I Read Canadian Day: On February 19, We Stand on Guard To Read

I Read Canadian Day

By Paul Coccia

You can barely walk through a bookstore without seeing a “The World Needs More Canada” sign. But we got trouble. Right here in Canada. Canada, that starts with a ‘C’ that rhymes with ‘B’ that stands for Books.

Canadian book sales are down by almost 50% over the last ten years and Canadian-authored book sales represent a mere 15% of books purchased according to the More Canada Report (2018). The decline has been steady and significant but it isn’t just of concern to booksellers, publishers, authors and illustrators. This is an issue that is of concern to every reader, every citizen, every Canadian.

As author Eric Walters “an unapologetic, unreserved proud Canadian” realized, “I felt strongly that we were being overwhelmed with American literature and the narratives they represent.” A proverbial Jonah and the whale where we are in risk of being swallowed up, digested, and expelled.

Helen Kubiw (children’s book advocate and powerhouse behind CanLit for Little Canadians) adds, “not all teachers, parents and young readers are aware of the incredible collection of Canadian titles available to them. They hear about the ones that get the most media coverage, or have a movie tie-in, or are riddled in controversy or gimmick and those, almost invariably, are American.”

Sharron Jennings, author and President of the Canadian Children’s Society of Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP) highlights from personal experience the impact of Canadian narratives for young readers, “When I was a child – and a voracious reader – most of the stories that I read took place in England and the United States. I’ve never forgotten how excited I was when I found two books… that had undeniably Canadian settings.”

It was also Eric’s realization that despite all the ways we can be connected within Canadian literature, we are spread across a vast country, and often writing and reading can be solitary endeavours. We need to group together as a community and as a country.

Eric along with the Ontario Library Association (OLA including the Forest of Reading), the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC), and CANSCAIP put out a call in June 2018 to gather together “over 40 literary leaders with a vested interest in Canadian books… to discuss what a national day to celebrate Canadian books would look like. This day brought together authors, publishers, retailers, wholesalers, library people, educators and media folks,” shares Meredith Tutching (Director, Forest of Reading, OLA).

And the call is being extended across Canada, A Mari usque ad Mare, to every school, library, bookstore, family, home, and reader. We need YOU to preserve and celebrate Canadian identity as reflected in Canadian literature.

I Read Canadian Day
One of the many graphics to use for promotion,
available on the I Read Canadian Day website.

On February 19, 2020, the new initiative, the first-ever I Read Canadian Day will take place. It is a day that brings awareness and empowerment to young readers and celebrates the richness, diversity and breadth of who we are as a country within the pages of our books.

“The day is important because it represents the collective power we have as Canadians to raise awareness about the power of kids literature to reflect our own identity through our stories,” states Rose Vespa (Executive Director, CCBC).

This is not a power that rests solely in authors or even publishing houses or bookstores, but in every Canadian in every province and territory. We need every one of you to use your power and make our Canadian voices heard over those that threaten to drown us out.

Taking Up the Gauntlet

The challenge is simple:

  1. Sign up at ireadcanadian.com/day/
  2. Spend 15 minutes reading a Canadian book of your choice on February 19, 2020.

That’s it.

Registration is absolutely free. Reading can be done alone, in groups, by reading aloud, and/or listening. Ebooks, audiobooks, accessible format, picture books, board books, comics, novels, in English, French, Indigenous languages, any language: Everything is fair game. You can buy, borrow, share, but most importantly, READ!

“Anyone can be involved. This is the beauty of it. The inclusivity of this initiative means it can really represent all Canadians and all our experiences as Canadians,” says Rose Vespa.

And what constitutes a Canadian book is reader-defined.

Helen Kubiw explains, “Is it the location of the story? Is it the Canadian-ness of the circumstances or the characters? Perhaps the answers to all are yes but not all are necessary.”

In helping define Canadian books, young readers will have a chance to discuss what makes a book Canadian: the author? illustrator? setting? content? Readers will see themselves and others they know on the page, but will grow to experience stories of those they may not know, the collective and diverse stories of our home.

Kathie MacIsaac, (children’s librarian, cofounder of the MG Book Village website), speaks to this, “I want to read stories that reflect experiences I’ve had, but even more importantly, I want to learn about the lives of others and expand my understanding of what it means to be a Canadian.”

Sharon Jennings speaks to how young readers thrive and are empowered reading Canadian narratives, “I [understand] how important it is for kids to read books set in concrete and specific Canadian locations. Doing so gives validity to the stories that they might want to write, and allows them to know that their experiences are legitimate and worthy. When I read those Canadian-set children’s books, I understood that the plays that I put on in my very own backyard, that the stories and poems I wrote for my family and teachers, had as much right to exist as all the other books in my neighbourhood library.”

Nation-wide the buzz is spreading and excitement has been building for I Read Canadian Day with the official announcement made on October 28, 2019.

I Read Canadian Day
One of the many graphics to use for promotion, available on the I Read Canadian Day website.

“The target venues in the inaugural year are schools, public libraries, and bookstores as we envision lots of enthusiasm and involvement at this level. We are hoping to have 4000 schools in the first year and each year seeing substantial growth until every school across the country stops and reads Canadian on the same day ever year,” says Meredith Tutching.

The CanLit and KidLit communities across our country are ready to get involved and interact with readers of all ages. It’s a celebration! It’s a party! And everyone is invited! It’s time to RSVP!

Extend The Fun!

Although February 19 is the big day (and the challenge is a mere 15 minutes), why not keep the fun going? Key Activities are being planned by the I Read Canadian team across Canada from February 14 to February 21 and resources are being developed and added to the website all the time.

