Hundreds of Students Celebrate Canadian Literature

On Monday, May 12, the joy of reading took center stage at the McKinney Centre in Whitby, where approximately 800 students from the Durham Catholic and Durham Public School Boards gathered for the annual Durham Forest of Reading Celebration. The event, organized by both boards’ library departments, brought together elementary readers and Canadian literary talent in a vibrant, cheerful celebration of books and storytelling.

 

Fifteen acclaimed Canadian authors attended, engaging with students through book signings, conversations, and a lively author parade. Students voted for their favourite books and authors across the Forest of Reading program’s categories in advance, and many of the authors were on hand to accept their award. New to the event, author Melanie Mosher of Iggy Included commented that the student enthusiasm when the authors took the stage was, "An incredible experience; they make us feel like rockstars." Authors were met with cheers and students waving their books in the air from the crowd.    

 

The day was filled with further excitement as students ate with authors, received prizes, took home books, and collected autographs from their literary heroes. The event highlighted the power of reading to inspire young minds.

 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the dedicated teacher-librarians whose support makes these enriching extracurricular programs and events possible.