Diane

I Just Finished Reading…Top Picks for February

February 16, 2016 | Diane | Comments (4)

Flea makes off with a tasty morsel in "The Story of Diva and Flea" Each month I share my favourite new books for 6 – 12 year-olds that have both kid AND paren’t appeal. I hope you enjoy them, too!   Urgency Emergency! Humpty’s FallBy Dosh ArcherAges 6 – 8 Doctor Glenda and Nurse Percy […]

Promote the Joy of Reading with Apps

January 27, 2016 | Diane | Comments (2)

Happy Family Literacy Day! There are so many fun ways to celebrate the joy of reading and literacy today (and all year long!) at home, on the go, and at the library. Tonight, my family is planning on reading some Elephant & Piggie stories and playing a couple of rounds of "Go Fish". And, if […]

I Just Finished Reading…Top Picks for January

January 15, 2016 | Diane | Comments (4)

Each month I share my favourite new books for 6 – 12 year-olds that have both kid AND paren’t appeal. I hope you enjoy them, too!   Willy’s StoriesBy Anthony BrowneAges 6 – 9Willy the chimpanzee invites readers young and old to enter the library and join him on adventures based on classic tales from […]

I Just Finished Reading… Top Picks for December

December 21, 2015 | Diane | Comments (0)

Each month I share my favourite new books for 6 – 12 year-olds that have both kid AND paren’t appeal. I hope you enjoy them, too!   Elephant Journey: The True Story of Three Zoo Elephants and their Rescue from CaptivityBy Rob Laidlaw Ages 6 – 9 This picture book tells the true story of […]

I Just Finished Reading…Top Picks for November

November 26, 2015 | Diane | Comments (0)

As a children’s librarian and paren’t, I read a LOT of children’s books. The steady flow of new material coming out each season can make it tricky to pick books that appeal to both kids AND adults, but I’m here to help! Each month I’ll share some of my favourite new books for kids aged […]

TD Shakespeare for Kids – Only A Few Spots Left!

November 4, 2015 | Diane | Comments (0)

Are your kids looking for a fun way to meet new friends and develop theatre skills? The TD Shakespeare for Kids Library Club provides a wonderful opportunity for children aged 7 to 12 to discover some of the greatest stories ever told. Actors and educators from the Shakespeare in Action Theatre Company coach and instruct […]

Sidewalk Flowers Wins the GG for Children’s Illustration

October 28, 2015 | Diane | Comments (2)

Congratulations to JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith for winning the Governor General's Literary Award in the Children's Literature (Illustrated Books) category! Sidewalk Flowers was my favourite to win – the images are so gorgeous and tell this wordless story beautifully. Along with the $25,000 prize, this title will join the list of honoured books from […]

Spine Tinglers for Kids Who Love to Be Scared

October 7, 2015 | Diane | Comments (4)

Photo by Jodylehigh via Pixabay I used to hate scary stuff when I was a kid. Part of the problem was that I had an incredibly active imagination. The other part? I grew up in an old farmhouse with a creepy attic and basement straight out of a horror film. If for some reason I […]

True Patriot Love

June 29, 2015 | Diane | Comments (0)

Photo by George Socka via Wikimedia Commons It's so easy for me to find reasons to celebrate Canada Day – I love the people, the history, the landscape and our culture, traditions and values. But it certainly doesn’t hurt that it falls in early summer when nature’s bounty is plentiful, there’s lots of stuff to […]

Thanks for the Gift of Reading, Dad!

June 19, 2015 | Diane | Comments (2)

I was lucky to have two loving paren’ts who instilled many values in me, but there is no doubt in my mind that my love of books and reading came from my dad. Growing up, he was the one to read aloud to me and my sisters and pack us in the car and drive […]