My Top 🇨🇦 Canadian Children’s Books!

Since I’m a mama and my kids love to look through books, I just had to share my favourite Canadian children’s books! This is a bit of a tough one because a children’s book can be anything from a picture book to a novel, so I’m going to just pick what I love for anyone who’s younger than a young adult, with the focus being on picture books because we read a lot of them here!

I could put ANY Ashley Spires title on this list, but I think Binky is my favourite. I’m not a cat person but these books make me love cats! I love all of them and can’t wait to share them with my kids.

Not a picture book, but a classic, Anne of Green Gables is such a fun story! I’m currently watching the CBC version of the story and it’s so great to relive it. I’m loving the TV show so much that I think I need to reread this book because Anne is such a great character. She’s a dreamer and I relate to her so much.

Even before I had kids, I read Scaredy Squirrel, and he will always be my favourite Canadian critter! These books are a ridiculous amount of fun and even though my kids don’t get the story right now, they love flipping through the books. They’re just so detailed and fun and just great stories for kids and adults alike!

A Canadian classic! Even though I’m not a hockey fan, I love this book about growing up with the game of hockey, having your idols, and the story of friendship. I feel like no matter what team you cheer for, this is the kind of book that should be on every Canadian kid’s shelf.

And a special one for me … 

This book isn’t on my kid’s shelf but on my own! I was given this book at Christmas from my husband’s family and I love it so so much. I am a HUGE Hawksley Workman fan and his album, Almost a Full Moon, is my most favourite Christmas album. I pull it out every year when the first snow falls and listen to it constantly. I think at one point I knew that he had a book out based on the last song on the album but I completely forgot about it until I unwrapped this beauty at Christmas. It holds a high spot up on my Canada bookcase and I’m so happy to have it in my collection! It’s a great story about coming together as a community and helping those less fortunate, because what better to do in the cold Canadian months than make some soup and share it with your neighbours.

What are your favourite Canadian children books? 

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[Book Talk] The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

the-boundlessBook Details:

Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Read: January 2017

Synopsis:

All aboard for an action-packed escapade from the internationally bestselling author of Airborne and the Silverwing trilogy.

The Boundless, the greatest train ever built, is on its maiden voyage across the country, and first-class passenger Will Everett is about to embark on the adventure of his life!

When Will ends up in possession of the key to a train car containing priceless treasures, he becomes the target of sinister figures from his past.

In order to survive, Will must join a traveling circus, enlisting the aid of Mr. Dorian, the ringmaster and leader of the troupe, and Maren, a girl his age who is an expert escape artist. With villains fast on their heels, can Will and Maren reach Will’s father and save The Boundless before someone winds up dead?

My Thoughts

I remember buying this book not only because it was by Canadian author, Kenneth Oppel, but also because it was absolutely beautiful! My son loved looking at this book while I read it because it features a train on the gorgeous cover, as well as a train on the inside of the front and back covers. I loved the book because it had a built in bookmark. How do all books not have this already? It was genius! I had to train myself to use a bookmark once I finished and started my next book which, sadly, did NOT have a built in bookmark.

Anyway, this was a lot of fun, though my attention did wander while reading it. I’m not sure what it was but I just wasn’t totally invested in reading this book. I did enjoy the story, with the train, the circus, the adventure; but when I put it down I was clamouring for something else to read. The one thing I really did love was its focus on Canada and the history of the railroad in Canada. I have not only traveled on our VIA Rail, but also went to an IMAX presentation of the Canadian Railway and it was absolutely fascinating. As I read this book, I wanted to see if I could find that IMAX video to watch because really, who doesn’t love trains?

I think my issues with this book were only slightly with the writing (which seemed different from his previous series I had read) but also with the age it was targeted to. I love a good middle grade book, but I guess they just can’t hold my interest now. However, this was still a fun adventure and an interesting read. It made me long to take a train ride through the Canadian rockies and prairies! And it’s going to be so pretty on my shelf, too.

Review: Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween by Melanie Watt

made in canada-01

scaredy squirrel prepares for halloweenTitle: Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween
Author:
Melanie Watt
Series:
Scaredy Squirrel
Genre:
Picture book
Source:
Won from Publisher (Hardcover)

goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47

From costume ideas to trick-or-treating strategies, Scaredy Squirrel helps readers plan for the spookiest night of the year! Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween is the second in a series of nutty safety guides featuring everyone’s favorite worrywart.

my thoughts-01

If there’s one thing I love, it’s Scaredy Squirrel. Really, I think he’s Canada’s most loved squirrel. Especially when you think about the real life squirrels who run around — they can be a nuisance (like when they come down your chimney. But that’s a story for another day.)!

Whenever I see books about Scaredy preparing for an event, like Christmas or Halloween, I nod in agreement. With Halloween, especially, there are PLENTY of things to be scared about. Not only do you have monsters frolicking about, the threat of zombies and vampires, but there are also plenty of SAFETY hazards one should be concerned about.

And, like any good emergency plan, it’s always good to have that final bit of advice: If all else fails, play dead.

This book was so much fun. I’m a huge lover of Halloween, so it was fun to see Scaredy getting in the Halloween spirit, letting his readers know about safety hazards, candy hazards, and just plain scary hazards. This is the perfect kind of book to share with your kids because it’s a fun way to introduce them to the holiday and let them know that there are actual dangers that can exist out there (even if vampires and zombies aren’t really real).

Another great addition to the Scaredy Squirrel series, this one is fun for families of all ages!

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Author Links
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