J.K.Rowling announces that a new Harry Potter website is going to be online

This is something that all Potter Fans are going to be able to enjoy in October.

Travel Guides for young readers, a great series from Arcadia Publishing

With summer vacation on the horizon and many families preparing to hit the road, kids can amuse themselves with Arcadia’s Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know series – now featuring books about 22 U.S. cities. Grownups appreciate that the books are fun and educational. Kids know what really matters is having the inside scoop. In these books, young readers will discover the sights, sounds, and spirit that define the cities and states that make up our great nation. Families can collect multiple volumes, giving kids a head start on getting to know the U.S.

Each book includes sixteen pages of entertaining facts about the city, plus 32 pages about the state. Sections like “Strange But True,” “Marvelous Monikers,” and “Dramatic Days” spotlight each city’s unique landmarks, geography, special events, and more. The handy paperbacks are perfect for popping into a backpack or tossing into the back seat, where kids can quiz each other—and their parents—on fun trivia such as:

• Which city drops a 1,250 pound acorn on New Year’s Eve? (Raleigh)

• Where can you see a 45-foot tall sculpture of a clothespin? (Philadelphia)

• In which city’s zoo are the baboons named after different types of olives? (Rochester)

Kids learn best when learning is fun, and the easy-to-read books in the Cool Stuff series by Kate Boehm Jerome are full of fun facts that kids will want to share with parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Cities profiled in the new books include Columbus, OH; Austin, San Antonio, Columbia, SC; Savannah, Jacksonville, Rochester, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Charlotte, Richmond, Boston, and Chicago. Also available are books on Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Houston, Dallas, and Charleston, SC.

Kids “will find tons to celebrate about their hometowns or travel destinations, since Jerome's to-go titles are exciting and educational,” writes Creators News Service. “The literacy-promoting author makes sure to hook kids with appealing artwork that combines vivid and glossy photography with maps and bold text.”

The publisher is offering a special 20% discount for consumers who purchase the Arcadia Kids books at the Arcadia site, http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/arcadiakids. Visit the site and enter the code, "COOL" at checkout to receive the discount. Additionally, Arcadia Kids books purchased from the Arcadia site come with a money-back guarantee! 

Established in 1993, Arcadia is a leading publisher of local and regional historical books. Arcadia Publishing has more than 6,500 titles in print. Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know

Written by Kate Boehm Jerome • Published by Arcadia Publishing

Ages 7-11 • Pages 48 • $9.95 paperback

Columbus, OH ISBN: 9781439600870          
Austin ISBN: 9781439600993

San Antonio ISBN: 9781439600894             
Columbia, SC ISBN: 9781439600900

Savannah ISBN: 9781439600917                
Jacksonville ISBN: 9781439600887

Rochester ISBN: 9781439600931                 
Philadelphia ISBN: 9781439600948

Pittsburgh ISBN: 9781439600955                 
Raleigh ISBN: 9781439600962
Charlotte ISBN: 9781439600979                    

Richmond ISBN: 9781439600986

Boston ISBN: 9781439600993                      
Chicago ISBN: ISBN: 9781439601006

And here is a letter from Kate Boehm Jerome, the author of this series.

Setting the Stage

One summer more than 40 years ago, my parents braved a 200-mile road trip to Columbus, Ohio. Four kids in a station wagon. No air conditioning. Game on.

I sat in the back seat strategically positioned between two brothers. The conversation was predictable (“Mom! He’s touching me” punctuated by “I’m bored” and “Are we there yet?”). It did not bode well for the memorable trip my parents were hoping to create.

However, my savvy mother had a secret weapon.

Ignoring the backseat bickering, she calmly began to read from brochures she had collected about our destination. Dad played along.  So Columbus really is named after the famous explorer, eh?

Despite our best efforts to remain aloof, we soon just had to join in. (Are you kidding? I can’t believe you think the Olentangy is a type of citrus fruit!) The next few hours of temporary captivity flew by with yuks and giggles instead of tears and tantrums. My mother’s preparation had saved the day.

Exploring new places with your kids is a terrific way to jumpstart conversations! Kids love trivia and their perspectives are often hilarious and insightful. However, sometimes it’s helpful to set the stage. So it’s my hope that each book in the Cool Stuff series will help you sweep away the conversational cobwebs—and inspire new discussions. And who knows? That trip to your state capital might turn out to be the memory of a lifetime!  

