After listening to my radio segment on CBC Here and Now , some commented on the statistics I cited. “You said that 82% of the nominees were white people but I looked it up and the percentage of white people in Canada is 76%. So, really it’s not that bad. They’re pretty close.” I was stunned and a little tired so I let the comment go without a reply. I’d heard similar…

I don’t usually write book reviews, but Una LaMarche’s Like No Other was such a fun read that I was happy to examine it more closely. Like No Other is a great YA contemporary romance.  Devorah and Jaxon meet when they get stuck in a hospital elevator together. As they start talking, they discover that they not only share interests but also live on the same street in Brooklyn. (Ed. Note -- "For six…

Diversity is a hot topic in publishing right now. Though many have been working toward a more diverse and equitable literary landscape for years, there has been a significant increase in the number and frequency of conversations surrounding the topic in the past few months. Arguably, the tipping point came when independent children’s publisher Lee and Low released their “Diversity in Children’s Books” infographic in June 2013. Based on the report and statistics…