Blog

Chronic means long-lasting, something that continues over a long period of time. There are different types of chronic health issues and they could have complex causes. People who live with chronic conditions might need ongoing medical care. They could often feel tired or in pain, making daily life difficult.

This Reading Challenge category is also an opportunity to learn more about health and disability. Check out our booklist Disability: Read Up On It! for more recommended reads. Or ask a librarian for help finding more books!



A Case of Grave Danger by Sophie Cleverly and Hannah Peck

Violet's dad is an undertaker and she would love to become his apprentice. But when he's accused of murder, she has to put her detective hat on and solve the mystery.

Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star by Laura Noakes

Cosima and her friends live in a Victorian home for kids with disabilities. When a sinister visitor comes calling, they hatch a plot involving a tiara heist and a search for long-lost family.

Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor and Rafael López

Different plants and flowers make a garden more colourful and wonderful. Same with the different people of all abilities, living together in our world! We each grow in our own way, and this book is a celebration of that.

Living with Viola by Rosena Fung

Middle school is tough enough without an evil twin shadowing you! Livy is having trouble fitting in at her new school, and Viola, who is Livy's anxiety brought to life, is not helping. 

Puppy in My Head by Elise Gravel

Meet Ollie, the noisy puppy living inside the narrator's head! Ollie can get very excited or nervous or worried, overwhelming the narrator. But she learns mindful ways to handle these thoughts and emotions, and you can, too.

Can you translate these emojis into book titles?

A) 🐶👮 

B) 🦁🧙🏻‍♀️🚪 

C) 🛍️👸🏻🐉 

D) 🦍🎨🐘 

E) 👨‍👩‍👧⚫⚫👀 

F) 🐛🍎🍐🍓🍦 

G) 💚🥚🍖

H) 🐇🍰😸🎩 

I) 🐔🐷🐮 

J) 😨🐿️ 

K) 🐰🧛

L) 🙃🪄🧚🏻🧙🏻‍♀️

M) 💨☂️👜 

N) 🎈🌳

O) 🎟️🍫🍭🏭 

P) 🐊🥧

Q) 🐷🕷🕸️ 



Come up with your own book emojis and challenge your family and friends to solve them!

👉 More March Break activities







🤔 Totally stumped? Okay, fine: here are the answers. You're welcome!

Can you solve these digital jigsaw puzzles featuring some of this year's Design-a-Bookmark Contest winners?
 

Puzzle #1 (easy)
 

Puzzle #2 (easy)
 

Puzzle #3 (medium)
 

Puzzle #4 (medium)
 

Puzzle #5 (hard)
 

Puzzle #6 (hard)

👉 More March Break activities

How many of these books have you read? Which ones are your favourites? 

A) Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

B) The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

C) The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko

D) The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

E) Coraline by Neil Gaiman

F) The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

G) Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

H) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I) Chicken, Pig, Cow by Ruth Ohi

J) Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt

K) Bunnicula by Deborah Howe and James Howe

L) Upside-Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins

M) Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

N) The Balloon Tree by Phoebe Gilman

O) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake

P) Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee and Frank Newfeld

Q) Charlotte's Web by E.B. White and Garth Williams



Come up with your own book emojis and challenge your family and friends to solve them!

👉 More March Break activities

What are you up to this week? Your library is waiting for you to join in on the fun! We've got surprises in store, whether you're into arts, crafts, science, tech, or all of the above. If you're happy to learn something new, or just want to play some games and win prizes, we've got you covered. So bring your family and friends, and discover all the things you can do at the library!

Our website is back in action

You can check your account and search the catalogue again! Hurray! This means you can place holds on everything you want to read, including these new titles:
 

The Baby-Sitters Club: Claudia and the Bad Joke by Arley Nopra and K Czap, based on the novel by Ann M. Martin
 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer by Jeff Kinney

Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey

So many activities, so little time

There are tons of free events and programs happening at libraries near you. Make bead art and fluffy slime. Meet animals, authors and magicians. Learn 3D design and Photoshop. Build your own puppet stage and futuristic city. Try cross-stitching and salt painting. There's something for every kid to enjoy, from hands-on workshops where you can unleash your creativity, to movie screenings filled with excitement and laughter.

Tune in live for these special online programs

Sharks in the City with Ripley's Aquarium | Tuesday, March 12 at 10 am

WonderPhil Magic Show | Friday, March 15 at 10 am

Les destinations françaises "spooky" avec Touralingo | vendredi, le 15 mars 12h

You can also watch past programs, like learning card magic with WonderPhil and making diorama art with illustrator Soyeon Kim.

Solve bookmark puzzles
Did you know kid-created bookmarks are now available in our branches? There are 16 designs from the winners of the 2024 Design-a-Bookmark Contest. Collect them all!

Guess the book
Test your book knowledge and translate emojis into titles.


Stream free with your library card

Spine-chilling scary story podcasts! Mo Willems marathon! Check out cartoons, comics, music, movies and TV shows on Hoopla and Kanopy Kids.

Dial-a-Story

Call our storytime hotline at 416-395-5400! Listen anytime to recorded stories in lots of different languages.

Take the 2024 Reading Challenge

Can you read 12 books in 12 different categories before the end of the year?

Write to us

We love hearing from you! Visit Fun Stuff to share your best jokes and riddles, come up with silly captions or stories, and ask questions on the Wonder Wall.

Wherever your adventures take you, we hope you have a marvellous March Break!