Award-winning author Kate Boehm Jerome is a thirty-year veteran of educational book publishing, and her series have received multiple teachers’ choice awards. She is also an active campaigner for child and adult literacy. Learn more at www.katejerome.com.

J. Patrick Lewis Named Children’s Poet Laureate

Position raises awareness of children’s natural affinity for poetry

May 12th, 2011

CHICAGO — The Poetry Foundation is pleased to announce that poet J. Patrick Lewis will serve as the nation’s third Children’s Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children’s Poetry to the Poetry Foundation for a two-year tenure. The award, which includes a $25,000 cash prize, aims to raise awareness that children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them.

“Pat’s many books bring great joy to young readers—the future of poetry,” said Poetry Foundation president John Barr. “He has profuse gifts as a poet—with wordplay, humor, and technical facility—and truly loves writing for and to children. To say that in children’s poetry Pat has found his calling is no mean thing because he has excelled in so many other walks of life: scholar, economist, and author. What Pat Lewis brings to the office of Children’s Poet Laureate is a life fully lived and, of course, tremendous joy for his craft and audience.”

The author of more than 50 books of poetry for children, Lewis began his career as an academic; he taught in the departments of business, accounting, and economics at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, until 1998, when he left to devote himself to writing full time. His books for children include Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles; The Last Resort; The Shoe Tree of Chagrin; and A Hippopotamusn’t: And Other Animal Poems. His children’s poetry has appeared in Highlights for Children, Cricket, and Ranger Rick, among many other places, and his writing has been widely anthologized. His contributions to children’s literature have been recognized with the 2011 Poetry Award from the National Council of Teachers of English and the Ohioana Awards’ 2004 Alice Louise Wood Memorial Prize. His first book of poetry for adults, Gulls Hold Up the Sky: Poems 1983–2010, was published in 2010. A father of three and grandfather of five, he visits more than 30 elementary schools a year, keynotes at literature conferences, and presents teachers’ workshops on introducing poetry in the classroom.

Findings from the Poetry Foundation’s seminal research study, Poetry in America, demonstrate that a lifelong love for poetry is most likely to result if cultivated early in childhood and reinforced thereafter. During his laureateship, Lewis will give two major public readings for children and their families, teachers, and librarians. He will also serve as an advisor to the Poetry Foundation on children’s literature and may engage in a variety of projects and events to help instill a love of poetry among the nation’s youngest readers. The Poetry Foundation made the appointment with input from a panel of experts in the field of children’s literature.

* * *

About the Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs. For more information, please visit poetryfoundation.org.

A wonderful book for Earth day

Earth Day is coming up on this Friday, April 22, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate the natural world with Me…Jane! This inspiring portrait of the young girl who grew up to become groundbreaking primatologist and environmentalist Dr. Jane Goodall is beautifully rendered by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Patrick McDonnell.  As Booklist raves in their starred review: “This remarkable picture book is one of the few that speaks, in a meaningful way, to all ages.”

Take a look at the book's website where you can listen to an interview with Patrick about creating Me…Jane, send E-cards, download fun activity sheets, and find out how kids can enter the Go Ahead and Dream! Drawing Contest.

ClassroomsCare Program gives books to two teachers in each state

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUBS' CLASSROOMSCARE PROGRAM HAS ANNOUNCED TWO TEACHERS IN EACH STATE AS SWEEPSTAKES WINNERS

Two lucky teachers in each state have been chosen to receive a special prize of two hundred books each from the Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program. These one hundred winners will then donate one hundred of the books they receive to a local charity of their choice and keep one hundred for their own school. Winners were picked from more than 35,000 entrants in the 2010 "Care Where You Are Sweepstakes," an annual highlight of the Scholastic ClassroomsCare program, which donates more than a million books to children in need each year.

The Care Where You Are winning teachers, whose names have been posted at http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/contests_home.htm#tcool will receive their books by March 2011 and then can donate them to their local charity. In the past, Care Where You Are Sweepstakes winners have donated to children's hospitals, libraries, early literacy centers and many other local places that work with children in need. This year, Scholastic received more than double the number of entries from previous years.

According to Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs, "We're so pleased that teachers are making time to help their students participate in the ClassroomsCare program. By entering the Care Where You Are Sweepstakes, teachers and their classes are showing their desire to help make a difference in their own community by reaching the people most in need of quality books."

