And available for school and library visits!
May 16 at Helen & Hildegard on St. Clair – TAKING TURNS WITH TURTLES: STORY TELLING & S.T.E.A.M. ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
Children ages 4+ are invited to join award-winning author, Shari Becker, and Be Kids founder, Noreen Green, for an afternoon of story telling and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART & Mathematics).
We’ll kick the afternoon off with story time for the kids (and parents), where Shari will read her recently published, and beautifully illustrated, children’s book Taking Turns With Turtles: A Rescue Story. Shari will talk about the cold stunned turtle rescue initiative along the Atlantic coast and discuss why turtles are so important to our ecosystem, followed by a short Q&A.
From there, the children will participate in one or two STEAM-based turtle-themed activities, facilitated by Be Kids, and will take home their little turtle-inspired creations.
Signed copies of the hard-copy picture book, Taking Turns with Turtles ($21.99CAD), will be available for purchase at H+H.
New Release: June 2026. Looking at the Sky: How Janusz Korczak Fought for Children’s Rights, a new graphic novel published by Kids Can Press, written by Amanda West Lewis, and illustrated by Abigail Rajunov. A Junior Library Guild Selection.
May 17 – Orangeville Comicon, 10 am – 3pm at Orangeville Curling Club – 76 5th Avenue, Orangeville, ON, with author Tamara Botting
July 18 – Streetsville Comicon, 10am – 3pm at Vic Johnston Community Centre – 335 Church Street, Mississauga, ON, with author Tamara Botting
August 8 – St. Lawrence Barket Market, 11am – 5pm at Market Street on the west side of the St. Lawrence Market – 93 Front Street East, Toronto, ON, with Kurī K9 Massage
August 22 – Stratford Comicon, 10am – 3pm at Best Western Plus the Arden Park Hotel – 552 Ontario Street, Stratford, ON, with author Tamara Botting
September 5 – Barrie Comicon, 10am – 3pm at Eastview Arena – 453 Grove Street East, Barrie, ON, with author Tamara Botting
November 15 – Ajax Comicon, 10am – 3pm at Audley Recreation Centre – Ajax Sportplex – 1955 Audley Road, Ajax, ON, with author Tamara Botting
April is Genocide Remembrance Month, with April 16th commemorating the millions of Ukrainians intentionally starved by the Soviet Union. (Books by Marsha: Winterkill, Enough)
April 24th is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (Books by Marsha: Dance of the Banished, Daughter of War, Aram’s Choice, Call Me Aram, Nobody’s Child, The Hunger).
Won the Lane Anderson Award for My Planet is a Poem
- Book Signing at Indigo Stoney Creek – May 24
- Exhibitor and Storytime Reader at Flamborough Book Fair – July 26
NEW BOOK: Releasing November 3, 2026: Nina and the Missing Night (Pownal Street Press, Traditional Program). A poetic, atmospheric picture book exploring the delicate balance between day and night, activity and rest in a world that sometimes forgets to pause.
Pre-order your copy today through your favourite local independent bookstore.
NEW BOOK: Building Homes for All: Technology for A Fair and Green Planet is out on March 17th (Orca Book Publishers)
Unsinkable Cayenne, an NCTE Notable Verse Novel by Jessica Vitalis, won the High Plains Book Award, is a Forest of Reading Red Maple Nominee, and is on the 2025 Telling Tales Reading list as well as the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens 2025 list. It was also long listed for the Reading the West Book Awards.
Touring: Award-winning middle grade author and Forest of Reading Red Maple Nominee Jessica Vitalis is currently booking school visits for spring 2026 and will be in the GTA the weeks of January 26th and May 11th.
My Street Remembers, written by Karen Krossing and illustrated by Cathie Jamieson, was named a Quill & Quire Notable Book for 2025.
Karen’s disability-inclusive picture book PLAYDATE SURPRISE (Scholastic Canada) for ages 3-7 has WON The Word Award 2025 for Books – Children – General Market!
Katie Crumble: And the Case of the Missing Underwear has been selected to be on Telling Tales 2025 Reading List.
Oksanna is honoured to have her first chapter book, Katie Crumble and the Case of the Missing Underwear, chosen to be on the CBC Spring List of Children’s Books to Read 2025. Katie will be insufferable!
Caroline’s historical middle grade novel PLAGUE THIEVES is shortlisted for the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Awards — Diamond Willow 2025.
New Release: June 2026. Asha and Baz Meet Sylvia Earle (book 7 in chapter book series). Written by Caroline Fernandez and illustrated by Dharmali Patel. Published by Common Deer Press.