Loan Stars is the readers’ advisory tool that allows libraries across Canada to indicate popular upcoming titles. Using LibraryData, the library data aggregation service, the forthcoming titles with the most orders become Loan Stars top picks!

The September Junior Canadian Loan Stars top 10 list features ten books that have at least one author, illustrator, translator, or editor (in the case of an edited collection of material) who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.

You can see each book and find out a bit more about them in the list below, or you can download our poster if you want to display it, say in your library or on social media (tag us: @LoanStars!). You can also view these titles on CataList in this catalogue.

September 2023 Junior Canadian List

Loan Stars top pick:

Class Trip

by Robert Munsch 🍁, Illus. by Michael Martchenko 🍁

9781039702240 | School & Education

Description:

Hijinks and silliness abound during a class trip to the museum in this latest story by Canada’s best-loved and bestselling picture book duo, Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko. Stephanie and Sean’s class goes on a trip to the museum where they get to watch baby chickens hatching. That gets them wondering what might be hatching out of the bigger eggs nearby.

They ask the museum guide to show them the biggest egg in the museum. When they find it, they see that whatever was inside has already hatched, so the kids decide to have a little fun and hatch a scheme to prank the rest of the class.

How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?

by Mac Barnett, Illus. by Jon Klassen 🍁

9781536223767 | Fairy Tales & Folklore

Description:

The beloved, multi-award-winning duo of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen tackle a perennial question. When Santa arrives at a child’s house on Christmas Eve, does he go down the chimney feetfirst or headfirst? What if he gets stuck? What if there’s no chimney? Maybe he slides under the door, as thin as a piece of paper? Or is it possible he pours himself through the faucet? What happens once he’s inside?

Whether it’s shape-shifting or impromptu laundry use, Mac Barnett’s iconic talent for earnest deadpan humor and Jon Klassen’s irresistibly funny art honor the timeless question with answers both ridiculous and plausible, mounting in hilarity as the night continues. Channeling a child’s fanciful explanations (and begging for further speculation), this latest collaboration by a New York Times best-selling team will find a secure spot among family holiday traditions.

I’m Hungry!

by Elise Gravel 🍁

9781459838925 | Humorous Stories

Description:

The little monster is hungry. What can they eat? A slice of pizza! But the monster is STILL hungry, so they gobble up the plate, the pizza box, the fridge…until the only thing left is the child reading the book. Burp!

This adorable board book will make the young picky eaters and food lovers in your life giggle at the absurdity of eating inedible things. Toddlers will love hollering along with the repeated text of “I’m still hungry. What can I eat?” until they squeal with delight when the insatiable monster finally notices them!

Stay My Baby

by Lana Button 🍁

9781459836150 | Family

Description:

Stay my baby. Just this way. ’Til forever and a day. Tiny fingers, teeny toes—but baby won't stay little for long! Children grow from newborns bundled tight to toddlers taking their first steps in no time. Parents and caregivers know the heart tug of wishing they could hold their babies close forever while also feeling the joy and pride of each new milestone that accompanies children's growing independence.

In sweet, rhyming verse, Stay My Baby expresses the feelings of wonder and love for a new baby, with a promise that, no matter how big they get, they will always have a special place in their family's hearts.

Bompa's Insect Expedition

by David Suzuki 🍁 & Tanya Lloyd Kyi 🍁, Illus. by Qin Leng 🍁

9781771648820 | Animals

Description:

Let's go on an insect expedition for kids ages 4 to 8! This adventure into the extraordinary world of bugs is inspired by David Suzuki's adventures with his own grandkids. It's time for the twins to go on a nature expedition with Bompa. What marvelous place will they explore this time? Tidepools at the sea? The pond full of frogs' eggs? Maybe deep in the forest? But to their disappointment, they are just exploring outside the door. Yet, as they begin to search for insects, they find world-champion flyers, eaters, and weightlifters. And more tiny surprises at every turn!