ClassroomsCare is an annual challenge to the one million classrooms that use Scholastic Book Clubs. Participating classes read for the cause, triggering a donation of a million books from Scholastic Book Clubs to ClassroomsCare's charity partners, such as Reach Out and Read, Save the Children and The Pajama Program. Books are then donated throughout the year to kids in preschool to middle school who in many cases would not otherwise have books of their own. Since August 2010, more than 8,592,613 books were read as a result of the program in 100,000 classrooms.

By the numbers:

• 30,127,000* - kids have read for ClassroomsCare since 2001
• 10,000,000  - books donated to charities through ClassroomsCare
•   1,234,580  - classrooms have participated in ClassroomsCare

• 126,050,613 - Total Books Read because of ClassroomsCare

 *The number of kids who have read for ClassroomsCare was calculated by multiplying the number of participating classrooms by 25.

Scholastic Book Clubs is a division of Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company.

Winners are:

Kim Trammell, Nikiski North Star, Nikiski,  AK

Karen Knight,Wasilla Lake Christian School,Wasilla,  AK

Sharon Harris,Banks School, Banks,  AL

Tina Wright,Douglas Elementary, Douglas,  AL

Kim Himstedt,Westside Elementary School,SEARCY,  AR

Erin Huddleston, Oaklawn Magnet School, Hot Springs,  AR

Deidra Mendenhall, Chinle Elementary, Chinle,  AZ

Stella Cravens, Abraham LIncoln Traditional Sch.,Phoenix,  AZ

Carley Kennedy, Green School, Dublin,  CA

Lois Haas, Vail Elementary, Temecula,  CA

Paula Bristow, Paula's Family Day Care, Denver,  CO

Patty Miller, McGraw Elementay, Ft. Collins,  CO

Meredith Martineau,YWCA,West Hartford,  CT

Doris Mancini,West Side Middle School, Waterbury,  CT

Toni Garnes,William Henry MS,Dover,  DE

Barbara Lacy,Richardson Park,Wilmington,  DE

Rachael Hall,Indian Rocks Christian School,Largo,  FL

Donna Stott,Plantation Christian Preschool,Plantation,  FL

Susan Hogan, Wiregrass Georgia Tech College Child Development Center, Ben Hill-Irwin Campus, Fitzgerald, GA

