Just Like MeBy Vanessa Brantley-Newton Marvelously constructed with layered textures, happy colours, and a poem on each page that reflects different girls’ personalities and strengths. Uplifting and affirming poems like “The Day I Decided To Become Sunshine” or “I Am Enough” will find their way into young hearts. On the last page, all the girls […]
The List of Things That Will Not ChangeBy Rebecca Stead Divorce brings a wave of change to families, so Bea is dealing with her parents’ divorce by creating a list with them — a list of things that will never, ever change. They create the list and tell Bea that even though their family may […]
Witches of BrooklynBy Sophie Escabasse When 11-year old Effie’s mother dies, she moves in with her two strange aunts who live together in a Brooklyn brownstone. Montreal-based author illustrator Sophie Escabasse delivers vivid images for this feelgood story. In the middle of one of her first nights staying there, Effie’s favourite singer and idol, Tilly […]
When You Trap a Tiger By Tae Keller “Long, long ago, when tiger walked like man…” The summer before grade 7, Lily, her sister, and her widowed mother move in to take care of their elderly grandmother, Halmoni. We first meet the family on their drive up from California to Washington State when Lily […]
When Stars Are ScatteredBy Victoria Jamieson and Omar Hassan When Stars Are Scattered is a warm and welcoming graphic novel that introduces us to two brothers, Omar and Hassan, who are from Somalia but staying in a Kenyan refugee camp after their father dies in the Somalian Civil War and they are separated from their […]
by Alka Joshi It is 1950’s India, a time when the traditional is merging with the modern, yet the castes are still very much defined. Teen-aged Lakshmi escapes an abusive marriage to the city of Jaipur and becomes a highly sought-after henna artist. She has worked hard to earn the trust of her ladies – […]
by Jonathan Van Ness Jonathan Van Ness, beloved grooming expert on Netflix’s Queer Eye series, came out with an eye-opening memoir filled with struggle, hurt, and most importantly, love. The effervescent TV personality comes off as a strong, confident, person with plenty of self-love to go around so it came as quite a surprise to […]
by David Bukszpan Scrabble is a fantastic way to spend the time with family. I remember playing it as a kid on family vacations. I remember playing it with my (nerdy) friends on camping trips. I know that since it was invented in the 30s and especially when it exploded in popularity in the ’50s […]
by Ann Hui I grew up on the prairies and fondly remember the seemingly exotic Chinese diners in little towns like Nanton, Vulcan and Drumheller, Alberta. As a kid, Chop Suey and the gooey orange sauce over the Sweet & Sour Chicken were my favourites. It was surprising to learn Chinese diner dishes have little […]
by Jojo MoyesThe Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes newest novel takes us on a historical journey into the backwoods of Kentucky in the 1930’s. In this period, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt had begun a horseback librarian program that would give access to library materials and increase literacy among the remote inhabitants of the Appalachian Mountains. […]