Mini History of Times New Roman

This is a  beautiful little video about the history of the Times New Roman font. Thanks to my buddy Dan Wagstaff of The Casual Optimist for sharing!

SLJ's picks for the wildest children's books of 2014

The Flat Rabbit by Bardur Oskarsson (Owlkids)

100 Scope Notes, a children's literature blog by School Library Journal, recently compiled a list of seven of 2014's widest children's books. The books were chosen for their inventiveness, boldness, and overall uniqueness. These are definitely not your average picture books!

Their picks:

Jim Curious: A Voyage to the Heart of the Sea by Matthias Picard (Abrams)

The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose (Little, Brown)

The Flat Rabbit by Bardur Oskarsson (Owlkids)

This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne (Henry Holt)

Out the Window by Cybele Young (Groundwood Books)

Aviary Wonders Inc. Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual by Kate Samworth (Clarion Books)

What There Is Before There Is Anything There by Liniers (Groundwood Books)

Are there any books you'd add to this list?

Grumpy Cat is coming to Canada!

Schedule

Bestselling author Grumpy Cat (née Tardar Sauce) is going on tour, y'all! Just in time for the release of her forthcoming book, The Grumpy Guide to Life, the internet's beloved cat curmudgeon is going to be visiting five cities across North America this August, with stops in Santa Monica, CA; Las Vegas, NV; New York City, NY;  Skokie, IL; and Toronto, ON. 

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty darn excited for Grumpy Cat to grace us with her grumpiness in Canada. She'll be in Toronto on August 9, 2014, at Indigo Eaton Centre, so mark your calendars! I'm sure she'll have a ton of demotivational words of wisdom for us mere humans.

Whilst we anxiously await her arrival, I suggest checking out her first bestselling book, Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book.

Today's Parent picks its top ten kids books for fall

Sam's Pet Temper by Sangeeta Bhadra (Kids Can Press)

We're almost halfway through the summer holidays, which means the kids will be back at school in the blink of an eye. If you're looking for recommendations for great children's books to start off the school year, Today's Parent has got you covered!

Here are their picks for the top ten fall books, which can be found in their August issue:

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole 
Written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press)

Take Away the A
Written by Michael Escoffier and illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo (Enchanted Lion Books)

Louise Loves Art
Written and illustrated by Kelly Light (HarperCollins)

Once Upon an Alphabet
Written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins)

The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House
Written by Eric Litwin and illustrated by Scott Magoon (Little, Brown)

Secret Life of Squirrels
Written by Nancy Rose (Penguin)

Sam's Pet Temper
Written by Sangeeta Bhadra and illustrated by Marion Arbona (Kids Can Press)

Sisters
Written by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic)

Dojo Daycare
Written and illustrated by Chris Tougas (Owlkids)

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education and Changed the World
Written by Malala Yousafzai (with Patricia McCormick) (Little, Brown)

My favourite teen book this year!!!

How much did I love this book? Words are hard to describe. Everyone in the office was talking about it, so I figured I better jump on the bandwagon. So many times, when people are super excited about something I feel it is very hard for the expectations to be met...but The Kiss of Deception was certainly the very happy exception!!! A little fantasy, the required love triangle with an unbelievable twist that had me practically starting the book from the beginning. When oh when will the next one come out and why can't I travel forward in time to read it!
Here's an interview with her in the Huffington Post.

Bookstore Appreciation with New Society Publishers!

Want to show some support for your favourite bookseller? The fine folks at New Society Publishers want to hear all about your favourite local bookstore! 

Does your favourite bookstore have a great selection? Knowledgeable and friendly staff? Nice atmosphere? Whatever the reason, let New Society know why it's your favourite bookstore and you can get a chance to win a New Society book of your choice. They'll also showcase the bookstore on their social media sites, so everyone will get a chance to learn how awesome they are!

So support your local booksellers by sending in the bookstore's name, city, and a photo to sara {at} newsociety {dot} com. 

For more information on the contest, please visit the New Society blog.

Finding an independent bookstore just got a little easier

FindaBookstore.ca has returned! Bookstores are a vital part of every community, so The Retail Council of Canada has launched this website to make it easier for book lovers to discover and connect with local independent booksellers in their area.

The website itself is very simple to use: just enter an address and it will populate all the independent bookstores nearby. Easy peasy. 

Spread the word and help support independent bookstores by sharing the link on social media. You can follow @RCCCBABook and use the hashtag #findabookstore.