Lexie Phillips, Seven Oaks Academy, Lilburn,  GA

Susan Miyasato, Kanoelani Elementary, Waipahu,  HI

Hazell Cabiles, Central Union Church Preschool & Kindergarten,Honolulu,  HI

Vicki Tilson, Peosta Elementary,Peosta,  IA

Kristin Hale, Summit Schools, Cedar Rapids,  IA

Christy Vandeberg, Fruitland Elementary School, Fruitland,  ID

Theresa Perry, Amity Elementary, Boise,  ID

Mary Richter, Al Wood Elementary, Alpha,  IL

Jana Lopez, Kindercare Learning Center, Lisle,  IL

Chrislin Knight, Calumet Christian School ,Griffith,  IN

Vanessa Goodknight, Henryville Elementary, Henryville,  IN

Nancy Armstrong, Quincy Elementary,Topeka,  KS

Connie McMullin, Derby USD 260,Wichita,  KS

Brianna Musgrave, Taylor elementary, Brookesville,  KY

Sebrena Mitchell, Southside Elementary, Club Southside, Nortonville,  KY

Deanna Habetz, Rayne Catholic Elementary School, Rayne,  LA

Sarina Sande, Intercultural Charter School, New Orleans,  LA

Mary Aker, Murdock Middle High School, Winchendon,  MA

Sara Mansour, St. Mary of the Assumption, Lawrence,  MA

Ashley Sperow, Talbott Springs Elementary School, Columbia,  MD

Lisa Herbst, A Childs Garden, Severna Park,  MD

Beth Komulainen, H. B. Emery Jr. Memorial Elementary School, Limington,  ME

Kristi Chiasson, Williams Elementary School, Oakland,  ME

Julie Reid, McMillan Elementary, Muskegon,  MI

Susan Case, Trinity Lutheran School, Saint Joseph,  MI

Sara Crosby, Richfield,  MN

Linda Hoon, Sts. Peter, Paul and Michael, Saint Cloud,  MN

Beth Wehmeier, Coverdell Elementary, St. Charles,  MO

Karen Griesedieck, Andrews Academy, Creve Coeur,  MO

Stephanie Dees, Davis Magnet, Jackson,  MS

Agnes Stidum, Byhalia Elementary, Byhalia,  MS

Denise Bakkum,Cecelia Hazelton Elementary, Townsend,  MT

Mara Burrowes-Fitzgerald, East Helena,  MT

Kirsten Stuber, Meadow Lane Elementary School, Goldsboro,  NC

Fiona Ireland, Monroeton, Reidsville,  NC

Drina Hansel, St. Alphonsus Elementary, Langdon,  ND

Tami McNaly, Lewis & Clark School, Minot,  ND

Linda Sweeting, St Mary's of Bellevue School, Bellevue,  NE

Kelly Smith, Wallace Public School, Wallace,  NE

Tara Eckert, Silver Lake Elementary, Reno,  NV

Theresa Waite, Grant Bowler Elementary School, Logandale,  NV

Liz Carlson, Paul Smith School, Franklin,  NH

Nancy Russo, Create and Discover Learning Ctr, Salem,  NH

Debra Dragon, J. Mason Tomlin Elementary School, Mantua,  NJ

Lynell Burgos, AC Redshaw School, New Brunswick,  NJ

Alice Stiles, Missouri Avenue Elementary, Roswell,  NM

Anne Claspell, Queen of Heaven, Albuquerque,  NM

Peggy Sears, Erwin Child and Family Center, Painted Post,  NY

Catherine Harris, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Seneca Falls,  NY

Marcia Mitchell, Miami County Preschool, Troy,  OH

Lisa Huml, Stingel Intermediate, Mansfield,  OH

Debbie Ellis, Bethel Upper Elementary, Shawnee,  OK

Kim Landers, Tony Goetz Elementary, Muskogee,  OK

Joetta Smith, OLPH Preschool, Cottage Grove,  OR

Lorie Barber, Mountain View Elementary, White City,  OR

Kelly Hicks, Mapleton Union Elementary,Mapleton Depot,  PA

Randi Price, Walter Miller Elementary, Levittown,  PA

Cheryl Dubois, Chester Barrows, Cranston,  RI

Carolyn Petrocelli, Melrose Avenue School, Jamestown,  RI

Blythe Morrison ,Children's Attention Home Charter School, Rock Hill,  SC

Jill Cox, Trinity Child Care Center, Blythewood,  SC

Lori Nemec, Stanley County Elementary, Fort Pierre,  SD

Linda Miller, Mt. Vernon School, Mt. Vernon,  SD

Michelle Howell, New Union Elementary, Manchester,  TN

Michelle Shanks, Mt. Carmel Elementary, Mt. Carmel,  TN

Cheryl Evans, Faith West Academy, Katy,  TX

Molly Dowlatshahi, Montclair Elem., Garland,  TX

Shanna Scovill, Arrowhead Elementary, Santa Clara,  UT

Joel Bowler, Morgan Middle School, Morgan,  UT

Cassie Miller, Macy McCalugherty School, Pearisburg,  VA

Rita Lee, Trinity Christian Preschool, Fredericksburg,  VA

Dana Gordon-Macey, Kindle Farm Children  Service, Newfane,  VT

Sandra Wassell, Newbury Elementary, Newbury,  VT

Beth Pushard, Evergreen Christian School, Olympia,  WA

Emily O'Halloran, Linwood Elementary, Spokane,  WA

Jill Land, Rose Glen Elementary, Waukesha,  WI

Michelle Kooiker, UWEC Childrens Center, Eau Claire,  WI

Leslie Cox, Mineral Wells Elementary, Mineral Wells,  WV

Kelly Hawse, Capon Bridge Elementary, Capon Bridge,  WV

Julie Belton, Julie's Childcare, Pinedale,  WY

Laura Smith, Douglas Intermediate School, Douglas,  WY

American Girl's 2011 Girl of the Year.

A few years ago I got my daughter her first American Girl doll. She chose Samantha, a doll whose stories take place in the Edwardian era. We collected the books that go with the doll, which I read to her, and had a blast finding outfits and accessories that suited Samantha's time. I was able to use the doll to teach my daughter about what it would have been like to live in America at the turn of the century. We talked about women's rights, the treatment of working class people, and the class system that existed then.


