Today is a day of celebration across our country, a celebration of Canadian books for young people. People across the nation are being challenged to Read Canadian for 15 minutes and to share their experience. We are all about sharing at the Butterflies and Aliens Library and all about spreading the love for Canadian books and authors. So, even if you are an adult, we urge you to take part in this special day. Read out loud to a child, revisit a childhood favourite of your own, or escape for a while with some quality Canadian YA – great for adult readers too!

Alberta author Marty Chan put together a fabulous pre-show, in which he interviews Canadian kids authors and booksellers, that went live on Saturday. You can check it out below or on YouTube.

And on top of our 15 minutes of reading, we are celebrating by sharing a small photo gallery of some our personal copies of Canadian books for young readers. We could literally post thousands, but have restrained ourselves. Please share a photo of a great Canadian kid’s book with us – we love nerding out over great books and want to see what you are reading for I Read Canadian Day!

Happy Reading Canadian!

– Stacey and Winston

The Butterflies & Aliens 2021 “I Read Canadian” Reading List

• Backyard Birds by Robert Bateman

• Beasts from Bricks by Ekow Nimako

• The Beekeepers by Dana L. Church

• Beware the Fish! by Gordon Korman

• The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield

• Devonna by Audrey Francis-Plante

• The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Demon Gate by Marty Chan

• The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles: Infinity Coil by Marty Chan

• Ghost Boys by Shenaaz Nanji

• Go Jump in the Pool! by Gordon Korman

• Hope Springs by Eric Walters and illustrated Eugenie Fernandes

• Icarus Down by James Bow

• I Want to go Home by Gordon Korman

• Karma by Cathy Ostere

• Kens by Raziel Reid

• Lightfinder by Aaron Paquette

• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

• Messenger 93 by Barbara Kadecki

• My Canadian Family by Raina Schnider

• Passchendaele: An Illustrated History by Norman Leach

• The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton

• This can’t be happening at Macdonald Hall by Gordon Korman

• Under the Radar by Judith Clark

• Who is Bugs Potter? by Gordon Korman