Staff Picks

Browse a selection of titles handpicked by our knowledgeable staff. Explore books that inspire, captivate, and entertain across genres and topics.

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Asian Heritage Month

From captivating fiction to powerful memoirs, these books celebrate the many voices and experiences of Asian communities in Canada and beyond. Discover stories that reflect heritage, identity, and the diverse realities of Asian lives—for readers of all ages.

Straight Outta Busan
Stefano Jun
Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging
Rachel Phan
Aisha's Colors
Nabila Adani
Maya in Multicolor
Swati Teerdhala
The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse: A Memoir
Vinh Nguyen
A Dupatta is ...
Marzieh Abbas
Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks From Asia and Beyond
Clarice Lam
Smiling Eyes
Linda Sue Park
Beginner's Guide to Animal Woodcarving: Learn to Sculpt Lifelike Figures from a Japanese Master
Mio Hashimoto
Every Little Bit Olive Tran
Phuong Truong
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Sanaka Hiiragi
With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei
Justina Chen
Bingsu for Two
Sujin Witherspoon
Umma: A Korean Mom's Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes
Sarah Ahn
The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Cace of Hockey
George Chiang
Tiffy Cooks: 88 Easy Asian Recipes From My Family to Yours
Tiffy Chen
Box of Dreams
Faith Kazmi
Lamp Unto Yourself: A Beginner's Guide to Asian Spiritual Practices, from Advaita and Buddhism to Yoga and Zen
C. Pierce Salguero
The Beat of the Dragon Boat
Christina Matula
Brotherless Night
V. V. Ganeshananthan
Sashiko's Stitches
Sanae Ishida
Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back
Ruth Chan

Jewish Heritage Month

Celebrate Jewish Heritage Month with stories that honour the richness, resilience, and diversity of Jewish life and culture. This collection for kids, teens, and adults offers meaningful insights and inspiring reads for all ages.

We Used to Dream of Freedom: A Memoir of Family, the Holocaust, and the Stories We Don't Tell
Sam Chaiton
Sitting Shiva
Erin Silver
I Could Nosh: Classic Jew-ish Recipes Revamped for Every Day
Jake Cohen
Rising
Sidura Ludwig
Scandal at the Alphorn Factory: New and Selected Short Fiction, 2024-1984
Gary Barwin
P is for Pastrami: The ABCs of Jewish Food
Alan Silberberg
Seeking the Fabled City: The Canadian Jewish Experience
Allan Levine
Sweet Babe!: A Jewish Grandma Kvells
Robin Rosenthal
Let it Destroy You
Harriet Alida Lye
I Love You More
Emil Sher
Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust
Meryl Frank
I Am Jewish
Erin Silver
A Drop in the Ocean
Lea Taranto
Linked
Gordon Korman
Ariel Crashes a Train
Olivia A. Cole
Joyful Song: A Naming Story
Lesléa Newman
Peggy
Rebecca Godfrey
A Boy is Not a Ghost
Edeet Ravel
Courage to Dream, Tales of Hope in the Holocaust: A Graphic Novel
Neal Shusterman
The Good Fight
Ted Staunton
Songs for the Brokenhearted
Ayelet Tsabari
Miss Matty
Edeet Ravel
We Belong Here
Frieda Wishinsky
The Rebel Girls of Rome
Jordyn Taylor

Mental Health Week

Explore a collection of books meant to foster courage and understanding during Mental Health Week (May 5-11). From empowering reads for kids to insightful titles for teens and adults, these books invite readers to embrace honesty and vulnerability, nurturing deeper connections and promoting mental well-being across all ages.

It's Ok: Being Kind to Yourself When Things Feel Hard
Wendy O'Leary
The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging
Julia Hotz
Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and Tools for Protecting Your Body, Brain, Psyche, and Thumbs From the Digital Dark Side
Alex J. Packer
Happy, Healthy Minds: A Children's Guide to Emotional Wellbeing
The School of Life Press
How to Love Better: The Path to Deeper Connection Through Growth, Kindness, and Compassion
Yung Pueblo
Gorgeously Me!
Jonathan Van Ness
10 Minutes to Better Mental Health: A Step-by-step Guide for Teens Using CBT and Mindfulness
Lee David & Debbie Brewin
Your Brain on Pregnancy: A Guide to Understanding and Protecting Your Mental Health During Pregnancy and Beyond
Dawn Kingston
How to Stop Freaking Out: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Cool When Life Feels Chaotic
Carla Naumburg
You Will Get Through This: A Mental Health First-aid Kit
Julie Radico
Bedtime Stories for Hard Days
Scott Stuart
The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age
Meg Jay
Psychology for Curious Kids: An Illustrated Introduction to Brain Science, Identity, Mental Health, and More!
Nik Neves
The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life
Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer
A Bucket of Stars
Suri Rosen
The Self-Care Kit for Stressed-Out Teens
Frankie Young
Little Treatments, Big Effects: How to Build Meaningful Moments That Can Transform Your Mental Health
Jessica Schleider
Big Breath: A Guided Meditation for Kids
William Meyer
Your Pocket Therapist: Break Free From Old Patterns and Transform Your Life
Annie Zimmerman
Puppy in My Head: A Book About Mindfulness
Elise Gravel
Why am I Like This?: My Brain Isn't Broken (and Neither is Yours)
Gemma Styles
Strong Like Me
Kelechi Okafor

Bee Life and Pollinator Power

Created in honour of World Bee Day (May 20), this book list explores the vital role of bees and other pollinators in our ecosystems. Whether you’re curious about science, conservation, or the wonders of the natural world, these titles offer insights for readers of all ages.

Heart of the Hive: Inside the Mind of the Honey Bee and the Incredible Life Force of the Colony
Hilary Kearney
Honey Bee: A First Field Guide to the World's Favorite Pollinating Insect
Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu
The Last Bumblebee
DVD
Bees Are Our Friends
Toni D'Alia
The Honey Trap: How the Good Intentions of Urban Beekeepers Risk Ecological Disaster
Dana L. Church
The Big Sting
Rachelle Delaney
A Garden for the Rusty Patched Bumblebee: Creating Habitat for Native Pollinators
Lorraine Johnson
They Work: Honey Bees, Nature's Pollinators
June Smalls
The Ultimate Wildlife Habitat Garden: Attract and Support Birds, Bees, and Butterflies
Stacy Tornio
The Pollinators
DVD
The Music of Bees
Eileen Garvin
Before the Seed: How Pollen Moves
Susannah Buhrman-Deever
The Bee Mother
Brett D. Huson
Planting for Pollinators: Creating a Garden Haven
Heather Angel
Save the Bees
Ruth A. Musgrave
Common Sense Natural Beekeeping: Sustainable, Bee-friendly Techniques to Help Your Hives Survive and Thrive
Kim Flottum
The Bee Connection
Ben Newman
Honey: Recipes From a Beekeeper's Kitchen
Amy Newsome
Lola Meets the Bees
Anna McQuinn
The Last Beekeeper
Siya Turabi
World of Pollinators: A Guide for Explorers of All Ages
Fox Chapel Publishing

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