A few years after we got Samantha, someone gave my daughter their Molly doll and I was able to share the history of the WWII years with her through Molly's stories.


This year American Girl is launching a new doll. Her name is Kanani, and her stories will focus on the need to care for others. Here is the press release about this new doll, her books, and America Girl's partnership with  the National Wildlife Federation.

ALOHA, KANANI! AMERICAN GIRL’S 2011 GIRL OF THE YEAR HAILS FROM HAWAI‘I!

—National Campaign Encourages Girls to Share the Aloha Spirit of Helping Others—

 

This January, kicking off American Girl’s 25^th birthday celebration, is the debut of Kanani Akina, the 2011 Girl of the Year^®, whose story takes place in the lush tropical paradise of Hawai‘i. A warm and cheerful girl, Kanani loves her town’s beautiful beaches, tropical sunsets, and fun lu‘aus, but most of all, she and her family love sharing the aloha spirit—a desire to welcome and care for others with an open heart. Through Kanani, girls will discover that everyone has something to share that can make life better for someone else.

Kanani is available for one year and will launch with two books that tell her story, a beautiful 18-inch Kanani doll (featuring long, wavy medium-brown hair and hazel eyes), and an array of outfits and accessories such as a paddleboard set, a plush Hawaiian monk seal, and a shave ice stand!

Written by acclaimed author Lisa Yee, the 2011 Girl of the Year books—Aloha, Kanani and Good Job, Kanani—introduce readers to Kanani and her small seaside town on the island of Kaua‘i. Kanani loves working in her family’s shave ice and sweet treats store, as well as sharing the wonders of Hawai‘i with visitors. Whether she’s making her cousin from New York feel welcome on the island, helping rescue a baby Hawaiian monk seal, or assisting older people in her community, Kanani learns that by sharing herself and her home in the true aloha spirit, she is able to make life better for others. The back of each Kanani book features profiles of real girls who, like Kanani, discover the joy of helping others through their gifts and efforts, however small.

To share in the Hawaiian spirit of helping others, American Girl is partnering with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to help raise awareness of endangered animals, like the Hawaiian monk seal featured in Kanani’s stories. With the purchase of every Kanani plush monk seal sold in 2011, American Girl is donating $1 (up to a maximum of $100,000) to NWF’s efforts to help children throughout the United States gain an appreciation and understanding for America’s most vulnerable animals through various educational programs and activities.

To further engage girls in Kanani’s world and her story’s inspirational message, American Girl is introducing the following products and activities in 2011:

«      Lend a Hand: Girl-Sized Ways of Helping Others: A nonfiction companion advice book to the Kanani fiction series, Lend a Hand gives girls ideas and tips (both big and small) for making a difference at home, among their friends, in their community, and on the planet.

«      Kanani Retail Events: Starting on January 1, girls can take part in Kanani-inspired events at American Girl retail stores nationwide, including demonstrations for dancing hula, free Hawaiian craft activities, and delicious Kanani-themed meals.

«      Kanani and Me E-cards: From January 1 through April 15, 2011, girls can create and share their own Kanani-themed postcards at americangirl.com/girloftheyear and can be automatically entered (with parent’s permission) in a drawing to win a Kanani doll and book.

Starting on January 1, 2011, the Kanani doll, books, and accessories will be available for one year or while supplies last through American Girl’s catalogue, at americangirl.com, and at all American Girl retail locations. To request a free American Girl catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005.

About American Girl

American Girl Brands, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT, www.mattel.com), the world’s leading toy company. Since American Girl’s inception in 1986, the company has devoted its entire business to celebrating the potential of girls ages 3 to 12. American Girl encourages girls to dream, to grow, to aspire, to create, and to imagine through a wide range of engaging and insightful books, age-appropriate and educational products, and unforgettable experiences. In meeting its mission with a vigilant eye toward quality and service, American Girl has earned the loyal following of millions of girls and the praise and trust of parents and educators. To learn more about American Girl or to request a free catalogue, call

1-800-845-0005 or visit www.americangirl.com. 

About National Wildlife Federation

National Wildlife Federation is the nation's largest conservation organization and publisher of the award-winning children’s magazines Ranger Rick^®, Your Big Backyard^®, and Wild Animal Baby^®. National Wildlife Federation inspires more than four million members and supporters to protect wildlife for our children’s future. For more information, visit www.nwf.org.