With their Bompa at their side, they find a way to recognize the amazing feats and important role of all insects. . . even the annoying ones! Featuring gorgeous art by Qin Leng, this picture book is a lush, colorful tour through a world we too often overlook.

Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix

by Cherie Dimaline🍁

9781250842657 | Historical

Description:

Mary Lennox didn’t think about death until the day it knocked politely on her bedroom door and invited itself in. When a terrible accident leaves her orphaned at fifteen, she is sent to the wilderness of the Georgian Bay to live with an uncle she's never met.

At first the impassive, calculating girl believes this new manor will be just like the one she left in Toronto: cold, isolating, and anything but cheerful, where staff is treated as staff and never like family. But as she slowly allows her heart to open like the first blooms of spring, Mary comes to find that this strange place and its strange people—most of whom are Indigenous—may be what she can finally call home.

Then one night Mary discovers Olive, her cousin who has been hidden away in an attic room for years due to a "nervous condition." The girls become fast friends, and Mary wonders why this big-hearted girl is being kept out of sight and fed medicine that only makes her feel sicker. When Olive's domineering stepmother returns to the manor, it soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on.

With the help of a charming, intoxicatingly vivacious Metis girl named Sophie, Mary begins digging further into family secrets both wonderful and horrifying to figure out how to free Olive. And some of the answers may lie within the walls of a hidden, overgrown and long-forgotten garden the girls stumble upon while wandering the wilds.

Dot the Ladybug: Dot Day

by Kallie George 🍁, Illus. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman

9780063137479 | Readers

Description:

Dot the ladybug can’t wait to celebrate her Dot Day with her friends. But when she goes to Spots’ house, she doesn’t spot anyone. Not here. Not there. Not anywhere! Dot must follow the clues to solve the mystery. Kallie George’s fun yet simple wordplay pairs perfectly with Stephanie Fizer Coleman’s vibrant illustrations in this My First I Can Read adventure for beginning readers.

With simple, playful text and joyful, bright art, this My First I Can Read book is perfect for shared reading with a child. Books at this level feature basic language, word repetition, and whimsical illustrations, ideal for sharing with emergent readers. The active, engaging stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.

Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior

by Carole Lindstrom 🍁, Illus. by Bridget George

9781250795274 | Biography & Autobiography

Description:

From New York Times bestselling picture book author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George comes Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, an inspiring picture book biography about two Indigenous Rights Activists, Josephine Mandamin and Autumn Peltier.

Indigenous women have always worked tirelessly to protect our water—keeping it pure and clean for the generations to come. Yet there was a time when their voices and teachings were nearly drowned out, leaving entire communities and environments in danger and without clean water.

But then came Grandma Josephine and her great-niece, Autumn Peltier.

Featuring a foreword from water advocate and Indigenous Rights Activist Autumn Peltier herself, this stunning picture book from New York Times-bestselling author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George gives voice to the water and asks young readers to join the tidal wave of change.

Silverwing: The Graphic Novel

by Kenneth Oppel 🍁, Illus. by Christopher Steininger 🍁

9781443462167 | Comics & Graphic Novels

Description:

A stunning adaptation of a tale that’s been winning hearts for twenty-five years. Shade is a young Silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he’s determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. When he becomes separated from the other bats during a fierce storm, he must undertake the most incredible journey of his young life.

The Antiracist Kitchen

by Nadia L. Hohn 🍁, Illus. by Roza Nozari 🍁

9781459833432 | Social Topics

Description:

An anthology featuring stories and recipes from racialized authors about food, culture and resistance. What if talking about racism was as easy as baking a cake, frying plantains or cooking rice? The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and Recipes) is a celebration of food, family, activism and resistance in the face of racism. In this anthology featuring stories and recipes from 21 diverse and award-winning North American children's authors, the authors share the role of food in their lives and how it has helped fight discrimination, reclaim culture and celebrate people with different backgrounds. They bring personal and sometimes difficult experiences growing up as racialized people. Chopped, seared, marinated and stewed, The Antiracist Kitchen highlights the power of sitting down to share a meal and how that simple act can help bring us all together.

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