DK Canada's "Stay Home, Stay Curious" Campaign

DK Canada is thrilled to share their "Stay Home, Stay Curious" campaign on DK Canada's website.

This hub will house content from across DK Canada's books and divisions. Everything from home learning ideas, recipe extracts to great Canadian content such as a free downloadable teacher's guide for Our Great Prime Ministers. There's also DIY ideas & Gardening tips as well as excerpts to make staying fit at home easy!

The Woes of the Comic Industry -- Interview with Faith Erin Hicks

Award-winning comics creator, Faith Erin Hicks, describes in her own words what it was like to write her first YA novel, Comics Will Break Your Heart, and her experience in the comic industry.

Hicks shares how as a comic creator, it was extremely difficult for her to read about how some comic creators don't retain ownership of the characters they create, or they lose copyright to their creations. This book was inspired by these issues, and to shed light on the struggle many comics face in this industry. 

Comics Will Break Your Heart is a sensitive and funny modern day romance, and shows what it takes to heal the past.  Click here to read more!

The first Loan Star Jr. list!

BookNet Canada has finally announced their Loan Stars list for Juvenile and Young Adult titles, the Loan Stars Jr. list!

This new list allows library staff to recommend forthcoming picture books, middle-grade, and YA titles.  Click here to review the top 10 picks from BookNet's first Loan Star Jr. list! 

Fiction meets Reality

True Crime style? YA fiction? Sign us up for The Girls podcast ASAP! Adapted from Courtney Summers' forthcoming novel Sadie, this podcast  breaks convention by blending elements of true crime with fiction, and stays true to the events of the novel. In Sadie, the 19-year-old titular protagonist narrates the first half of the book, with fictional radio journalist telling the rest via podcast transcripts. Now that podcast is a reality, available now. Check it out, and get up to date before Sadie hits the shelves on September 4th! 

Tomi Adeyemi

We’ve all agreed that Tomi Adeyemi is pretty much the greatest right? Her viral reaction to unboxing her first book sure isn’t the only reason! In her phenomenal interview with CBC’s Q with Tom Power she describes her personal relationship with character representation in fiction, and how her debut novel works to change that. In The Guardian she talks empowerment and inspiration from West Africa. And in this review from The Atlantic, her novel is explored for its incredible value in the Black Lives Matter Movement. We can't get enough!

The Sweet Sixteens

The Sweet Sixteens is a group of authors who write middle grade and teen fiction and will have their debut novels published this year. They are working together to promote their and each others books.
They are super active on FaceBook, the Twitter and all that other stuff. Their collective publishing output is pretty darn impressive.

The Secrets Are Coming!

Kelley Armstrong, Eric Walters, Vicki Grant and the rest of the Secrets authors will be touring extensively in Canada to promote the new series starting with a blog tour. For all the dates you can go here!

Print vs. Digital: YA Reader Edition

Whoever said today's youth can't unplug from technology is wrong... at least according to a survey that finds that 62% of young reader aged 16 to 24 prefer printed books over their digital equivalents. Given the limitless technology that surrounds youth today (and I'm speaking from experience with two teens of my own) these results are exciting!) This is great news for all of us library and book professionals though!

The debate between books and e-books comes down to a couple factors such as preference, convenience and price -- all things that were addressed in this study. Check out the full article on The Guardian, click here. 

The Dewey Divas and Dudes Top 5 Books: Linda's Picks!

Let's continue with our Top Books of 2013! These recommendations have been very helpful to me so far, reminding me of those books that have fallen off my radar, and helping me out with those tough-to-buy-for people on my list. Next, I called on Linda Ludke, librarian and children's materials selector of the London Public Library. As a trusted book lover, I knew I could count on her for some fantastic titles and this time we are starting to see some repeats (they must be that good!). Here are Linda's picks:

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's Press)

"This swoon-worthy book brought me back to a time when love often blossomed with the exchange of a mix tape. I would sit with these characters on a bus trip any day." 








2. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toren (Doubleday)

"I liked how Adam wasn’t just defined by his OCD- he was also a teen in love, a son dealing with divorce.  It was very realistic and at times laugh-out-loud funny."








3. Jane, the Fox and Me by Fanny Britt, Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (House of Anansi)

"There are so many beautifully created, quiet scenes in this graphic novel that pack an emotional wallop. Arsenault’s illustrations are as eloquent as ever."

4. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Penguin)

"Willow Chance’s story of grief and loss and love is so incredibly touching.  She is a character I kept thinking about long after I put the book down."

5. That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems (HarperCollins)

"This book is a silent movie that stars a dastardly fox villain, a wide-eyed ingénue goose and an audience of wing-flapping chicks. Mo Willems’ comedic timing is brilliant."

The Dewey Divas and Dudes Top 5 Books: Ken's Picks!

Here we go again! This time I called on Ken Setterington, Renaissance Man, for his top 5 books of the year. Ken was recently interviewed by Shelagh Rogers on CBC Radio's The Next Chapter where he discussed his new book, Branded by the Pink Triangle. He even took time out of his vacay on the beach to write this list! Here are his picks:

1. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten (Doubleday)

"Without question a most worthy recipient of this year's Governor General's Award. This was a book that really nails respect for teens and the challenges that they face, but it does so with humour and compassion."

2. The Hidden Agenda of Sigrid Sugden by Jill MacLean (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

"It is surprising that a book with a cover that looks like it is about a young naturalist or ornithologist is actually about a girl who is trying to escape her past bullying ways. Thoughtful and demanding of the reader.  Love the book - hate the cover!"

3. Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History's Mysteries by Elizabeth MacLeod (Annick Press)

"This is the sort of book that will appeal to all readers, male and female. The simple, straight forward text tells how forensics have been useful uncovering historical truths."

4. Learn to Speak Film: A Guide to Creating, Promoting and Screening Your Films by Michael Glassbourg (Owlkids)

"Who hasn't wanted to make their own film?  This book tells the reader how to get started and how to make a film from beginning to end.  Love that the screening is included as part of the process!"

5. The Four Seasons of Patrick by Susan Hughes (Red Deer Press)

"In a short simple chapter book Susan Hughes lets a young reader share with Patrick the fears, annoyance and challenges of becoming part of a blended family. Hughes really understands the realities facing young children."

Fierce Reads Tour Hits Toronto!

 The Fierce Read Tours has one stop in Canada on June 19th. Gennifer Albin, author of Crewel will be at Indigo-Yorkdale along with Leigh Bardugo, Jessica Brody, Emmy Laybourne, Anna Banks. To learn more about the tour, you can go to their Facebook Page

Tavi Gevison TED Talk

The New York Times calls Tavi Gevinson The Oracle of the Girl World. At the age of 11, she started her blog Style Rookie aimed at teenage girls. In two years her blog was a huge hit and she was invited to fashion shows all over the world...Lady Gaga and Judd Apatow are fans. Not your average fashionista, Tavi is interested in feminisim and as her TED Talk shows...is "Still Figuring It Out". She launched her recent online magazine: Rookie and within six days had over one million hits. This September Drawn and Quarterly is coming out with Gevinson's first book Rookie: Yearbook One. There is as you can imagine a huge amount of buzz around this book.

No Vampires Here

Finding Sky is a paranormal romance that focuses on Sky, a shy British teen who has just moved from England to Colorado with her parents. As Sky tries to make friends and fit in at her new school, and she’s also very drawn to the dark, handsome and brooding Zed Benedict. Both are quite musically talented, but always seem to be at odds. It’s not until months later that Sky discovers her gift, one that she shares with the mysterious Zed. They’re both Savants who can read minds and communicate telepathically. In fact everyone in Zed’s family is a Savant, and they’ve have been working with the police to solve a high profile case. When some very dangerous criminals discover the Benedict’s connection, both Zed and Sky get caught in the fallout. Readers will identify with Sky’s feelings of being an outsider during her first days of school and her uncertain feelings about a Zed. It’s a fun, suspenseful read and a great addition to a very popular genre.