Stella and Sam are now on the television

A few years ago I started to review the Stella and Sam books, which are written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay. The series is one of my favorites, and I was delighted to hear that Stella and Sam now have their own television show. Here is some information about the show:

Astral’s Playhouse Disney premiered the new animated series Stella and Sam on Sunday, January 9 at 10:30 a.m. ET. The new series, based on the internationally best-selling Groundwood books by Canadian author and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay, follows the backyard adventures of four-year-old Sam and his older sister Stella.Gay has written and illustrated eight books in the Stella and Sam series to date. They have been translated into fifteen languages and sold more than one million copies worldwide.

Children can now venture further into the world of Stella and Sam with interactive adventures designed for children and their families to explore online at www.playhousedisney.ca. Families can learn more about show's characters, play Stella and Sam games and download printable activities.

New episodes of the show will premiere on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. ET with episodes also airing on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. ET as well as Saturday and Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. ET.

Groundwood will be publishing new paperback editions of Good Morning, Sam and Good Night, Sam in February 2011, followed by When Stella Was Very, Very Small and What Are You Doing, Sam? in the same format this August. All books can be purchased from booksellers nationwide or the Groundwood Books website.

Here is a little video about the series, with an interview with Marie-Louise Gay

The Cybils finalists are announced.

For the last couple of months children's book bloggers have spent hours reading books published in 2010 that were nominated by readers for the Cybils awards. The lists of the finalists are now in. Just in case you don't know, the Cybils are "are given each year by bloggers for the year's best children's and young adult titles. Nominations open to the public on October 1st." The books that were chosen as finalists are all excellent titles. Take a look:

Easy Readers & Early Chapter Books

Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)

Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)

Fiction Picture Books

Graphic Novels (Middle Grade)

Graphic Novels (Young Adult)

Middle Grade Novels

Nonfiction Books (Middle Grade & Young Adult)

Nonfiction Picture Books

Poetry

Young Adult Novels

Canadian Children's Book Publisher is given the Order of Canada

 Groundwood publisher Patsy Aldana is appointed as a member of the Order of Canada

January 3, 2011 (TORONTO) — Groundwood Books Publisher Patsy Aldana has been appointed as a member of the Order of Canada by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada. The announcement was made in Ottawa on December 30, 2010. Aldana was chosen for her contributions to children’s publishing in Canada and around the world.

Aldana founded Groundwood Books in 1978 in response to the perceived lack of a children’s literary tradition in Canada. Incorporated into House of Anansi Press in 2005, Groundwood is committed to publishing books that feature representations of marginalized voices and experiences that are not often heard. Groundwood Books has won seventeen Governor General’s Literary Awards to date.

Internationally, Aldana has just completed a term as the President of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Founded on the belief that books can build bridges of understanding and peace between people, the organization is now comprised of seventy-two National Sections worldwide. Its newest members are the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Aldana has most recently been named the 2011 recipient of the Ontario Library Association Les Fowlie Intellectual Freedom Award.

An op-ed from the January 3, 2011 edition of the Globe and Mail, which outlines Aldana’s beliefs on the importance of reading, is excerpted below:

Adults sometimes forget what reading means to children. Patsy Aldana of Toronto, publisher of Groundwood Books, who was named a member of the Order of Canada last week, has made children’s reading her life’s work. Reading is healing, she says. Reading is a window into oneself and others. Reading is a bulwark of democracy. And we don’t do enough, she says, to nurture our children’s love of reading.


Each child, Ms. Aldana says, should have access to books that are right for him or her. She is distressed that, in Ontario surveys, children and teenagers report that they are getting less pleasure from books than they used to. She blames that on an education system that in her view puts too much emphasis on literacy as a skill for future workers, and not enough emphasis on reading pleasure. Reading “talks to you about who you are, or it tells you something about who the other is. So they’re windows and mirrors.” And it’s essential to becoming a free person in a democratic society. “If you become a reader, you have a chance to become a critical thinker, to be a person who has some power over your life.”


Children’s love of reading is inherent and therefore timeless and universal. Adults can’t kill it, but they should heed Ms. Aldana’s message and do more to nurture it.

The Order of Canada is one of Canda's highest civilian honours. It was established in 1967, during Canada’s centennial year, to recognize a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation. Over the last forty years, more than five thousand people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order.