“Outlets will be encouraged to host activities and events within the week (for example, hosting a local I Read Canadian Display for a month, or having author and illustrator visits during the week of I Read Canadian Day. Active readers, parents, caretakers, educators, and others will be all encouraged to participate as well, in whatever way they want.” (Meredith Tutching, 2019)

Easy ways to enable involvement could be helping young readers realize that books they already know are Canadian or encourage them to share Canadian books they enjoy.

“Go to your local library and borrow a Canadian book. Get a library card. Go to your local bookstore and buy some books. Read Canadian to your kids or grandkids. Get a membership to the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Read Canadian!” (Rose Vespa, 2019)

Eric Walters adds, “Ideally this fifteen minutes of reading is simply the shared activity of what has been taking place for weeks before – discussing, sharing, reading, purchasing Canadian books and helping students see themselves in these stories.”

Some Ideas for Further Involvement

Below is a tiny sampling of ways you can continue to help young readers create a love of Canadian books and celebrate I Read Canadian Day.

  • Keep things fun!
  • Promote I Read Canadian Day in your email signature
  • Encourage young readers involvement whenever you can whether it be in creating activities, lists, giving recommendations, and sharing their love of books
  • Set up a display of Canadian books
  • Highlight which books are Canadian wherever and whenever you can (in your classrooms, libraries, book orders, book fairs)
  • Suggest Canadian books based on readers’ likes, a few examples below:
    • If you love A Wrinkle in Time or are a visitor of Narnia how about Melanie McFarlane’s Descendent series or Lee Edward Födi’s Zoone series
    • If you like Biggie and Piggie books, try out Ruth Ohi’s Fox and Squirrel books
    • If you love The Hunger Games, have you read Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves or Vicki Vansickle’s The Winnowing
    • Fans of 37 Clues will want Seven – The Series by Canadian super-talents
  • Think about diversity: It’s great to know what you like but it’s also good to stretch your comfort zone and encourage new discoveries
  • Have Canadian books available for all readers: board books, picture books, audiobooks, graphic novels, Hi-Lo’s, etc. that enable and empower readers at every stage of their relationship with books
  • Make use of your resources:
    • Ask your young readers what they are reading as well as teachers, teacher-librarians, librarians, booksellers, guardians, and caregivers
    • Publishers and authors/illustrators often have teaching guides and other resources on their websites
    • The OLA (and similar organisations across Canada) have comprehensive lists of Canadian books; e.g. the Forest of Reading nominated titles are archived online going back to 1994
    • Sign up for programs like the Forest of Reading! My nephew and I love attending!
    • The CCBC has publications including Book News or Best Books for Kids and other online lists/guides, a podcast, an upcoming YouTube channel, and lots of great books on their social media
    • Helen Kubiw’s blog CanLit for Little Canadians has reviews of books for young readers of all ages and Helen even wrote an article Unearthing Reading Gems in Book Awards Programs for the Canadian School Library Journal to help you make use of nominated book lists and is active in supporting Canadian books on her social media
    • Check out Kathie MacIsaac and the MG Book Village website (with a plethora of resources of all kinds) as well as her social media as she posts about books you already love and books you will love
  • Plan author/illustrator visits (and don’t overlook virtual visits)
  • Reach out to authors/illustrators through letters, emails or social media
  • Use social media to post and hashtag #IReadCanadian: photos and videos are great, share and show off what you’re reading, your creativity, your hard work to inspire and motivate!
  • Be creative especially with activities
    • Kathie MacIsaac has among her suggestions reading BINGO, a Canadian book escape room, matching games (e.g. authors to book covers), having students create alternate book covers, or creating contests
    • I’ll be “reading across Canada,” trying to read a title that connects to every province and territory and making a map to show where books have taken me because as Sharon Jennings puts it, “I [want] to visit those locations and breathe the same air, [see] the same sites, as did the beloved characters.And when I do stand in those places, my imagination [soars]”
I Read Canadian Day
Why not add this badge to your email signature?
Available on the I Read Canadian Day website.

As we come together as a nation of readers, we are not only celebrating our books and identities, but we are celebrating each other and our community with you as the frontline champions who create and foster pride in and a love of reading Canadian amongst our young readers. These are the readers who will grow to help define our books and our distinct and diverse Canadian identity. We can’t risk that being diluted or lost. We all need to preserve and celebrate who we are and who we can become.

“We are a country of diversity, acceptance and caring – not a perfect country for sure – but the most perfect country on the planet. Our literature celebrates our culture(s), the diversity of who we are.” (Eric Walters, 2019)

Join us on February 19, 2020, from far and wide,
Oh Canada, as we stand on guard to read.


Interviewed in this article (alphabetically):

Sharon Jennings: Author of over 60 children’s books, teacher and educator, and beloved President of the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP) www.sharonjennings.ca

Helen Kubiw: Retired teacher-librarian, former chair and current facilitator with OLA’s Forest of Reading, reviewer with Quill & Quire, and the blogger behind CanLit for Little Canadians (a blog that promotes Canadian literature for children and young adults) and on Twitter @HelenKubiw

Katie MacIsaac: Children’s Department Librarian at Headingley Municipal Library in Manitoba, committee member of Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award (MYRCA), and co-founder of the MG Book Village. Find her on Twitter @ kmcmac74 and Instagram @the_neverending_stack

Meredith Tutching: Director, Ontario Library Assocation’s Forest of Reading: Canada’s largest recreational reading program

Rose Vespa: Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC)

Eric Walters: Celebrated author of over 100 books for young readers, recipient of the Order of Canada, and proud member, supporter and advocate for Canadian children’s literature and its community www.ericwalters.net


Paul Coccia

Paul Coccia is the debut author of Cub from Orca Book Publishers. A proud Canadian and Torontonian from birth, when Paul isn’t writing, reading or recommending books, he’s in the kitchen baking and decorating with his nephew while their three dogs wait at the ready for crumbs.