TD Grade One Book Giveaway
The TD Grade One Book Giveaway program provides a free Canadian picture book to all Grade 1 students across Canada. We believe that all children should have access to books, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. This is why we give Grade 1 students a book to call their own, with the hope that it leads them toward a love of reading. These books help students explore important topics like diversity and inclusion.
Each year, the TD Grade One Book Giveaway title is chosen from a pool of excellent submissions that fit the program criteria. A committee of educators, librarians and/or children’s book specialists select a shortlist, which is submitted, along with title information and reviews, to TD Bank Group for the final selection. This year we looked for books with a theme touching on social-emotional learning (feelings, friendship, emotional regulation, inclusion, building resiliency, anti-bullying, developing community, and supporting mental well-being), which is critical for building understanding of others and empathy.
In fall 2024, Grade 1 students nationwide will take home Violet Shrink, written by Christine Baldacchino, illustrated by Carmen Mok and published by Groundwood Books. Translated into French by Mireille Messier, francophone Canadians and French immersion students will receive copies of the French translation, Violette Cent-Soucis.
Violet Shrink is a powerful story of a young girl navigating the complexities of social anxiety and of finding her voice to advocate for her needs. Violet Shrink doesn’t like parties. Large gatherings with lots of noise make her tummy ache and her hands sweat. While Violet likes to spend time alone, her whole family loves parties with loud music, games and dancing. As the Shrink family reunion approaches, can Violet muster up the courage to share her feelings with her dad?
Since 2000, in cooperation with ministries of education, school boards and library organizations across Canada—the CCBC has given every Grade 1 child a free Canadian children’s book.
The book is to be taken home by each child to keep and to read with their parent(s) or caregiver. This far-reaching annual book giveaway program, which distributes close to 500,000 books to Grade 1 children across Canada, is supported by TD Bank Group. The program is intended to encourage literacy and reading for young children and supports the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s mandate of bringing great Canadian books to Canadian children and to promote a love of reading and a passion for books.
These are some of the major impacts of the TD Grade One Book Giveaway:
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Grade 1 students get a free book to call their own.
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Owning a book gives children an opportunity to develop a love of reading.
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Students are exposed to difficult topics in an approachable way.
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Reading helps children develop their critical thinking skills.
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The book offers a chance for important conversations in the classroom and at home.
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The free book promotes inclusivity, and supports children’s literacy.
Here’s what educators and parents have to say about the TD Grade One Book Giveaway:
“Thank you very much for the ongoing program to present books to children in Grade 1. It is a highlight for the children. In many cases, at our school at least, this book may be the only book they have at home. I am truly grateful.” — Teacher, Calgary, Alberta
“Dear Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Thank you very much for our new books. The children were very excited to receive them and even more excited that they could actually take them home to read. As you may be able to tell from their faces, they were somewhat shocked that they could actually keep these books and that they did not need to stay in the library. Again, this was very much appreciated by our small rural school.” — Mark Lewis, Principal, Alexis Creek School
“My name is Kayla. I'm a mommy of 4. I'm an auntie to 2 more. One of my beloved is Haddie. She's 8. My niece was born with Rett Syndrome and IP. And she's nonverbal, with no muscle tone. Heather, I read your book, Fast Friends, to my littlest one. And your story brought me to tears. Your story normalizes children loving our girl. Your story brought me down when Suze laughed. I heard Haddie laugh for the first time in a while when we took her in the wagon with the horses. She likes to rip too, we go fast when we hook up the ponies and we giver through the fields. I want you to know your story was important. And it means so much to my family.” - Kayla, parent