Canadian Children's Book Week
Canadian Children’s Book Week connects Canadian creators with children and teens across Canada. Our touring authors, illustrators, and storytellers speak to audiences about the delights of reading Canadian children’s books, and offer an inside look into their own work. These workshops and presentations can be a turning point in a child’s life, inspiring a lifelong love of reading.
You’re Invited!
What people are saying about Book Week:
“It is our fifth participation in Book Week. We have welcomed the following authors at our school: Sharon E. McKay, John Wilson, Caroline Pignat, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch and this year, Rukhsana Khan. Book Week is a tradition at our school!” — Shawinigan High School (Shawinigan, QC)
“We have done many visits over the years… but this one will be a favourite because of the children’s rapture listening to Meg Tilly read. One child said: ‘I felt like I met new friends this afternoon!’ She had an incredible bond with students. The CCBC and Gail Hamilton are a most magnificent team when they move authors to and from Manitoba, and all around our fair city! Good job! Three cheers!” — Luxton School (Winnipeg, MB)
“This was an enjoyable experience for all. It was easy to tell as all the kids kept very focused and listened well. I loved the idea of storytelling. We get the children to ‘read’ their stories out loud but this is definitely something I will encourage our writers to do. This showed them how to learn a story, tell it with expression and use facial expressions allowing them to entertain!!” — Hazen White St. Francis School (Saint John, NB)
Costs
Schools and libraries pay a $300 fee to book a touring author, illustrator, or storyteller for one 45- to 60-minute presentation or two 30-minute presentations.
Touring authors, illustrators, and storytellers earn $250 of the fee (plus GST or HST, where applicable). The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) receives the remaining $50 to cover administration fees incurred in coordinating Book Week.
The CCBC will invoice schools and libraries directly. Upon receipt of their invoice, schools and libraries are required to pay the fee directly to the CCBC. The CCBC will then issue the touring authors, illustrators, and storytellers their payment of $250 (plus GST or HST where applicable).
The History of Book Week
The first Children’s Book Festival tour took place in 1977, organized by the newly-established Children’s Book Centre. It featured just eleven authors, taking them to schools across the country over seven jam-packed days.
Today, that celebration, now called Canadian Children’s Book Week, includes dozens of creators and hundreds of events in a single week.
Along the way, we’ve explored countless themes and featured a wide selection of genres. We keep striving to make Book Week an accessible and inclusive celebration, giving students the chance to learn about the diverse experiences of their fellow Canadians.
Want to contribute?
Book Week is made possible by the help of our generous volunteers. If you’d like to contribute to the celebrations, you can contact info@bookcentre.ca for more information.
We are always looking for volunteer drivers during Canadian Children’s Book Week. Creators touring in-person are often in unfamiliar locations, visiting different schools and libraries each day. If you’re interested in driving an author, illustrator, or storyteller around from one event to another, please email carol-ann@bookcentre.ca with your contact information (including the city and province where you are located). If a creator comes to your region, we’ll contact you to see if you are available to help out during the week. Mileage is reimbursed at $0.70 per kilometre.