I Read Canadian Day

Today is I Read Canadian Day, a day when Canadians celebrate Canadian children's books. This year I realized it was coming early enough to do some reading for it. I say "some" reading, because I haven't yet finished We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen, an entertaining take on two classic middle grade character types. I will save a response to the book until I'm done.

My interest in Canadian literature goes back to my undergraduate years. I took two semesters of Canadian lit, hoping for some connection with my ethnic background. Unfortunately, neither of the courses The University of Vermont offered at that time included any French Canadian literature, either in French (which I wouldn't have been able to read) or in translation. But that was where I first read Margaret Atwood (her poetry, I believe) and Mordecai Richler who would both later write children's books, and many other writers who didn't.

If you happen to be Facebook friends, as I am, with Canadian authors Cheryl Rainfield or Debbie Ridpath Ohi, they have been posting about I Read Canadian Day with author suggestions. Check them out. You can find them tweeting about it, too.

I Read Canadian Day

Today is I Read Canadian Day. I know because I saw it on Twitter this morning, and a Facebook friend posted about it. So, as so often happens, I am way behind the curve on this. But over the years I have paid a little attention to what's going on, childlit-wise, in Grandpa and Grandma Gauthier's home country. So here are some links from the Original Content archive on Canadian authors.

Susan Juby Susan Juby and more Susan Juby 

Kenneth Opel                             

Ben Philippe

Cheryl Rainfield


Mordecai Richler

Tim Wynne-Jones 

I am not a big Anne of Green Gables fan, yet I have three posts on that book:

• Another Day
• The Land of Anne
• Loving Anne Shirley, Too, in which I also get to write about Margaret Atwood

It appears that except for Ben Philippe's book, The Field Guide to the North American Teenager, I've done little Canadian reading recently. What's that about?

Edited:

Gordon Korman is Canadian! Or started out that way.  And more Gordon Korman.