When I first started out writing, I really thought that you could write ANY story as long as it was logical and made sense. I didn’t understand the idea of mainstream talking points. At any one period of time the zeitgeist has a certain agenda. The vast majority of people–the mainstream believe certain things as […]

Had a very interesting conversation over the weekend with a lady originally from India. We were talking about The Breadwinner. I have a complicated relationship with this book. When it first came out, I hated it. Still do. Kind of. But…I really like the author Deborah Ellis and I think she had the best of […]

Propaganda is the dissemination of information that is politically charged to promote a certain viewpoint. It’s usually state-sponsored. I have long felt that a lot of children’s literature consists of different, albeit at times benign, forms of propaganda. One thing I’m still processing from the international storytelling festival in Iran is an offhand comment someone […]

It’s so weird to be tangentially part of a little controversy. Recently first lady Melania Trump sent out packages of books to libraries around America and she picked, of all books to send, a bunch of Dr. Seuss books. As if all libraries don’t already carry them! Well Liz Phipps Soeiro wrote a public post […]

It happened again. The freeze! I was giving the keynote at the SCBWI Canada east conference in Montreal and the audience was completely motionless, completely silent, and it was unnerving a bit. It’s ideal, don’t get me wrong. It means they’re intently listening, but it’s kind of weird. Again I had that feeling that I […]

I think the most charming situation I’ve ever encountered has to do with people trying to outdo each other in politeness! I mean talk about rivalry! That’s something to strive for! I went to a school recently, they were having a multicultural festival and I guess I was part of it. At the beginning, when […]

Just got back from three days presenting in Kingston, Ontario, and I’m feeling a good kind of tired. It’s the kind of tired when you know you’ve given it your all, and you have high hopes that you changed a few minds and did some good. I visited six schools, in three days, did eight […]

I recently had an experience that really gave me quite a jolt. With it being Black History month I came across an image of a woman who was lynched (hanged) and what had happened to her. This was less than a hundred years ago, and it got me thinking about my own growing up in […]

I heard that Trump won the election the night I was at a sleep study. The technician woke me up and told me and I had this terrible sinking feeling right through my body. For days I was upset, walking around in a daze. And then I told myself, “Look, you’re Canadian, alhamdu lillah. This […]