Today was I Read Canadian Day! That means Canadian authors, librarians and teachers were doing all we could to promote Canadian books!
I was supposed to do four short readings/talks at schools in Quebec and Ontario. But one Toronto school cancelled (too bad!), and I have to admit I messed up and missed one of my schools (also in Toronto). Oopsy-daisy! That doesn't usually happen to me! I blame my friend (another writer) with whom I was on the phone and who was telling me a CRAZY STORY! Then I checked my watch and said, "OMG! I think I missed my Teams call" -- and I was right, I did. I have written an apologetic note to the librarian in charge, offering to see the students on Friday. If it happens, you know me, I'll be blogging about it!
So now that I've confessed my mess-up, I can move on to what went well today: my two short virtual visits to Grade Seven classes at Ecole Secondaire Beaurivage, a town in St. Agapit, Quebec. I have a special teacher-friend, Madame Guay, who teaches there and she agreed to let me pop in to tell the students about my latest book, share some quick writing tips, and also suggest some other Canadian books for the classes to read!
Madame Guay and I have known each other many years! In fact, I stayed at her house on my first trip to Nunavik nearly twenty years ago. She knows better than most people how I turn trouble into stories.
When I met Madame Guay's first class, I asked the students, "Do you love your teacher?" And they called out, "YES!!" (That makes me miss having my own class!)
I read them the start of my new middle-grade novel Wanted: Your House (Kids Can Press), shared some quick tips and took a few questions. A student named Mandela asked: "Where do you get your imagination?" I admitted I'm not that imaginative as he might think -- because most of my ideas come from things I observe in the world around me.
Only three students in the first group said they're into writing. There were 5-1/2 in the second group who are into it! The half was Derek G, who only half likes it!! Hopefully I got him to like writing 100 per cent during my visit today.
I told Mandela he has a name to live up to! And I said the same about a student named Maverick! I explained how I have a name collection and I might need to use their names in one of my future books!
Though I didn't plan it, all the Canadian kids' books I recommended are published by Orca Books. I recommended four, which are special to me for different reasons. First, Let's Eat: Foods From Here, There and Everywhere because it's a book students can read aloud to their younger siblings. And because it's written by my dearest friend Rina Singh. Next up, The Anxious Exile of Sara Salt because it made me laugh and cry and because it's written by Gabrielle Prendergast, who works as an editor at Orca and who edited a novel of mine that's coming out in 2028! Then there's No Brainer, a thought-provoking story that deals with school rules and body shaming -- and it's written by my former student Lea Beddia. And last there's I Won't Feel This Way Forever by Kim Spencer, a moving read and a sequel to her prize-winning book Weird Rules to Follow.
Can you tell I'm excited about Reading Canadian? I hope the same is true for you! Thanks to the team behind IReadCanadian and all the people who work hard to bring us Canadian books!