy living alone in his aunt’s brownstone. It’s quiet, and he…
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Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte
Read more: Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotteCece Rios and the Desert of Souls, a middle grade book readers will love. A tale infused with Mexican American culture and Mesoamerican magic.
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The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
Read more: The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamilloCece Rios and the Desert of Souls, a middle grade book readers will love. A tale infused with Mexican American culture and Mesoamerican magic.
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The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Read more: The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly BarnhillCece Rios and the Desert of Souls, a middle grade book readers will love. A tale infused with Mexican American culture and Mesoamerican magic.
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Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera
Read more: Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela RiveraCece Rios and the Desert of Souls, a middle grade book readers will love. A tale infused with Mexican American culture and Mesoamerican magic.
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Time is a Flower by Julie Morstad
Read more: Time is a Flower by Julie MorstadTime is a Flower by Julie Morstad is a beautiful book featuring the concept of time through many perspectives. Find it here and here.
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Books for an Endless Summer
Read more: Books for an Endless SummerWe are soaking in all the summer we can and yes, summer does feel different this year. We want to catch sunsets, swim in the clear lakes with our eyes open, have chlorinated tea parties with friends, and late-night sticky smores’ with family. We want to fill our bellies with Okanagan cherries while the season…
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The Rock From the Sky by Jon Klassen
Read more: The Rock From the Sky by Jon KlassenThe master of the side eye returns! At first sight, this turtle might look familiar but this one comes packing much attitude! Change of hat or different turtle, you decide. Which is one of the reasons we love Klassen books so much after all, isn’t it? The characters never tell us what to do yet…
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World Read Aloud Day 2021
Read more: World Read Aloud Day 2021“If every parent understood the huge educational benefits and intense happiness brought about by reading aloud to their children, and if every parent- and every adult caring for a child-read aloud a minimum of three stories a day to the children in our lives, we could probably wipe out illiteracy within one generation.” – Mem…
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Books to spread joy and cheer
Read more: Books to spread joy and cheer“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” – The Hobbit Breathing in the brisk air, the smell of pine as we walk through our front door, baking cookies, and twinkling lights – the holiday season is palpable. A unique experience in each home…
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Scary Stories to Share Together
Read more: Scary Stories to Share TogetherTelling scary stories is something people have done for thousands of years, for most of us like being scared in that way. Since there isn’t any danger, we think it is fun.” ― Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Reading on your own in the warmth of your bed or cuddled next…
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Banned Books
Read more: Banned BooksIt’s banned books week! Today looks different from when The Paper Bag Princess was challenged for being “anti-family”. The banned books in our home arrived because we love reading. Most are considered classics, and as I placed them together for this photo, I did notice the lack of representation. Another way the world is changing.…
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Frida Kahlo
Read more: Frida Kahlo“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking…
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Share Mail – Stay Connected with Book Mail
Read more: Share Mail – Stay Connected with Book MailMake a new friend, discover a new book – stay connected through a love of stories. Books & Mail go together and have a powerful way of keeping us connected.As we begin a new school year with many children moving to online schooling, this is a fun way to stay connected. It’s a bookish pen…
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Letter Volume 5: Shadow Makers
Read more: Letter Volume 5: Shadow MakersHello, Friends! You received your letter. To make some fun silhouettes for your shadow puppets, I suggest downloading these fonts! Animals click here Fairy Tales click here If you are new and have found this post- you can join the fun here.



