As Canada Day approaches, consider celebrating by reading Canadian. Many of us are familiar with Canadian books written for adults but there are also some wonderful children's books by Canadian authors, and not just Anne of Green Gables.
A popular series for young children are the Franklin books. Paulette Bourgeois, the author of the little turtle's adventures, was born in Winnipeg and now lives in Toronto. You can also read Franklin's adventures in French (look for the Benjamin books).
Other Canadian authors of great books for young children include, Marie-Louise Gay, Stella; Melanie Watt, Scaredy Squirrel; and Jon Klassen, I Want My Hat Back.
Don't forget that the famous, fantastic Robert Munsch is also a Canadian citizen.
For school-aged kids, try Kit Pearson, The Whole Truth; Mordecai Richler, Jacob Two-Two; Deborah Ellis, The Breadwinner; and Kenneth Oppel, Silverwing. All of these books and more are available to check out at the New Westminster Public Library. Another way to find great Canadian books is to check out the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year awards, which the library has listed at www.nwpl.ca/kids/resources/award_win ners.php. This year's winner is Susin Nielsen's The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen.
If you are interested in books by First Nations authors, try the Songs of the North trilogy by Tomson Highway, written in both English and Cree. The library also owns a beautifully illustrated series that tells stories from the Dene people, such as How the Fox Got His Crossed Legs and Yamozha and His Beaver Wife.
Any time is a great time to put on some music. Many of the children's musicians in the library's collection are Canadian. Check out Charlotte Diamond, Heather Bishop, Jack Grunsky, and, of course, Raffi.
