TORONTO (Wednesday, November 23, 2011) - Toronto Public Library is pleased to announce the fifth annual First & Best Booklist 2011, a selection of the very best in Canadian books for children from birth to age five that are fun to read and also help build early literacy skills.
This year’s list includes some of the country’s top Canadian children’s authors, and several are new to the First and Best List, including Frank Viva (Along a Long Road), Sheryl and Simon Shapiro (Better Together), Elisa Amado (What Are You Doing?), and Geneviève Côté (Without You).
“As the world’s busiest urban public library system, the Toronto Public Library plays an important role in helping parents and caregivers build early literacy skills and the love of reading in their children,” says Lisa Heggum, Children and Youth Advocate for Library Services at Toronto Public Library. “Parents are going to love reading this year’s selection of books with their little ones, as they represent some of the best that Canadian children’s publishing has to offer.”
In addition to helping build reading readiness in preschool children, the library’s First and Best List also helps to promote Canadian children’s literature, and is highly anticipated by authors and publishers each year.
“[Being on the First & Best booklist is]… a stamp of approval from one of the most respected institutions around … and is invaluable for parents and caregivers looking to introduce quality books to their children,” says Brigitte Waisberg, Marketing Manager at Annick Press, one of the featured publishers on the list.
“It is excellent company to be in… I am honoured and delighted when one of my books is included in the library’s First and Best List. I know that the books selected for this list attract positive attention not only from parents and kids, but from other library associations, school boards and media both in Canada and internationally,” says author Barbara Reid.
All the books in this year’s First & Best list are available through the library’s online catalogue, KidsSpace and at library branches across the city. First and Best is part of the Ready for Reading program offered by Toronto Public Library to help parents and caregivers build early literacy skills in their children through fun, everyday activities at home and at the library.
The First & Best for 2011 are:
Frank Viva
HarperCollins
Sheryl and Simon Shapiro, illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Annick
Marie-Louise Gay
Groundwood
Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by Janice Nadeau
Kids Can Press
Cookiebot!: A Harry and Horsie Adventure
Katie Van Camp, illustrated by Lincoln Agnew
HarperCollins
Marthe Jocelyn and Nell Jocelyn
Tundra
Barbara Reid
Scholastic
Renata Liwska
Penguin
Elisa Amado, illustrated by Manuel Monroy
Groundwood
Geneviève Côté
Kids Can Press
Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest urban public library system. Every year, more than 18 million people visit our branches in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow more than 32 million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit our website at torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131.
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Media Contact:
Michelle Leung 416-397-5936