News and Notes from the Field

I attended junior high in Yellowknife, which is not the most isolated place in Canada, but definitely felt like it sometimes. Fortunately, the school library was huge, and offered a portal to endless worlds I could visit in my ... Read More  

These days, we’re seeing increasing polarization—it’s becoming hard to even have a discussion with someone who doesn’t share your opinions or values. I wanted to help kids become aware of algorithms and “burst” their information bubble, to broaden their ... Read More  

One reason Antarctica is so unique is because it's been isolated from the rest of the planet for about 20 million years: ever since the Antarctic Circumpolar Current formed. The ACC - you guessed it - is an ocean ... Read More  

Here's a fun thing I just learned: barnacle geese are so named because Medieval scholars believed they hatched from... goose barnacles! Read More  

“Why rats?” The man’s voice was thick with scorn, like he’d just stepped in something disgusting. It was 2017, and the first edition of my young adult novel, The Great & the Small, had just come out. Using dual narratives, ... Read More  

If you're an adult fan of my science books for kids, there's a good chance you enjoy reading science books written for adults, too. Ed Yong's An Immense World is one of the best science books I've ever read... Read More  

Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by and about great Canadian children’s book creators! Today’s guest: Stephanie Ellen Sy. Take it away, Stephanie! When my pandemic writing group challenged me to try fiction—specifically a children’s story—I knew exactly which ... Read More  

The keeners among you might already be thinking about the year’s best holiday, Iceland’s Jólabókaflóðið, or Book Flood. If you’ve got young readers on your giving list, I got you. I started my MFA in Writing for Children and ... Read More  

Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by and about great Canadian children’s book creators! Today’s guest: Karen Krossing. Take it away, Karen! Please take a moment to place both your feet flat on the floor. Can you feel the ... Read More  

I'm in Newfoundland right now, spotting wildlife and soaking up the justifiably-famous scenery. But did you know that Newfoundland's Memorial University also has the best folklore department in Canada? It's true - and here's a snippet from Dr. Barbara ... Read More  

Like a dog spotting a squirrel, I’m usually the type to be easily distracted by the next new shiny idea. But sometimes I come across a story and it won’t let go. That was the case when I met ... Read More  

Reach back into your brain and try to remember, who was your first comedic duo? Like many others, I think mine was Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street. Their Cookies In Bed sketch and Here Fishy Fishy sketch still ... Read More  

I like to joke that my gardening aesthetic is "witchy neglect." I toss some plants in the ground and wait to see what grows. If it attracts bees, butterflies, or hummingbirds - and the wild bunnies don't devour it ... Read More  

I woke up with two lines in my head: In the witching hour, The sky turns orange. Just those two lines—but I knew it was something good. Read More  

My earliest memories of books take me back to my hometown of Val d’Or, Quebec, lying in bed, reading Winnie the Pooh. In Toronto, when I was a bit older, I saved up my money (50 cents!), walked to ... Read More  

Happy World Ocean Day! For the educators in the room, here are some resources that will help make it a great one: The official World Ocean Day website is a great place to start. Make sure to check out ... Read More  

For today's edition, some fun facts in celebration of World Migratory Bird Day! Read More  

In our hyper-online world, we worry about the effect our devices are having on us—and especially on our children. We strategize ways to disconnect from social media, from apps, from the dopamine machines we carry around in our pockets. Read More